Pišem poruku sestri sada.

I am writing a message to my sister now.

Breakdown of Pišem poruku sestri sada.

• sada: now
• sestra: sister
• pisati: to write
• poruka: message

Questions & Answers about Pišem poruku sestri sada.

Where is the subject I?

Croatian verbs show the subject in their endings. Pišem is 1st person singular, so it already means I am writing. You can add Ja pišem poruku sestri sada for emphasis on I, but it’s not required.

Why is it sestri and not sestra or sestru?

Because sestri is the dative case, used for the recipient (to/for whom).

• Nominative (subject): sestra
• Accusative (direct object): sestru
• Dative (indirect object, to/for): sestri

Why does poruka become poruku?

Poruka is a feminine noun. As a direct object, it’s in the accusative singular, which for most -a nouns is -u: poruka → poruku. Hence Pišem poruku….

Do I need the word to before sestri?

No. Croatian doesn’t use a preposition here; the dative case (sestri) itself means to (my) sister.
Be careful: Pišem poruku sestri = I’m writing a message to my sister, while Pišem poruku za sestru = I’m writing a message for my sister (on her behalf).

Can I move sada, and is sad okay?

Yes. Sada (now) is optional and can go in several places; sad is the common colloquial form. Examples:

• Sada pišem poruku sestri.
• Pišem poruku sestri sada.
• Pišem sada poruku sestri.
  All are correct; position can add slight emphasis but doesn’t change the core meaning.

Can I switch the order of sestri and poruku?

Yes. Both are common:

• Pišem poruku sestri (sada).
• Pišem sestri poruku (sada).
  You can also front something for emphasis: Sestri pišem poruku (sada) (emphasis on the recipient) or Poruku pišem sestri (sada) (emphasis on the message).

Can I omit poruku and just say I’m writing to my sister?

Yes: Pišem sestri (sada). That means you’re writing to her (a message, letter, etc.) without specifying the medium.

How do I say I’m writing her a message with pronouns?

Use the dative clitic joj (to her): Pišem joj poruku (sada). Clitic placement is “second position,” so: Sada joj pišem poruku or Pišem joj poruku sada.
If you also replace poruku with a pronoun, use the fem. acc. clitic je: Pišem joj je (I’m writing it to her). Don’t say Joj pišem… at the very start; if you want to start with a stressed form, use Njoj pišem poruku.

Do I need to say my sister explicitly?

Often context implies it. To be explicit, use a possessive:

• When the subject is the owner, svoj is preferred: Pišem poruku svojoj sestri sada.
• moj(a) is also possible: Pišem poruku mojoj sestri.
• For someone else’s sister: Pišem poruku njegovoj sestri.

How would this change with other family members?

Use the appropriate dative forms:

• brother (brat) → bratu: Pišem poruku bratu.
• mom (mama) → mami: Pišem poruku mami.
• mother (majka) → majci: Pišem poruku majci.

What’s the difference between pisati and napisati?

Aspect:

• pisati (imperfective) = the process/habit of writing: Sada pišem poruku sestri.
• napisati (perfective) = the completed act: Napisala sam poruku sestri. (female speaker; male: Napisao sam…)
  Future: Napisat ću poruku sestri (I’ll get it done) vs Sutra ću pisati poruku sestri (I’ll be engaged in writing).

There’s no a/the in Croatian. How do I show that?

Croatian has no articles. Context usually tells you whether it’s a or the. You can specify with determiners:

• jednu (one/a): Pišem jednu poruku sestri.
• ovu/tu/onu (this/that): Pišem tu poruku sestri.

Is sestri also a locative form?

Yes, for many -a feminine nouns, dative and locative singular look the same. Function and prepositions tell them apart:

• Dative (recipient, no preposition): Pišem sestri.
• Locative (with certain prepositions): Govorimo o sestri (we’re talking about the sister).

How do I pronounce the tricky letters?

• š = English sh: Pišem ≈ PEE-shem.
• sestri ≈ SEH-stree.
• sada ≈ SAH-dah.
  Croatian spelling is mostly phonetic; each letter has a stable sound.