Stanujem blizu ureda s kolegicom.

I live near the office with my female colleague.

Breakdown of Stanujem blizu ureda s kolegicom.

• s: with
• blizu: near
• ured: office
• stanovati: to live
• kolegica: female colleague

Questions & Answers about Stanujem blizu ureda s kolegicom.

Why is it "stanujem" and not "živim"? Are both correct?

• Both are correct.
• Stanujem (from stanovati) emphasizes residing at a particular address/dwelling.
• Živim (from živjeti) is the general "I live" and is more common in everyday speech.
• Here you can say either Stanujem blizu ureda... or Živim blizu ureda... with virtually the same meaning.

Why "ureda" and not "ured"? What case is that?

• After blizu (near), Croatian uses the genitive case.
• ured (office) in genitive singular is ureda.
• More examples: blizu grada (near the city), blizu parka (near the park), blizu kuće (near the house).

Can I say "blizu od ureda"?

• In standard Croatian, no. Say blizu ureda or u blizini ureda.
• blizu od is colloquial/regional; avoid it in careful speech or writing.

What exactly does "s kolegicom" say here? Does it mean I live together with my colleague?

• Yes. With the verb stanujem, s kolegicom means you share a home with a female colleague.
• If you mean "we both live near the office" (not necessarily together): Kolegica i ja stanujemo blizu ureda.
• If you mean "I'm currently near the office with a colleague": Trenutno sam blizu ureda s kolegicom.

Why is it "kolegicom" and not "kolegica"? Which case is that?

• s/sa meaning "with" takes the instrumental case.
• Feminine kolegica in instrumental singular is kolegicom (-om ending).
• Masculine counterpart: s kolegom ("with a male colleague").
• Plural: s kolegama ("with colleagues").

When do I use "s" vs "sa"?

• Use s by default: s kolegicom.
• Use sa for euphony, mainly before words beginning with s-, z-, š-, ž- or tricky clusters: sa sestrom, sa ženom, sa psom, and in set phrases like sa mnom.
• Here both s kolegicom and sa kolegicom are heard, but s kolegicom is the standard choice.

Does "s" ever mean "from"? How do I tell "with" vs "from"?

• Yes. s/sa with the genitive = "from/off"; with the instrumental = "with".
• Examples:
  • Idem s posla. (genitive) = I'm leaving work.
  • Idem s kolegicom. (instrumental) = I'm going with a colleague.

Is the word order fixed? Can I move "s kolegicom" around?

• Croatian word order is flexible. All are possible:
  • Stanujem blizu ureda s kolegicom.
  • Stanujem s kolegicom blizu ureda. (makes the cohabitation extra clear)
  • S kolegicom stanujem blizu ureda. (emphasizes "with a colleague")
• Choose order based on what you want to highlight; the core meaning stays the same.

Are there other ways to say "near"?

• u blizini ureda = in the vicinity of the office (neutral).
• pokraj/pored ureda = right next to the office (closer).
• nedaleko od ureda = not far from the office.
• preko puta ureda = across from the office.

Is "ured" the best word for "office" in Croatian? What about "kancelarija"?

• In standard Croatian, ured is the usual word.
• kancelarija exists but is less typical in Croatian and often refers to an office room; it’s more common in some other BCS varieties.
• If in doubt, prefer ured.

How do I say "with my colleague" or "with a male colleague" or "with my colleagues"?

• With my (female) colleague: s mojom kolegicom.
• With a male colleague: s kolegom; with my male colleague: s mojim kolegom.
• With my colleagues (plural, any mix): s mojim kolegama. (All-female group: s mojim kolegicama.)

How is "stanovati" conjugated in the present?

• ja stanujem
• ti stanuješ
• on/ona/ono stanuje
• mi stanujemo
• vi stanujete
• oni/one/ona stanuju
• Note: the pronoun ja is usually omitted unless emphasized.