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Learn Hardcore Croatian: Nakon škole idemo kući. - After school we are going home.

Hardcore Croatian
/Lesson 11
/Nakon škole idemo kući.

Nakon škole idemo kući.

Word

Nakon škole idemo kući.

Meaning

After school we are going home.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Croatian

Lesson

Breakdown of Nakon škole idemo kući.

Questions & Answers about Nakon škole idemo kući.

Why is it "škole" and not "škola" after "nakon"?

Because the preposition nakon requires the genitive case. The noun škola (school) is nominative; its genitive singular is škole. So:

nakon škole = after school
Other examples: nakon posla (after work), nakon ručka (after lunch), nakon kiše (after the rain)

If you meant “after the schools” (plural), you’d say nakon škola (genitive plural).

Can I use poslije instead of nakon? Are there differences?

Yes. Poslije and nakon both mean “after” and both take the genitive:

poslije škole = nakon škole

Nuance:

nakon sounds a bit more formal or written.
poslije is very common in everyday speech and can also stand alone as an adverb: Poslije idemo kući. (“Afterwards we’re going home.”)

Note: In standard Croatian you’ll see poslije. The shorter form posle is typical of Serbian.

Why is there no "u" before kući? Is "Idemo u kući" wrong?

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There’s no preposition because kući functions like an adverb meaning “home(ward).” So:

✅ Idemo kući. = We’re going home.
❌ Idemo u kući. (wrong)

Use prepositions when you mean the physical building:

Idemo u kuću. = We’re going into the house (entering the building).
Mi smo u kući. = We are in the house (inside).

For “at home,” the standard expression is:

Kod kuće: Mi smo kod kuće. = We are at home. Colloquially some people say Mi smo kući, but it’s better to use kod kuće in careful speech and writing.

What’s the difference between kuća, kući, kod kuće, and doma?

kuća: the noun “house/home” (dictionary form). Example: Ovo je moja kuća.
kući: dative/locative form used adverbially for direction “home(ward)” without a preposition. Example: Idem kući.
kod kuće: the standard way to say “at home.” Example: On je kod kuće.
doma: a very common adverb in Croatia meaning “at home” or “home(ward).” Examples: Dečki su doma. (The boys are at home.) Idemo doma. (We’re going home.)
Related but different: dom = “home/home institution,” e.g., starački dom (retirement home), not used in this sentence.

What exactly is idemo? Which verb is it, and what are the other forms?

Idemo is 1st person plural present of the irregular verb ići (to go).

Present tense of ići:

ja idem
ti ideš
on/ona/ono ide
mi idemo
vi idete
oni/one/ona idu

Past participles: išao / išla / išlo / išli.

Does the present idemo here mean a plan for the future (“we will go”)?

Yes. Croatian often uses the present tense for near-future plans or scheduled actions, just like English “We’re going home after school.”

If you want an explicit future, use the future auxiliary:

Nakon škole ćemo ići kući. = After school we will go home. Both versions are fine; the present feels natural for routines or plans.

Can I change the word order? For example, “Idemo kući nakon škole”?

Yes. Croatian word order is flexible, and changing it typically shifts emphasis:

Nakon škole idemo kući. (time frame first; very natural)
Idemo kući nakon škole. (destination first; also natural)
Nakon škole kući idemo. (emphasizes “home”)
Kući idemo nakon škole. (strong focus on “home”)

All are grammatically correct; prefer the first two for neutral style.

If I use the future, where does ćemo go?

Clitics like ćemo tend to occupy the “second position” in the clause. After a fronted time phrase like Nakon škole, put the clitic right after it:

✅ Nakon škole ćemo ići kući. Also fine when nothing is fronted:
✅ Ići ćemo kući nakon škole.

Avoid:

◻︎ Nakon škole ići ćemo kući. (heard in practice, but the safe, standard placement is Nakon škole ćemo ići…)

Do I need a comma after Nakon škole?

No. In standard Croatian, you don’t put a comma after a short introductory adverbial like this:

Nakon škole idemo kući. You may see a comma used for an extra pause in informal writing, but it isn’t required and is usually avoided in formal text.

How do I pronounce the special letters here, like š and ć?

š = “sh” as in “shoe”: škole sounds like “shkole.”
ć = a soft “ch,” close to the “t”+“y” in “cute”: kući is softer than English “ch.”
Contrast: č (not in this sentence) is a harder “ch,” like in “church.” Spelling matters: kući with ć is correct; kuči/kuči or kuči/kuči with c/č are wrong.

Is škole singular or plural here? How would I say “after classes”?

Škole here is genitive singular of škola (“school”), so it means “after school (the school day).”

To say “after classes/lessons,” a common phrase is:

nakon nastave / poslije nastave (after classes/lessons/instruction)

Can Idemo kući mean “Let’s go home”?

Yes. Idemo! commonly functions as “Let’s go!” So:

Idemo kući! = Let’s go home! Other natural variants:
Hajdemo kući! (neutral/standard)
Ajmo kući! (informal/colloquial)

Could I use other verbs like otići, krenuti, or vratiti se here?

Yes; they change the nuance:

otići (perfective “to leave/go away”): emphasizes the completed act of leaving.
Example: Nakon škole otići ćemo kući.
krenuti (to set off/start moving): focuses on setting off.
Example: Nakon škole ćemo krenuti kući.
vratiti se (to return): emphasizes returning.
Example: Nakon škole ćemo se vratiti kući.

Your original with ići is neutral and very common.

How do I ask “Are we going home after school?”

Several options:

Neutral yes/no question with “li”: Idemo li kući nakon škole?
Future plan: Hoćemo li ići kući nakon škole?
Informal speech (rising intonation): Idemo kući nakon škole?

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