Breakdown of Sljedeći vlak stiže u osam sati.
u
at
sat
hour
osam
eight
sljedeći
next
vlak
train
stizati
to arrive
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Questions & Answers about Sljedeći vlak stiže u osam sati.
What does each word correspond to in English?
- sljedeći = next (adjective)
- vlak = train (masculine noun)
- stiže = arrives/is arriving (3rd person singular, present, from imperfective stizati)
- u = at/in (here: at, for clock time)
- osam = eight
- sati = hours (genitive plural of sat; together osam sati = “eight o’clock”)
Why is the present tense used for a future time?
Croatian commonly uses the present for scheduled events. Vlak stiže u osam naturally means “The train arrives at 8 (according to the timetable).”
Could I say stigne instead of stiže?
Stigne is the present of the perfective stići and usually has a future meaning (“will arrive”). It’s possible, but for neutral timetable statements stiže (imperfective) is the usual choice. Clear future: Vlak će stići u osam.
Can I use dolazi instead of stiže?
Yes: Sljedeći vlak dolazi u osam sati. Dolaziti is more general “to come/arrive”; stizati focuses on “arrive/reach.” Both work with trains.
Why is it u osam sati?
For clock time, Croatian uses u + accusative = “at.” With numbers 5 and up, the counted noun appears in genitive plural, hence sati after osam. So “at eight (o’clock)” = u osam sati.
Why sati and not sat or sata?
- 1 → sat (u jedan sat)
- 2–4 → sata (u dva/tri/četiri sata)
- 5+ → sati (u pet … u osam sati) You can also just say u osam.
Is sati optional here?
Yes. Sljedeći vlak stiže u osam is perfectly natural. Adding sati is a bit more formal/explicit.
How do I say 8 a.m. vs 8 p.m.?
- 8 a.m.: u osam ujutro
- 8 p.m.: u osam navečer; or use 24‑hour time: u dvadeset sati (20:00).
You can also use poslijepodne for “afternoon.”
What’s the difference between u osam sati and za osam sati?
- u osam sati = at eight o’clock (clock time)
- za osam sati = in eight hours (from now)
Is the word order fixed? Can I put the time first?
Word order is flexible. U osam sati stiže sljedeći vlak is equally correct and emphasizes the time.
Do I need an article for “the next train”?
No. Croatian has no articles. Sljedeći vlak in context naturally means “the next train.”
How do you pronounce the tricky parts?
- sljedeći: sl-yeh-deh-chee (note lj = palatal “ly”, ć = soft “ch”)
- stiže: STEE-zheh (ž like “s” in “measure”)
- vlak: vlahk (clear “v”, not English “w”)
- u osam sati: oo OH-sahm SAH-tee
Is the spelling slijedeći acceptable?
Standard Croatian uses sljedeći. You will see slijedeći, but it’s considered nonstandard; prefer sljedeći. A common synonym is idući (“next”).
What about other regional standards?
Serbian typically has sledeći voz, Bosnian sljedeći voz. Croatian standard prefers vlak for “train.”
How would I ask “When does the next train arrive?”
- Kada stiže sljedeći vlak?
- More formal: U koliko sati stiže sljedeći vlak?
How do I say “The next train departs at eight”?
Use a departure verb:
- Sljedeći vlak polazi u osam (sati).
- Also common: kreće or odlazi.
How do I say “exactly at eight” or “around eight”?
- exactly: točno u osam (sati)
- around: oko osam (sati)
Any trap with “half past eight”?
Yes—Croatian says “half to the next hour”:
8:30 = u pola devet (literally “at half nine”), not “pola osam”.
Does sljedeći agree with the noun?
Yes, in gender and number:
- masculine: sljedeći vlak
- feminine: sljedeća linija
- neuter: sljedeće jutro
- plural: sljedeći vlakovi, sljedeće linije, etc.