Zbog kiše ostajem kod kuće.

Because of the rain I am staying at home.

Breakdown of Zbog kiše ostajem kod kuće.

• kiša: rain
• kod: at
• kuća: home
• ostajati: to stay
• zbog: because of

Questions & Answers about Zbog kiše ostajem kod kuće.

What does the preposition zbog mean and which case does it require?

Zbog means “because of/due to” and it always takes the genitive case. That’s why you see kiše (genitive singular of kiša).

• Example patterns: zbog posla (because of work), zbog gužve (because of the crowd), zbog bolesti (because of illness)

Why is it kiše and not kiša?

Because zbog requires the genitive. For regular feminine nouns ending in -a, the genitive singular ends in -e:

• kiša → kiše
• kuća → kuće

Could I say “I’m staying home because it’s raining” with jer instead of zbog?

Yes. Use jer to introduce a full clause:

• Ostajem kod kuće jer pada kiša. (I’m staying at home because it’s raining.) Use zbog when the reason is a noun phrase:
• Zbog kiše ostajem kod kuće. (Because of the rain, I’m staying at home.) Both are natural; zbog + noun vs. jer + clause is the key difference.

What’s the difference between zbog and radi?

Both take the genitive and can mean “because of,” but:

• zbog = cause/reason (neutral and safest choice).
• radi = “for the sake of/for the purpose of,” though in practice it’s also used like zbog in many regions. If you want the neutral “due to,” prefer zbog. Very formal: uslijed (due to). Different meaning: od (“from, as a result of”) e.g., Mokar sam od kiše (I’m wet from the rain).

Why ostajem and not ostanem?

Ostajem is the present of the imperfective verb ostajati (ongoing/habitual or current action: “I am staying/I stay”).
Ostanem is the present of the perfective ostati and isn’t used for a real present; it appears in conditions or time clauses (e.g., Ako ostanem, ... “If I (should) stay, ...”) or in certain future-like contexts.

How do I say this in the future or past?

• Future (single, decided action): Ostat ću kod kuće zbog kiše.
  You can also use present for a scheduled near future: Sutra ostajem kod kuće.
• Past: Jučer sam ostao/ostala kod kuće zbog kiše. (m./f.)

What exactly does kod kuće mean, and how is it different from u kući, kući, or doma?

• kod kuće = “at home” (most standard; literally “at the house/home”). kod always takes genitive: kod kuće.
• u kući = “in the house” (inside a house; not necessarily your home).
• kući (no preposition) = “home/at home/to home” in everyday speech: Idem kući (I’m going home), Jesam kući (I’m at home; colloquial).
• doma = “at home/home,” very common and natural in Croatia: Ostajem doma.

Can I change the word order?

Yes. Croatian word order is flexible; you change it to shift emphasis:

• Zbog kiše ostajem kod kuće. (emphasis on the cause)
• Ostajem kod kuće zbog kiše. (neutral/afterthought cause)
• Kod kuće ostajem zbog kiše. (emphasis on location) All are grammatical; pick the one that highlights what you want to stress.

Do I need to say ja?

No. The verb ending already shows person/number, so Ja ostajem... is only for emphasis or contrast (e.g., Ja ostajem, oni idu. “I’m staying, they’re going.”). The neutral form is simply Ostajem...

Do I need a comma after the initial phrase (Zbog kiše)?

No. You normally do not put a comma after a short introductory prepositional phrase:

• Correct: Zbog kiše ostajem kod kuće.
• Avoid: Zbog kiše, ostajem kod kuće.

How do I make the sentence negative?

Place ne right before the verb:

• Zbog kiše ne ostajem kod kuće. (Because of the rain, I’m not staying at home.)
• Or: Ne ostajem kod kuće zbog kiše. (I’m not staying at home because of the rain.)
  Word order shifts emphasis, but ne always directly precedes the verb.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

• zbog: starts with a voiced cluster [zb]; the final g is a hard “g” (as in “go”). In rapid speech before k (as in kiše), g may devoice: you might hear something like [zbok ki-ʃe].
• kiše: š is “sh” (IPA [ʃ]); stress usually on the first syllable: KI‑še.
• kuće: ć is a soft “ch” (lighter than č); roughly “KOO‑cheh.”
• ostajem: pronounced OS‑ta‑yem; the j is like English “y.”