Idem od škole do kina.

to go

Breakdown of Idem od škole do kina.

• škola: school
• do: to
• kino: cinema
• od: from

Questions & Answers about Idem od škole do kina.

What do od and do mean, and which case do they require?

od means “from,” and do means “to/up to/until.” Both always take the genitive case: od škole, do kina.

Why is it škole and kina, not škola and kino?

Because od and do require the genitive singular:

• škola (feminine) → genitive škole (-a → -e)
• kino (neuter) → genitive kina (-o → -a)

What’s the difference between od/do and iz/u here?

• od … do … sets the path between two points; it doesn’t itself say you’re leaving the inside of A or entering B.
• iz … u … emphasizes movement out of the interior of A and into the interior of B. Example: Idem iz škole u kino = I’m leaving the school building and going into the cinema. Idem od škole do kina = I’m going from the school to the cinema (maybe just up to it).

Does do kina mean I will enter the cinema?

Not necessarily. do means “up to.” If you want to say you’re going inside, use u: Idem u kino.

Would Idem iz škole u kino be more natural if I’m leaving the building and going in?

Yes. Use iz … u … to stress exiting and entering. od … do … is great for describing a route or endpoints.

Does idem specify how I’m traveling?

No. Idem just means “I’m going.” To specify:

• walking: Idem pješice / Hodam od škole do kina.
• driving (as a passenger/driver): Vozim se / Vozim od škole do kina.

Where is “the”? Are there articles in Croatian?

Croatian has no articles. škole and kina can mean “(the) school” and “(the) cinema” depending on context.

Can I include the pronoun ja?

Yes, for emphasis or contrast: Ja idem od škole do kina, but the default is just Idem… because the verb ending already shows the person.

Can I change the word order?

A bit, yes. Natural options include:

• Idem od škole do kina. (neutral)
• Od škole idem do kina. (emphasis on the starting point) Keep the od … do … pair intact; forms like Idem do kina od škole usually sound odd.

How do you pronounce od škole?

It’s written od, but in casual speech the d often devoiced before š, so you may hear something like [ot škole]. Spelling stays od.

Are od and do only for places?

No. They’re common for ranges in time and quantity:

• od 9 do 5 (from 9 to 5)
• od ponedjeljka do petka (Monday to Friday)
• od jutra do večeri (from morning till evening)

Why not sa škole?

In standard Croatian you say iz škole for “from school.” s/sa + genitive is used for “off/from a surface” or certain set phrases: sa stola (off the table), s posla (from work). sa škole is not standard in Croatian (though you’ll hear it regionally).

What cases go with the most common place prepositions?

• u
  • accusative (movement into): u kino; + locative (location in): u kinu
• na
  • accusative (onto/to an event): na koncert; + locative (on/at): na koncertu, na stolu
• iz
  • genitive: iz škole
• s/sa
  • genitive: sa stola, s posla
• od / do
  • genitive: od škole, do kina

Why wouldn’t kinu or školu work here?

Because do and od require the genitive. kinu is dative/locative; školu is accusative—both wrong after do/od.

How do I say “from the school to the cinema and back”?

Idem od škole do kina i natrag. You’ll also hear i nazad (colloquial), but natrag is preferred in standard Croatian.

Does idem describe now or the near future?

Primarily “I’m going (now).” It can also express a near-future plan: Idem sutra u kino. For a clear future form, use Ići ću u kino.

Is there a way to say “towards the cinema” instead of “to the cinema”?

Yes: prema + dative: Idem od škole prema kinu. This means you’re heading in that direction, not necessarily reaching it. (You may also see archaic/regional k/ka + dative.)