Learn Hardcore Croatian: Sastanak će završiti prije osam. - The meeting will finish before eight.

Subject + clitic (ću/ćeš/će/ćemo/ćete/će) + infinitive. So: Sastanak će završiti = “The meeting will finish.” The clitic normally sits in second position in the clause.

Can I also say Sastanak završit će prije osam? Is završiti će correct?

Yes, Sastanak završit će prije osam is correct and common.
When the auxiliary follows the infinitive, standard Croatian drops the final -i of the infinitive: završit će (NOT završiti će).
Both orders are fine: Sastanak će završiti… and Sastanak završit će…

If I move the time phrase to the front, where does će go?

Clitics stay in second position (after the first stressed constituent). So you’d say:

Prije osam će sastanak završiti. You can also keep the time phrase at the end:
Sastanak će završiti prije osam. Avoid something like Prije osam sastanak će završiti (clitic too late).

Why is it prije osam and not prije osam sati?

It’s an ellipsis. prije osam stands for prije osam sati (“before eight o’clock”). Both are correct; adding sati just makes it explicit. In everyday speech, sati is often omitted.

What case does prije take?

prije governs the genitive. With numbers 5 and up (like osam), the numeral itself doesn’t change form, so you’ll notice the genitive on the noun if it’s present:

prije osam sati (genitive plural of sat = sati).

How do I say “by eight” rather than “before eight”?

Use do (+ genitive): do osam (sati) = “by eight,” typically inclusive (no later than 8:00).
Contrast:

prije osam = strictly before 8:00 (excludes 8:00).
do osam = by 8:00 at the latest (often includes 8:00).

How do I say “after eight,” “at eight,” and “around eight”?

after eight: poslije osam (sati) (also poslije osam; Croatian standard prefers poslije over Serbian posle)
at eight: u osam (sati)
around eight: oko osam (sati)

Why not Sastanak će se završiti?

In Croatian, it’s more natural to say events simply završiti without se: Sastanak će završiti.
You will hear završiti se as well (e.g., Konferencija se završila), but many style guides prefer the non-reflexive form for events in Croatian. Your sentence without se is the safest, most neutral choice.

What’s the difference between završiti and završavati?

završiti = perfective (a single, completed finishing event) → fits scheduled endpoints: Sastanak će završiti…
završavati = imperfective (ongoing/habitual) → for routines or processes: Sastanci obično završavaju prije osam.

Can I use the present tense for a scheduled future event?

Yes. Croatian often uses the present for timetabled or fixed future events:

Sastanak završava prije osam. = “The meeting finishes before eight.”
Future (će) is also perfectly fine.

Why is it Sastanak (not Sastanka) at the start?

Sastanak is the subject in the nominative singular (masculine). Sastanka would be genitive singular, which isn’t used for the subject here.

How do I pronounce tricky parts like će, prije, and osam?

će: like “che” in “chew,” but a bit softer [tɕe].
prije: roughly “PREE-yeh” (the j is like English “y”).
osam: “OH-sahm,” with clear vowels.

There’s no “the” in Croatian—how do I know it means “the meeting”?

Croatian has no articles. Sastanak can mean “a meeting” or “the meeting,” and context usually tells you which is intended. Here, in a scheduling context, it’s naturally “the meeting.”

How do I ask “What time will the meeting finish?”

Kad će sastanak završiti? (or Kada…)
More specific: U koliko će sati sastanak završiti?

Why osam and not osmi/osme/osmog?

osam is the cardinal number “eight.”
osmi/osme/osmog are ordinal forms (“eighth”), used like “the eighth [something].” For clock times (“eight o’clock”), use the cardinal: osam (sati).

How do I make a yes–no question like “Will the meeting finish before eight?”

Use the interrogative form with the full verb:

Hoće li sastanak završiti prije osam?
Answer with Da, hoće. / Ne, neće.