Learn Hardcore Croatian: Šetamo pokraj rijeke nakon posla.

Croatian typically drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person and number. Šetamo means “we walk/are walking,” so Mi isn’t required.

Use Mi only for emphasis or contrast: Mi šetamo, a ne oni. (“We are the ones walking, not them.”)

What exactly does Šetamo mean—“we walk” or “we are walking”?

Both are possible. Croatian uses the present tense of an imperfective verb (šetati) for both the English simple present and present continuous. Add time words to clarify:

Right now: Sada šetamo…
Habitual: Obično šetamo…

Why is it rijeke and not rijeka?

Because pokraj (“by/beside”) governs the genitive case.

rijeka = nominative singular (“river”)
rijeke = genitive singular after pokraj Note: rijeke can also be nominative plural (“rivers”), but after pokraj it’s genitive singular.

Why is it posla and not posao?

Because nakon (“after”) also takes the genitive case.

posao = nominative singular (“work, job”)
posla = genitive singular after nakon You could also say poslije posla (same case).

What’s the nuance of pokraj? How does it differ from pored, kraj, and uz?

pokraj/pored/kraj
- genitive: all mean “by/beside/next to.” Style varies slightly:
  - pored is very common in everyday speech.
  - kraj is also common and neutral.
  - pokraj is perfectly standard; some may feel it’s a touch more bookish/regional, but it’s fine.
uz
- accusative: often “along, next to,” and with movement it suggests going along the side of something (e.g., along a riverbank).

Could I say Šetamo uz rijeku? Does that change the meaning?

Yes. Šetamo uz rijeku (accusative: rijeku) suggests walking along the river. Šetamo pokraj/pored/kraj rijeke emphasizes being beside the river, not necessarily moving along its length. Both are natural; choose based on nuance.

Is the sentence natural? Are there more everyday variants?

It’s natural as is. Very common alternates:

Poslije posla šetamo (uz/pored) rijeku/rijeke.
Nakon posla šetamo uz rijeku.
Idemo u šetnju uz rijeku nakon posla. All are idiomatic; poslije is slightly more everyday than nakon.

Do I need an article like “the” before river? How do I specify which river?

Croatian has no articles, so rijeke can mean “the river” or “a river” from context. To specify, use a demonstrative:

pokraj te rijeke = by that river (genitive: te rijeke)
With a name: pokraj rijeke Save (“by the Sava river”)

Should it be šetamo se? When do I use the reflexive?

Both are fine:

šetati and šetati se can both mean “to stroll.”
šetati se can feel a bit more like “to take a stroll” (leisurely).
If there’s a direct object, don’t use the reflexive: Šetamo psa (“We walk the dog”), not Šetamo se psa.

What’s the difference between šetati and hodati?

šetati: to stroll/walk (often leisurely or for pleasure).
hodati: to walk (as a mode of locomotion, general). Also idiomatic: hodati s nekim = “to be dating someone.” In this context, šetati is the better choice.

How do I say it in the past or future?

Past (imperfective, ongoing/habitual): Šetali smo pokraj rijeke nakon posla.
Past (perfective, a single completed stroll): Prošetali smo pokraj rijeke nakon posla.
Future: Šetat ćemo pokraj rijeke nakon posla. or Mi ćemo šetati pokraj rijeke nakon posla. Note the clitics: smo/ćemo typically appear in second position (e.g., Jučer smo šetali…).

Can I change the word order?

Yes, for emphasis or flow:

Nakon posla šetamo pokraj rijeke. (emphasis on “after work”)
Pokraj rijeke šetamo nakon posla. (emphasis on location)
Šetamo nakon posla pokraj rijeke. (neutral variant) All are grammatical; meaning stays, focus shifts.

How do I pronounce the tricky letters and groups here?

š = “sh” in “shoe” (Še-)
j = “y” in “yes”
je = “yeh” (as in rije- = “ri-ye”)
aj = “eye” (as in -kraj) Rough guide: ŠE-ta-mo PO-kraj ri-YE-ke NA-kon POS-la

How can I type letters like š on a keyboard/phone?

Phone: long-press letters (s → š, z → ž, c → č/ć).
Computer: add a Croatian (or South Slavic) keyboard layout in your OS settings. US‑International also helps with diacritics.

Could rijeke here mean “rivers” (plural)?

Not in this sentence. After pokraj, rijeke is genitive singular (“of the river”). If you meant plural, you’d use genitive plural: pokraj rijeka (“by the rivers”). Context and the preposition’s case requirement disambiguate it.

Is there any difference between nakon posla and poslije posla?

Both are standard and mean the same. Poslije tends to be a bit more conversational; nakon can feel slightly more formal. Both take the genitive: poslije/nakon posla.