Ustajem rano, a djed ustaje kasnije.

I get up early, and grandfather gets up later.

Breakdown of Ustajem rano, a djed ustaje kasnije.

• a: and
• rano: early
• kasnije: later
• djed: grandfather
• ustajati: to get up

Questions & Answers about Ustajem rano, a djed ustaje kasnije.

What does the conjunction a mean here, and how is it different from i and ali?

• a means whereas / while (contrasting two clauses that are both true): Ustajem rano, a djed ustaje kasnije. (I get up early, whereas grandpa gets up later.)
• i means and (simply adds): Ustajem rano i pijem kavu. (I get up early and drink coffee.)
• ali means but (stronger opposition): Ustajem rano, ali djed ustaje kasno. (I get up early, but grandpa gets up late.)

Why is there a comma before a?

In Croatian, you normally put a comma before a when it connects two independent clauses: Ustajem rano, a djed ustaje kasnije. When a connects only short phrases inside one clause, a comma may be omitted, but between full clauses it’s standard to use it.

Why is there no subject pronoun (ja) in Ustajem?

Croatian is a pro‑drop language: the verb ending shows the subject, so ja is usually omitted. Ustajem already means I get up. You can add ja for emphasis or contrast: Ja ustajem rano, a djed ustaje kasnije.

What are the verb forms here, and what’s the difference between ustajati and ustati?

• In the sentence: ustajem = 1st person singular present of ustajati (imperfective), habitual action. ustaje = 3rd person singular present of ustajati.
• Imperfective (habit/repetition): ustajati
  • Present: ustajem, ustaješ, ustaje, ustajemo, ustajete, ustaju
  • Past (habitual): ustajao/ustajala sam (I used to get up)
• Perfective (single, completed action): ustati
  • Present (often future meaning): ustanem, ustaneš, ustane, ustanemo, ustanete, ustanu
  • Past (one occasion): ustao/ustala sam (I got up)
  • Future: Ustat ću rano. or Sutra ustanem rano. (common in speech)

Should ustajati/ustati be reflexive (with se)?

Not in standard Croatian. You say ustajem/ustaje (get up). A common alternative is dizati se / dići se (to rise/get up): Dižem se u šest. Note that buditi se / probuditi se means to wake up (eyes open), not to get out of bed.

What do rano and kasnije mean, and can I compare them?

• rano = early; comparative ranije = earlier; superlative najranije = the earliest.
• kasno = late; comparative kasnije = later; superlative najkasnije = the latest / at the latest. In the sentence, kasnije means later (than the speaker’s time).

What’s the difference between kasnije and poslije?

• kasnije = later (comparative of kasno), often relative to another time/person: Djed ustaje kasnije (od mene).
• poslije = after/afterwards; can take a noun in the genitive:
  • Poslije pijem kavu. (Afterwards I have coffee.)
  • Poslije posla idem kući. (After work I go home.) You can’t say kasnije posla; use poslije + genitive for after something.

Can I change the word order?

Yes, Croatian word order is flexible for emphasis:

• Rano ustajem, a djed ustaje kasnije. (focus on early)
• Ustajem rano, a kasnije ustaje djed. (focus on later/new subject)
• Djed ustaje kasnije, a ja ustajem rano. (reversed contrast) All are grammatical; the default sentence is neutral and clear.

How do I pronounce djed and ustajem?

• j sounds like English y.
• djed is roughly like English dyed (say d + y together: d-yed).
• ustajem is roughly oo-stah-yem. The je is like ye in yes.

Why no article before djed? Do I need to say my grandpa?

Croatian has no articles. Djed can mean grandpa in general or my grandpa from context. Add a possessive if needed: Moj djed ustaje kasnije.

Which case is djed here, and what are some other forms?

Here djed is nominative (subject). Useful forms:

• Nominative: djed (subject) — Djed ustaje kasnije.
• Accusative/Genitive: djeda — Vidim djeda.
• Dative/Locative: djedu — Pričam o djedu.
• Instrumental: djedom — Idem s djedom.
• Vocative (address): djede — Djede, dođi!

Why is the present tense used for a routine?

Croatian present naturally covers habits and general truths. Ustajem rano = I get up early (habitually). You can add obično (usually) for clarity: Obično ustajem rano.

How do I say later than me/him explicitly?

Use od + genitive after the comparative:

• Djed ustaje kasnije od mene. (later than me)
• Ustajem ranije od djeda. (earlier than grandpa)

Could I say djed ustaje kasno instead of kasnije?

Yes, but the meaning changes:

• Djed ustaje kasnije = He gets up later (than someone else/than I do).
• Djed ustaje kasno = He gets up late (absolutely, not a comparison).

Is djed ever written with đ, or is deda correct?

In standard Croatian it’s djed (with dj, not đ). Deda is common in Serbian; đed appears regionally (e.g., Montenegrin). Stick to djed in Croatian.