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Questions & Answers about Vidimo se kod kina sutra.
What does the phrase Vidimo se literally mean, and how is it used?
Literally it’s “We see ourselves,” but functionally it’s reciprocal: “We see each other.” As a set phrase, Vidimo se just means “See you,” like a casual goodbye that implies a future meeting.
Why is se used here?
Se is the reflexive/reciprocal pronoun. With vidimo, it makes the meaning “we see each other,” which is what you need for “See you.” Without se, vidimo would need a direct object (e.g., “We see the film”).
Where does se go in the sentence?
Se is a clitic and tends to appear in the “second position” of the clause. Correct options include:
- Vidimo se sutra.
- Sutra se vidimo. Avoid placing it at the end: not Vidimo sutra se.
Why is there no subject pronoun like mi (“we”)?
Croatian is a pro-drop language: the verb ending in vidimo already tells you the subject is “we.” You can say Mi se vidimo for emphasis, but it’s not necessary in normal speech.
What does kod mean in kod kina?
Kod means “at/near/by” and takes the genitive case. Kod kina is “by/at the cinema,” generally outside it, near the location, not inside.
Why is it kina and not kinu?
Because kod requires the genitive, and the genitive singular of kino (neuter) is kina. Kinu is locative singular, used after u or na in static location meanings (e.g., u kinu = “in the cinema”).
What’s the difference between kod kina, u kinu, and u kino?
- Kod kina: at/near the cinema (outside).
- U kinu: in the cinema (inside; static location, locative).
- U kino: to the cinema (motion into; accusative), e.g., Idemo u kino (“We’re going to the cinema”).
Could I say “in front of the cinema” instead of kod kina?
Yes:
- Ispred kina (genitive) = “in front of the cinema.”
- Pred kinom (instrumental) = also “in front of the cinema.” Both are fine; ispred is explicitly “in front of,” while kod is vaguer (“by/near”).
Is kod kina precise or vague?
It’s somewhat vague—“by/near the cinema.” If you want a precise spot, use ispred kina or pred kinom.
Is the word order Vidimo se kod kina sutra okay? Would Vidimo se sutra kod kina be better?
Both are correct. Croatian often prefers time before place, so Vidimo se sutra kod kina is a bit more typical, but the original order is perfectly natural.
Why is present tense used for a future plan?
Croatian commonly uses the present for scheduled/near-future events when a time expression is present (sutra = tomorrow). You can also use future: Vidjet ćemo se sutra (“We’ll see each other tomorrow”).
How do I correctly place clitics in the future form?
Say Vidjet ćemo se sutra. Don’t say Vidjet se ćemo. The auxiliary ćemo and se both go into the clitic cluster near the start of the clause.
Why is there no word for “the” in kod kina?
Croatian has no articles. Context and case endings do the work that “the/a” do in English. Kina here is understood as “the cinema.”
Can I add a specific time? Where does it go?
Yes: Vidimo se sutra u sedam kod kina is very natural (time before place). Variants like Vidimo se sutra kod kina u sedam are also acceptable.
Is Vidimo se formal or informal? Are there alternatives?
Vidimo se is neutral and widely used. Alternatives:
- Čujemo se (“We’ll hear from each other”) for calls/messages.
- Doviđenja (more formal “goodbye,” not necessarily implying a meeting).