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Breakdown of Prije nego što dođeš u ljekarnu, zovi roditelje.
u
to
doći
to come
zvati
to call
roditelj
parent
ljekarna
pharmacy
prije nego što
before
Questions & Answers about Prije nego što dođeš u ljekarnu, zovi roditelje.
Why is dođeš in the present tense instead of future (ćeš doći)?
In Croatian, time clauses introduced by words like prije nego (što), kad, dok take the present tense even when talking about the future. So you say prije nego što dođeš, not prije nego što ćeš doći.
Why is it u ljekarnu and not u ljekarni?
Because of motion vs. location:
- u + accusative = motion into: doći u ljekarnu
- u + locative = location: biti u ljekarni
What’s the difference between zovi and nazovi?
- zovi (from imperfective zvati) can mean “call (in general/keep calling)” or even “call out by name.”
- nazovi (from perfective nazvati) means “make a (single) phone call.” For one phone call, nazovi roditelje is usually more natural.
Do I need the što in prije nego što? Can I say prije nego dođeš?
With a full clause (a verb), standard Croatian prefers prije nego što. Prije nego dođeš is common in speech and generally acceptable but more informal. Avoid prije nego da dođeš in Croatian.
What case is roditelje, and why that form?
It’s accusative plural of roditelji (parents), used for the direct object of zovi/nazovi:
- Nom. pl.: roditelji
- Acc. pl.: roditelje
- Gen. pl.: roditelja
Why is there a comma after the first clause?
Because the subordinate clause (Prije nego što dođeš u ljekarnu) comes first; Croatian separates it with a comma. If the main clause comes first, you typically write it without a comma: Zovi/Nazovi roditelje prije nego što dođeš u ljekarnu.
How do I say this politely or to more than one person?
Use 2nd person plural: Prije nego što dođete u ljekarnu, nazovite/zovite roditelje.
Can I use kad instead of prije nego što?
They change the timing:
- Prije nego što... = do it before you arrive.
- Kad... = do it when/once you arrive. So Kad dođeš u ljekarnu, nazovi roditelje means “Call after you arrive,” not before.
Why perfective dođeš and not imperfective dolaziš?
Prije nego što points to a single arrival (a time boundary), so perfective dođeš is natural. Prije nego (što) dolaziš sounds odd; dolaziš is for habitual actions or schedule questions (e.g., Kada dolaziš?).
Is ljekarna the same as apoteka?
In Croatian, ljekarna is the standard word for “pharmacy.” Apoteka is understood but regional/Serbian/Bosnian. Prefer ljekarna. A pharmacist is ljekarnik/ljekarnica.
How do I pronounce the special letters in dođeš and ljekarnu?
- đ (as in dođeš) is close to English “j” in “jam” (softer than dž).
- lj (as in ljekarnu) is a single palatal sound, like the “lli” in “million.” In the Croatian alphabet, lj counts as one letter.
Do I need to add svoje (your) as in nazovi svoje roditelje?
It’s optional. In commands, roditelje is normally understood as “your parents” from context. Nazovi svoje roditelje makes it explicit/emphatic.
Why use u and not na with ljekarna?
u is used for going into/being inside enclosed spaces/buildings (e.g., u ljekarnu / u ljekarni). na is for surfaces, events, and certain fixed phrases (na posao, na fakultet). With ljekarna, use u.
Are there stylistic variants of prije nego što?
Yes. prije no što is a stylistic/literary variant with the same meaning: Prije no što dođeš....
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