Learn Hardcore Croatian: Prije nego što počnemo, reci adresu.

In Croatian, perfective verbs in the present tense often refer to the future. Početi is perfective, so počnemo (present) is used to mean “we will start.” After temporal conjunctions like prije nego što, the present is the normal, natural choice for future time reference. So Prije nego što počnemo = “Before we start.”

Could I say prije nego što ćemo početi instead?

Avoid that in standard Croatian. In subordinate time clauses introduced by prije nego (što), kad(a), and dok, use the present (often of a perfective verb) for future meaning. So prefer prije nego što počnemo, not prije nego što ćemo početi.

What’s the role of što in prije nego što? Can I drop it?

Prije nego što is a fixed complex conjunction meaning “before (that) …”
You will also hear prije nego without što: Prije nego počnemo. This is common and acceptable in speech and informal writing.
More formal/literary variants: prije no što, prije no. If you want a safe default in standard Croatian, use prije nego što + finite verb.

Why is it reci adresu and not reci adresa?

Because adresa is a direct object, so it must be in the accusative singular: adresu. Nominative (adresa) is only for the subject.

Should I add “me” like in English “tell me the address”? Where does it go?

Yes, that’s the most natural way. Use the dative clitic mi:

Prije nego što počnemo, reci mi adresu. Clitics (like mi, ti, mu, je, ga, se, sam, ću) typically go in second position in their clause. Here they come right after reci.

Is reci adresu rude?

It can sound abrupt. More natural or polite:

Informal: Molim te, reci mi adresu.
Formal: Molim vas, recite mi adresu. You can also say: Možeš li mi reći adresu? (informal), Možete li mi reći adresu? (formal).

What’s the difference between reci and recite?

Reci = 2nd person singular imperative (to one person, informal).
Recite = 2nd person plural imperative (to more than one person or to one person formally). Choose based on T–V distinction and number.

Can I use kaži instead of reci?

Yes. Reći and kazati are near-synonyms. Imperatives:

Reci adresu.
Kaži adresu. Both are fine in Croatian; reci is a very safe, common choice. More formal verbs include navesti (“state, list”): Navedite adresu.

Why not prije nego što počinjemo?

Because počinjati (imperfective) describes ongoing/repeated action. With prije nego što, we need the idea of a single, bounded starting point, so the perfective početi is used: prije nego što počnemo, not počinje/počinajmo/počinjeti here.

What’s the difference between počnemo and počnimo?

Počnemo = present tense (perfective), used here for future time in a subordinate clause: “(before) we start.”
Počnimo = 1st person plural imperative: “let’s start.” Example: Prije nego što počnemo, reci mi adresu. Počnimo onda!

Is the comma after the first clause necessary?

Yes. When a subordinate clause comes first, Croatian uses a comma:

Prije nego što počnemo, reci mi adresu. If you reverse the order, a comma is usually not used:
Reci mi adresu prije nego što počnemo.

Does prije take a specific case?

With a noun phrase, prije takes the genitive:

prije početka = “before the start” (genitive singular). With a clause, we use the conjunction prije nego (što) + finite verb, so no case marking issue arises in that part.

How do I pronounce the special letters here: č, ć, š?

č: hard “ch” (like the “ch” in “chocolate,” but a bit stronger). In počnemo.
ć: a softer, palatal “ty/ch” sound. In reći (infinitive), but note the imperative is reci (with plain c).
š: “sh” as in “shoe.” In što. Also note što (with š) means “what/that (in this conjunction),” while sto (no diacritic) means “hundred.”

Is što here the same što that means “what”?

It’s the same word form, but in prije nego što it functions as part of a fixed conjunction, not as a standalone interrogative. You don’t translate it separately.

Can I say this using a noun instead of a clause?

Yes:

Prije početka, reci mi adresu. (“Before the start, tell me the address.”) Here početka is genitive after prije.

Are there regional variants I should know?

Yes:

Croatian typically uses prije; Serbian uses pre.
The conjunction is prije/pre nego što in both; don’t replace što with šta in this fixed phrase. Examples:
Croatian: Prije nego što počnemo, reci mi adresu.
Serbian: Pre nego što počnemo, reci mi adresu.

How would I say “Don’t say the address (yet)”?

Use the negative imperative with nemoj + infinitive:

Singular: Nemoj reći adresu (još).
Plural/formal: Nemojte reći adresu (još).