Learn Hardcore Croatian: Imam dvije stvari za danas.

Masculine/neuter: dva (e.g., dva stola = two tables; dva sela = two villages)
Feminine: dvije (e.g., dvije knjige, dvije stvari)

Can I say "dve" instead of "dvije"?

Not in standard Croatian. dve is standard in Serbian. In Croatian, the standard form is dvije. You might hear regional colloquial forms like dvi (e.g., in Dalmatia), but stick to dvije in standard language.

Why is it "stvari" after "dvije"? Isn’t the noun supposed to be singular?

With the numerals 2–4, Croatian puts the counted noun in the genitive singular. The genitive singular of stvar is stvari. It happens to look the same as the nominative plural, which is why it feels plural.

Masculine example (clearer endings): dva stola / tri stola / četiri stola (gen. sg), but pet stolova (gen. pl).

What case is "dvije stvari" as the object of "imam"?

The whole noun phrase functions as an accusative object (because of imati = “to have”), but inside it, the noun after the numeral is in genitive singular. For feminine “two,” dvije has the same form in nominative and accusative, so you don’t see a change.

Other cases with “two things”: dviju stvari (of two things), o dvjema stvarima (about two things), s dvjema stvarima (with two things).

How would the sentence change with different numbers?

1: Imam jednu stvar za danas.
2: Imam dvije stvari za danas.
3: Imam tri stvari za danas.
4: Imam četiri stvari za danas.
5+: Imam pet stvari za danas. (from 5 upward the noun is genitive plural)

With a masculine noun (to show the endings clearly): Imam jedan stol / dva stola / tri stola / pet stolova.

How do I say “two important things”?

Use a plural-looking adjective with the numeral:

dvije važne stvari = two important things

For a masculine noun: dva nova stola (two new tables). Note: dviju važnih stvari means “of two important things.”

Can I move "za danas" elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes. Word order is flexible for emphasis:

Za danas imam dvije stvari. (fronted time frame)
Imam za danas dvije stvari. (also fine)
Without “za”: Danas imam dvije stvari. (slightly different nuance; see next Q&A)

What’s the difference between "za danas" and just "danas"?

za danas = “for today” as a time frame or deadline/schedule (e.g., items planned or due today).
danas = “today” as a plain time adverb. So Imam dvije stvari za danas suggests two items on today’s agenda; Danas imam dvije stvari simply states that today you have two things.

Do I need to say "ja" (I)?

No. Croatian normally drops the subject pronoun because the verb ending already shows the person. Imam… is enough. Use Ja imam… only for emphasis or contrast.

How do I pronounce the tricky parts?

Imam: EE-mahm
dvije: DV-yeh (the “j” is like English “y”; “ije” = “yeh”)
stvari: STVAH-ree (clear “r”; all vowels are pure)
za: zah
danas: DAH-nahs

Keep consonant clusters crisp: dv-, stv-.

How do I say “of two things” or “with two things”?

of two things: dviju stvari (genitive)
with two things: s dvjema stvarima (instrumental)
about two things: o dvjema stvarima (locative)

Masculine comparison: dvaju stolova, s dvama stolovima.

Are there articles (the/a) in Croatian? Should I add one?

Croatian has no articles. Imam dvije stvari already means “I have two things.” If you need specificity, use demonstratives: ove dvije stvari (these two things), te dvije stvari (those two things).

Is this sentence okay in Bosnian/Serbian too?

Yes. In Bosnian and Montenegrin it’s the same. In Serbian, you’ll most often see dve: Imam dve stvari za danas. (Ijekavian Serbian can also use dvije.)

The form "stvari" seems to mean many things. How can I tell which it is?

For stvar, the form stvari appears in several slots (genitive singular, nominative plural, accusative plural, genitive plural). You rely on context and the numeral:

tri stvari (after 2–4: formally gen. sg, but looks the same)
pet stvari (gen. pl)
ove stvari (these things; nominative plural) The numeral’s value (3 vs 5) and the rest of the sentence tell you the function.

How do I say “exactly two,” “at least two,” or “only two” in this sentence?

exactly two: točno dvije or baš dvije
at least two: najmanje dvije
only two: samo dvije Examples: Imam samo dvije stvari za danas. / Za danas imam najmanje dvije stvari.

Is "za" commonly used for planned times like this?

Yes. za + Accusative often sets a planned/target time:

za danas, za sutra, za ponedjeljak, za vikend Compare:
Danas radim. (I’m working today; plain time adverb)
Imam nešto za sutra. (I have something slated for tomorrow)
Do danas = “by today” (different preposition and meaning)