Learn Hardcore Croatian: Također ćemo doći ranije ako bude gužva. - We will also come earlier if there is a crowd.

Croatian clitics (like ću, ćeš, će, ćemo, ćete, će) prefer the “second position” in a clause. Because the adverb Također is in first position, the clitic goes right after it: Također ćemo doći…. If you remove Također, the most neutral order is Doći ćemo ranije…. Both Također ćemo doći… and Doći ćemo također… are grammatical, but the second puts extra emphasis on “also.”

Can I start the sentence with Ćemo as in Ćemo doći ranije…?

No. Clitics cannot stand in first position in Croatian. You need something before them (an adverb, a subject, etc.), or you can place the main verb first: Doći ćemo…, Mi ćemo doći…, or Također ćemo doći….

Why is it ako bude and not ako će biti?

In if-clauses and time-clauses referring to the future, Croatian does not use će in the subordinate clause. Instead, it typically uses:

the present of a perfective verb: ako bude,
or Futur II with another verb: ako budemo kasnili. So you say: Doći ćemo ranije ako bude gužva, not ✳ako će biti gužva.

Could I say Ako je gužva instead of Ako bude gužva?

You can, but it changes the nuance. Ako bude gužva points to a future/possible situation (“if there is/turns out to be a crowd”). Ako je gužva sounds like a present condition (“if it’s crowded [now]”), which is less natural when making a future plan.

What about Ako bude gužve? Why nominative gužva in the original?

With biti and a predicate noun, nominative (gužva) is standard: Ako bude gužva (“if it is crowded/a crowd”). The genitive gužve can appear in existential/partitive uses, especially with negation or when implying quantity: Ako bude gužve ≈ “if there’s (a lot of) crowding.” Both are possible; nominative treats it as a state, genitive as an amount.

What exactly does gužva mean here—traffic jam or just “crowd”?

Gužva is a general “crowd/crowdedness.” Context decides:

traffic: prometna gužva, gužva u prometu
busy venue/store: gužva u dućanu In your sentence it simply means “if it’s crowded/if there’s a crowd,” and could imply traffic or a venue depending on context.

Why use ranije and not prije?

Ranije is the comparative adverb of “early” (rano) and works well by itself: doći ranije (“come earlier”). Prije usually needs a reference or a complement: doći prije nego (što)…, prije sastanka, etc. Saying doći prije without a reference point sounds incomplete.

Is također the only way to say “also”? What about i or takođe?

također = “also, too,” neutral/formal and common in Croatian.
i can mean “also” when placed before the focused word: I mi ćemo doći ranije (“We, too, will come earlier”).
takođe is the Serbian/Bosnian form; in standard Croatian prefer također.

Do I need to say mi (“we”) as a subject?

No. Croatian is pro-drop: ćemo already encodes “we.” Mi ćemo doći… adds emphasis on “we” (as opposed to someone else).

Could I use kad instead of ako?

ako = “if” (condition): Ako bude gužva, doći ćemo ranije.
kad = “when/whenever” (time): Kad bude gužva, doći ćemo ranije. Use kad if you treat the crowding as expected or habitual; ako if it’s uncertain.

Why doći and not dolaziti?

Aspect. Doći (perfective) refers to a single, complete arrival (“we will come [that time]”). Dolaziti (imperfective) is habitual or ongoing: Dolazit ćemo ranije = “We will be coming earlier (regularly).”

Can ranije move elsewhere, like Također ćemo ranije doći?

Yes. Ranije can come before or after the verb: doći ranije / ranije doći. The default is after the verb. Moving it can add slight emphasis to “earlier,” but both are fine.

Do I need a comma before ako here?

No. When the main clause comes first, you typically don’t use a comma: Doći ćemo ranije ako bude gužva. If the ako-clause comes first, you do: Ako bude gužva, doći ćemo ranije.

How do I pronounce and spell ć vs č, and what about đ in Također?

ć is softer (like a “t” + “y” in “Tyu”): ćemo.
č is harder, like English “ch” in “church.”
đ in također is like a soft “j” in “juice” blended with “d” (approx. “dyuh”): ta-koh-dyer. Spelling matters: write ćemo, not ✳čemo.

Can I write it as one word (doćemo) or shorten doći to doć before ćemo?

No single-word form: write doći ćemo (two words) or place the clitic earlier: Također ćemo doći. The shortened form doć ću/ćemo is colloquial and not recommended in standard Croatian; keep doći ću / doći ćemo in writing.

Is ukoliko acceptable instead of ako?

Yes, ukoliko is a more formal/literary synonym of ako: Ukoliko bude gužva, doći ćemo ranije.

Can I end the sentence with također (e.g., …doći ranije također)?

It’s possible but sounds marked or stylistically awkward in Croatian. Prefer Također ćemo doći ranije, Mi ćemo također doći ranije, or use i before the focused element: I mi ćemo doći ranije.