Learn Hardcore Croatian: Poslije tržnice sam žedan, pa pijem sok. - After the market I am thirsty, so I drink juice.

Because poslije governs the genitive case. Tržnica is a feminine noun; its genitive singular is tržnice. So: poslije + genitive → poslije tržnice.

What exactly does pa mean here?

Pa is a coordinating conjunction that often corresponds to English so, and so, or and then. It links the cause/result sequence in a mild, conversational way: “I’m thirsty, so I drink juice.” It’s less formal/explicit than zato or stoga (“therefore”).

Do I need the comma before pa?

Yes, when pa connects two independent clauses, Croatian normally uses a comma: … sam žedan, pa pijem …. If pa were just connecting words or short phrases, there would be no comma.

Why is sam placed where it is? Could I move it?

Sam is a clitic (an unstressed form of biti, “to be”) and prefers the “second position” in the clause—after the first stressed chunk: [Poslije tržnice] sam žedan. You can also say Žedan sam poslije tržnice, where sam is still in second position within that clause. Avoid Poslije tržnice žedan sam in neutral speech, because it pushes the clitic too far to the right.

Do I need to say Ja? Can I say Ja sam žedan?

You don’t need Ja; Croatian usually omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person. Ja sam žedan is fine when you want emphasis or contrast (e.g., “I am thirsty [but others aren’t]”).

What if the speaker is female?

The adjective must agree in gender: masculine žedan, feminine žedna. Examples:

Male: (Ja) sam žedan.
Female: (Ja) sam žedna.
Plural: Žedni smo (mixed/all-male), Žedne smo (all-female).

Can I say Imam žeđ for “I’m thirsty”?

That’s not idiomatic. Use the adjective with the verb biti: (Ja) sam žedan/žedna. The noun žeđ exists (“thirst”), but native speech uses the adjective construction for the state of being thirsty.

Why is it pijem sok and not pijem soka?

Sok is the direct object, so it’s in the accusative singular. For inanimate masculine nouns, the accusative form equals the nominative: sok → sok. You’d use genitive soka with quantities/partitives: pijem malo soka, času soka, or under negation with quantities.

Which case is sok in, and how would it change if the object were animate?

Here sok is accusative singular, identical to nominative because it’s inanimate. For animate masculines, the accusative equals the genitive: vidim psa (from gen. psa, not nom. pas).

Can I use popijem instead of pijem?

Pijem (imperfective) focuses on the process/habit: “I (typically) drink juice.”
Popijem (perfective) views a single act as complete: “I (finish) a juice.” In habits, Croatians can also say things like Ujutro popijem kavu (“In the morning I (always) have/finish a coffee”). In this specific sentence, pijem is the neutral, ongoing/habitual choice; popijem would emphasize each act as a completed unit or, in instructions/immediate plans, even a near-future reading: Sad popijem sok pa idem.

Are there articles in Croatian? How do I know if sok means “a juice” or “the juice”?

Croatian has no articles. Sok can mean “juice,” “the juice,” or “a juice,” depending on context. To explicitly say “one (unit of) juice,” you can use jedan sok (common in ordering: Jedan sok, molim).

Is poslije the only option? What about nakon or posle?

Poslije and nakon both take the genitive and are fine in standard Croatian: Poslije/Nakon tržnice…
Posle is typical of Serbian/Ekavian; in Croatian standard, prefer poslije or nakon.

Could I put a comma after Poslije tržnice?

Normally, no. A fronted time phrase like Poslije tržnice does not require a comma unless it’s very long or you want a special pause. The comma in your sentence is correctly placed before pa.

Pronunciation tips: how do I say tržnice, žedan, and pijem?

ž = the “s” in English “measure” (a “zh” sound).
tržnice ≈ “TRZH-ni-tseh” (3 syllables; the r can be syllabic).
žedan ≈ “ZHE-dahn.”
pijem ≈ “PEE-yehm” (pronounce the i and je distinctly).

What’s the difference between tržnica, tržište, and trg?

Tržnica: a physical marketplace/farmers’ market (stalls, produce).
Tržište: “market” in the economic sense or a broader market area.
Trg: a town square. Regional word you may hear: pijaca (nonstandard in Croatian).

How do I talk about going to/from/at the market with the right prepositions and cases?

To the market: Idem na tržnicu (accusative).
At the market: Na tržnici sam (locative).
From the market: Dolazim s(tr)žnice (genitive; spelled s tržnice or sa tržnice before certain clusters).

Could I rephrase the sentence with a different word order?

Yes. Common variants:

Žedan sam poslije tržnice, pa pijem sok.
Poslije tržnice žedan sam, pa pijem sok. (stylistic/poetic; less neutral due to clitic placement)
Pijem sok jer sam žedan poslije tržnice. (using jer = “because”)