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Questions & Answers about Navečer učimo hrvatski.
What exactly does navečer mean—“in the evening” or “at night”?
It means “in the evening(s),” usually as a general or habitual time. For a specific evening (tonight), use večeras. For “at night,” use noću. Example contrasts:
- Navečer učimo… = We study in the evenings (habit).
- Večeras učimo… = We’re studying tonight (this specific evening).
- Noću učimo… = We study at night.
Why is navečer written as one word? Are na večer or u večer acceptable?
Write it as one word: navečer. The variant uvečer is also accepted. The two-word forms na večer or u večer are not standard as time adverbs in modern usage; stick to navečer (or uvečer).
Why is there no “the” in the sentence?
Croatian has no articles (no “the” or “a”). Definiteness is understood from context, word order, or additional words if needed.
Can I change the word order?
Yes. All of these are natural, with slight differences in focus:
- Učimo hrvatski navečer. (neutral)
- Navečer učimo hrvatski. (focus on time: in the evening)
- Hrvatski učimo navečer. (focus on the object: Croatian) You can also add the pronoun for emphasis: Mi navečer učimo hrvatski.
Do I need to include the subject pronoun mi (“we”)?
No. The verb ending -mo in učimo already marks “we.” Adding mi is optional and adds emphasis or contrast (we, as opposed to others).