Learn Hardcore Croatian: Sutra ću čistiti sobu, a ona će čistiti kupaonicu. - Tomorrow I will clean the room, and she will clean the bathroom.

They are the unstressed future auxiliary forms of the verb htjeti (to want), used to form the simple future (Futur I). They function like English “will.” The set is:

1sg: ću
2sg: ćeš
3sg: će
1pl: ćemo
2pl: ćete
3pl: će They combine with an infinitive: ću čistiti, ona će čistiti.

Why does ću come after Sutra and će after ona?

Croatian clitics (like ću/će) normally sit in “second position” in the clause, i.e., immediately after the first stressed word or phrase. In the first clause, Sutra is first, so we get Sutra ću…. In the second clause, ona is first, so we get ona će…. The clitic cannot start the clause.

Can I change the word order?

Yes, quite freely, as long as clitics stay in second position. For example:

Ja ću sutra čistiti sobu.
Sutra ću čistiti sobu.
Čistit ću sobu sutra. All are fine but differ in emphasis (what you put first gets a bit more focus).

Can I omit ona?

Yes, Croatian usually drops subject pronouns. But since će can’t start a clause, you must give it a host:

Sutra ću čistiti sobu, a čistit će kupaonicu. You can also front the object:
Sutra ću čistiti sobu, a kupaonicu će čistiti.

Why is there a comma before a?

In Croatian, when a connects two independent clauses, a comma is used before it. It’s standard punctuation: …, a …. (By contrast, i often doesn’t take a comma unless there’s a specific reason.)

What’s the difference between a and i here?

Both can translate as “and,” but:

i is simple addition (“and”).
a is contrastive or parallel (“and/while/whereas”), often contrasting subjects or actions. In this sentence, a nicely contrasts who cleans what. i would be acceptable but slightly less contrastive.

Why do we have sobu and kupaonicu, not soba and kupaonica?

They’re direct objects, so they take the accusative case. Feminine nouns ending in -a typically have -u in the accusative singular:

soba → sobu
kupaonica → kupaonicu

What’s the nuance of čistiti versus očistiti/počistiti/pospremiti?

čistiti (imperfective): the process/activity of cleaning; it doesn’t imply completion.
očistiti/počistiti (perfective): to clean and finish/complete the job.
pospremiti: to tidy up/put things in order (often overlaps with cleaning but focuses on tidying). So Sutra ću čistiti sobu = I will be engaged in cleaning; Sutra ću očistiti sobu = I will get it cleaned (completed).

Can I use the present for a near-future plan, e.g., Sutra čistim sobu?

Yes. Croatian often uses the present to talk about scheduled or near-future actions:

Sutra čistim sobu, a ona čisti kupaonicu. It feels like a set plan. The ću + infinitive form sounds more like a future intention or prediction.

Where is “the” in Croatian? Why no article before sobu/kupaonicu?

Croatian has no articles. Definiteness (“the room/the bathroom”) is inferred from context, word order, or other cues, not from a dedicated word like “the.”

How do I make it negative?

Add ne to the auxiliary (it fuses in writing):

Sutra neću čistiti sobu, a ona neće čistiti kupaonicu. Forms: neću, nećeš, neće, nećemo, nećete, neće.

How do I pronounce ću and će, and what’s the difference between ć and č?

ću ≈ “chyoo” (a soft “ch” + “oo”); će ≈ “cheh.”
ć is a softer, palatalized sound; č is a harder “ch” (as in “church”). In čistiti, the first sound is č (harder “ch”).

Is it okay to write Čistiti ću or should it be Čistit ću?

When an infinitive is immediately followed by a clitic (like ću/će), standard Croatian typically drops the final -i of the infinitive:

Preferred: Čistit ću, Vidjet ćemo, Radit ćete. Many style guides discourage Čistiti ću in modern standard writing. If you prefer to keep the full infinitive, avoid placing it directly before the clitic by moving something to the front: Sutra ću čistiti sobu.

Why not say ona će da čisti?

Standard Croatian forms the future with the infinitive (će + infinitive): ona će čistiti. The da + present construction for future (e.g., ona će da čisti) is characteristic of Serbian; it’s not standard in Croatian.

Is kupaonica the only word for “bathroom”?

In standard Croatian, kupaonica (also shorter kupaona) is preferred. You’ll also hear kupatilo in Serbian and in some regions; in Croatia, kupatilo is generally treated as Serbian/colloquial. The everyday term WC is also common for “toilet.”