Learn Hardcore Croatian: Sol je na stolu; juha je već slana. - The salt is on the table; the soup is already salty.

Croatian has no articles. Definiteness is inferred from context, word order, or demonstratives. Sol je na stolu naturally means “the salt is on the table.” If you need to be explicit, you can say:

Ta sol je na stolu (that/the salt is on the table). There is no general word for “a/an.”

Why is it na stolu and not na stol?

With na, use:

Locative for location (where?): na stolu.
Accusative for direction (onto/where to?): na stol. Examples:
Static: Sol je na stolu.
Motion: Stavi sol na stol.

What case is stolu, and what are key forms of stol?

Stolu is locative singular. Key singular forms:

Nominative: stol
Genitive: stola
Dative: stolu
Accusative: stol
Locative: stolu (after prepositions like na, o)
Instrumental: stolom

Can I also say Na stolu je sol? Does word order matter?

Yes. Both Sol je na stolu and Na stolu je sol are fine. Croatian word order is flexible and used for emphasis/topicalization:

Sol je na stolu emphasizes the location of the salt.
Na stolu je sol emphasizes what is on the table (it’s salt). In both, the clitic je must appear in the second position of the clause.

Why is it slana and not slan or slano?

Adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. Juha is feminine singular, so the predicate adjective is feminine singular: slana.

Masculine: slan (e.g., Bujon je slan.)
Feminine: slana (e.g., Juha je slana.)
Neuter: slano (e.g., Jelo je slano.)

Is sol feminine even though it ends in a consonant?

Yes. Sol is feminine. Some feminine nouns end in a consonant (e.g., noć, stvar, bol, sol). A few useful forms:

Nominative: sol
Genitive/Locative/Dative: soli
Instrumental: solju (e.g., posuto solju)

Why is je placed where it is? Can I say Juha već je slana?

Je is a clitic (short, unstressed form of “to be”) and follows the “second position” rule: it must come after the first stressed word or phrase in the clause. So:

Correct: Juha je već slana.
Also correct if fronting an adverb: Već je juha slana.
Odd/incorrect: Juha već je slana.

What does već mean here, and how is it different from još?

Here već means “already.” Još typically means “still/yet.”

Juha je već slana. = The soup is already salty.
Juha je još slana. = The soup is still salty.
Juha još nije slana. = The soup isn’t salty yet. Note: već can also function (especially with a preceding negation) like “but rather”: Ne juha, već čorba.

Could I drop je and just say Juha već slana?

In standard sentences, no. The present of biti (to be) is required: juha je slana. You may see je omitted in headlines, notes, or colloquial fragments, but that’s not standard full-sentence grammar. For emphasis, jest can replace je: Juha jest slana. The negative is nije: Juha nije slana.

Is there a difference between slana and posoljena?

Yes:

Slana = salty (describes taste/level of saltiness).
Posoljena = salted (focuses on the action/result of adding salt). So juha je posoljena means it has been salted, not necessarily that it tastes salty. For “too salty,” use preslana or previše slana.

Are there regional alternatives for some words?

Yes, across Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian:

sol (Croatian) vs so (Serbian/Bosnian).
juha (Croatian) vs supa/čorba (Serbian/Bosnian; čorba often thicker).
stol (Croatian) vs sto (Serbian/Bosnian for “table”; in Croatian, sto usually means “hundred”). All are widely understood, but forms differ by standard.

How do I pronounce the tricky letters?

j = English “y” (so juha ≈ “yoo-ha”).
ć = a soft “ch,” lighter than č (so već ≈ “vech,” softer than in “church”).
u = “oo” (so stolu ≈ “stoh-loo”).
r is tapped; all vowels are short/clear unless marked.

Is the semicolon used like in English?

Yes. A semicolon can link two closely related independent clauses: Sol je na stolu; juha je već slana. In everyday writing, you could also use a period or i (“and”).