Learn Hardcore Croatian: Moja prijateljica i ja često gledamo stare slike u knjižnici. - My friend and I often look at old pictures in the library.

Because the subject is Moja prijateljica i ja (my friend and I), which is “we.” Croatian verbs agree with the subject in person and number, so you use the 1st-person plural: gledamo.

Could I say Ja i moja prijateljica instead of Moja prijateljica i ja?

Yes. Both orders are grammatically correct. Many speakers prefer to put the other person first (Moja prijateljica i ja) as a matter of politeness, but Ja i moja prijateljica is common in casual speech.

Do I need the word moja? Can I just say Prijateljica i ja?

You can say Prijateljica i ja if it’s clear from context which friend you mean. Moja adds clarity (my friend), but it’s not mandatory if the context is obvious.

Why is it prijateljica and not prijatelj or something meaning “girlfriend”?

prijateljica = female friend (not necessarily romantic)
prijatelj = male friend
djevojka = girlfriend So moja prijateljica means “my (female) friend.”

What does često do here, and where can it go in the sentence?

često means “often.” It commonly goes before the verb or after the subject:

Moja prijateljica i ja često gledamo... (very natural)
Često moja prijateljica i ja gledamo... (also fine) Placing it after the verb (gledamo često) is possible but less neutral.

Why is it slike and not slika?

slike is the plural form (pictures). It’s also in the accusative case because it’s the direct object of gledamo. For feminine -a nouns like slika, the nominative plural and accusative plural are both slike.

Why does the adjective appear as stare?

Adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. slike is feminine plural accusative, so the adjective is stare (fem. plural acc.). Examples:

singular: stara slika
plural nominative/accusative: stare slike

Why is it u knjižnici and not u knjižnica?

After u meaning “in/at” a location (no movement), Croatian uses the locative case. The locative singular of knjižnica (library) is knjižnici. So:

static location: u knjižnici = in the library (locative)
movement into: u knjižnicu = into the library (accusative)

What’s the difference between gledamo and pogledamo here?

gledamo (imperfective) describes ongoing or habitual actions. With često, it’s the natural choice.
pogledamo (perfective) suggests a single, completed viewing (“we take a look”). With često, it would sound odd.

Is gledati “to watch” or “to look at”? Do I need u?

gledati covers both “watch” and “look at” depending on the object: gledati slike = look at pictures; gledati TV = watch TV. You can also say gledati u + accusative to emphasize the direction of your gaze (stare at), but here the simple direct object is standard: gledati slike.

Why does knjižnici end in -i? What’s the pattern?

It’s the locative singular of a feminine -a noun. Many such nouns take -i in the locative:

škola → u školi
kuća → u kući
knjižnica → u knjižnici

Can I use biblioteka instead of knjižnica?

Yes, it’s understood everywhere. In Croatian standard, knjižnica is preferred; in Serbian/Bosnian, biblioteka is more common. If you use it here, it becomes u biblioteci (locative).

What’s the difference between slike and fotografije?

slike = pictures/images (can mean drawings, paintings, photos)
fotografije = photographs specifically If you want to be explicit about photos, stare fotografije is perfect.

Could I say this as “With my friend, I often look at old pictures in the library”?

Yes. Croatian often uses an instrumental phrase with s/sa:

S prijateljicom često gledam stare slike u knjižnici. Note the instrumental singular prijateljicom after s/sa.

How is gledati conjugated in the present tense?

ja gledam
ti gledaš
on/ona/ono gleda
mi gledamo
vi gledate
oni/one/ona gledaju

Are there articles (“the/a”) in Croatian? How do we know if it’s “the old pictures” or “old pictures”?

Croatian has no articles. stare slike can mean “old pictures” or “the old pictures,” depending on context. You rely on context or add clarifying words if needed.

How do I change the sentence if the friend is male?

Use prijatelj and the possessive moj:

Moj prijatelj i ja često gledamo stare slike u knjižnici. The verb stays gledamo (still “we”).

Any pronunciation tips for tricky letters like č and ž, and the cluster in knjižnici?

č = “ch” in “church”
ž = “zh” in “measure”
knj in knjižnici is pronounced with the palatal sound [ɲ] for nj: roughly “k-ny,” so the word sounds like “k-nyizh-nee-tsi.”