Questions & Answers about Ujutro alarm zvoni u sedam.
Croatian has no articles at all (no equivalents of English “a/an/the”). You just say alarm. Context tells the listener whether you mean “the alarm,” “an alarm,” or “my alarm.” If you want to make it explicit that it’s yours, add moj (my) or the clitic mi (to me).
- Moj alarm zvoni u sedam. = My alarm rings at seven.
- Ujutro mi alarm zvoni u sedam. = In the morning, my alarm rings at seven. (literally “to me the alarm rings…”)
For points in time (clock hours, dates), Croatian uses u + accusative. With hours you’ll hear:
- u sedam (sati) = at seven (o’clock)
- u pet (sati) = at five (o’clock)
You can optionally add sati (hours): u sedam sati. Both forms are fine.
Yes. Croatian word order is flexible. All of these are fine; the difference is emphasis/rhythm:
- Ujutro alarm zvoni u sedam. (sets the time frame first)
- Alarm zvoni ujutro u sedam. (keeps subject first)
- U sedam ujutro alarm zvoni. (focuses on the exact time)
No comma is needed in any of them.
- zvoniti (imperfective): to ring (ongoing/habitual). Example: Alarm svako jutro zvoni u sedam.
- zazvoniti (perfective): to ring once / to go off (single event). Example: Alarm će zazvoniti u sedam.
Croatian usually uses the 24‑hour clock. To disambiguate in speech, add time‑of‑day words:
- u sedam ujutro = at 7 AM
- u sedam navečer = at 7 PM
- Or just use 24‑hour: u devetnaest = at 19:00
- Ujutro = “in the morning” (specific or general).
Jutrom (instrumental used adverbially) = “in the mornings” (habitual, general routine).
Examples:
- Ujutro pijem kavu. = I drink coffee in the morning.
- Jutrom pijem kavu. = I drink coffee in the mornings (as a habit).
Both are fine, but they differ slightly:
- alarm = an alarm (general; could be on a phone, a device, a siren).
budilica = an alarm clock (the device).
So you can say Alarm zvoni u sedam or Budilica zvoni u sedam, depending on what you mean.
Two very natural options:
- Moj alarm ujutro zvoni u sedam.
- Ujutro mi alarm zvoni u sedam. (very idiomatic; the dative mi marks personal involvement)