Learn Hardcore Croatian: U petak idemo na trg, a poslije možda u muzej ili u kazalište. - On Friday we are going to the square, and afterwards maybe to the museum or to the theatre.

idemo is the 1st person plural present form of the verb ići (to go).
The ending -mo tells you the subject is we.
So mi idemo (we are going) is fully correct, but in normal speech people just say idemo, because the mi is understood from the verb ending.

In this sentence, idemo alone already means we are going.

Why is idemo (present tense) used if the meaning is we are going on Friday (future)?

In Croatian, the present tense is very often used to talk about the near future when there is a clear time expression.

U petak idemo na trg literally: On Friday we go to the square.
In natural English, this becomes On Friday we are going to the square or We’re going to the square on Friday.

Because u petak clearly marks the time as future, Croatian can safely use the present tense idemo instead of future forms like:

U petak ćemo ići na trg.

Both are grammatically correct; idemo is just more natural for a simple plan.

Why is it u petak for on Friday? Shouldn’t u mean in?

Yes, u often means in, but with time expressions it can also correspond to English on or at.

u ponedjeljak – on Monday
u srijedu – on Wednesday
u petak – on Friday

So:

u + accusative can mean:
- into (direction in space): u muzej – into the museum
- on/at (point in time): u petak – on Friday

What case is petak in, and why?

petak is in the accusative singular.

Dictionary form (nominative): petak
Accusative singular: petak (same form for this noun)

With time expressions, Croatian often uses the accusative to mean on (that day) or for (that time):

u petak – on Friday
u nedjelju – on Sunday
prošli tjedan – (for / during) last week

So u + accusative here gives a specific point in time.

Why is it na trg but u muzej and u kazalište? What’s the difference between na and u here?

Both na and u can mean to in English when talking about going somewhere, but they are used with different types of places:

na (literally on) is used for:
- open areas and surfaces: na trg (to the square), na plažu (to the beach)
- events and some institutions: na koncert, na fakultet
u (literally in/into) is used for:
- enclosed spaces, buildings, rooms: u muzej (to the museum), u kazalište (to the theatre), u školu (to school)
- countries, cities: u Hrvatsku, u Zagreb

So:

na trg – to the (town) square (open area)
u muzej – into the museum (building)
u kazalište – into the theatre (building)

What case do trg, muzej, and kazalište take after na and u in this sentence?

They are in the accusative singular, because the prepositions express motion towards a place.

General pattern:

na / u + accusative = movement to / into / onto
- na trg – to the square
- u muzej – (into) the museum
- u kazalište – (into) the theatre
na / u + locative = being at / in / on
- na trgu – on the square
- u muzeju – in the museum
- u kazalištu – in the theatre

Here we have idemo (we go), so it’s motion, hence accusative.

What does the conjunction a mean here, and why not just use i?

Both a and i can be translated as and, but they are not identical:

i = straightforward and, simply adding information.
a = and / but with a slight contrast or shift, often like and then / and on the other hand.

In this sentence:

U petak idemo na trg, a poslije možda u muzej ili u kazalište.

The a suggests:

First: going to the square.
Then: something a bit different happens afterwards (maybe a museum or theatre).

If you said ..., i poslije možda u muzej..., it would still be correct, just with less of that contrast/then feeling. a is very natural here.

What exactly is poslije? Is it a preposition or an adverb, and why doesn’t it have an object here?

poslije can be:

An adverb meaning afterwards / later:
- Idemo na trg, a poslije u muzej. – We’re going to the square, and afterwards to the museum.
A preposition meaning after when followed by a noun in the genitive:
- poslije ručka – after lunch
- poslije škole – after school

In the sentence you have, poslije is an adverb:

It stands alone.
It refers to the whole previous event (after going to the square).
English equivalent: afterwards or later.

If you wanted to be more explicit, you could say poslije toga (after that), but it’s not necessary.

What is the role of možda, and where can it go in the sentence?

možda means maybe / perhaps and is an adverb of possibility.

In the sentence:

a poslije možda u muzej ili u kazalište

it softens the statement, showing that going to the museum/theatre is only a possibility.

Word order is quite flexible:

A poslije možda u muzej ili u kazalište. (as in the original)
A možda poslije u muzej ili u kazalište. (slight emphasis on the uncertainty)
A poslije idemo možda u muzej, možda u kazalište. (both options are uncertain)

The most natural place is usually near the verb or near the phrase it modifies. Here, it modifies the whole idea of going to the museum/theatre.

Why is the preposition u repeated before muzej and kazalište? Could you say u muzej ili kazalište?

Both are possible, but they sound slightly different:

u muzej ili u kazalište (as in the sentence)
- Repeats u.
- Feels clearer and a bit more balanced.
- Very natural in standard speech and writing.
u muzej ili kazalište
- Drops the second u.
- Still understandable.
- More common in faster, informal speech.

In careful or standard Croatian, repeating the preposition before each noun (u muzej ili u kazalište) is preferred, especially when the places are of different types or when you want clear emphasis on each option.

Can the word order of the whole sentence be changed? For example, could you start with idemo?

Yes, Croatian word order is more flexible than English, especially when context is clear. Some natural variants:

Idemo u petak na trg, a poslije možda u muzej ili u kazalište.
Na trg idemo u petak, a poslije možda u muzej ili u kazalište.
U petak na trg idemo, a poslije možda u muzej ili u kazalište.

All of these keep the same basic meaning. The main differences are in emphasis:

Starting with U petak emphasizes the time.
Starting with Idemo emphasizes the action (going).
Moving na trg earlier can emphasize the destination.

The original order is neutral and very typical.

Why is there a comma before a in Croatian, even though in English there might not be one before and?

Croatian punctuation rules are different from English ones.

In Croatian, you must use a comma before certain conjunctions that join two clauses, such as a, ali, nego, jer.
So:
- U petak idemo na trg, a poslije možda u muzej ili u kazalište.

In English, you might write:

On Friday we’re going to the square and afterwards maybe to the museum or to the theatre. (no comma needed)

But in Croatian, the comma before a is standard and expected.

Is there any difference in meaning between kazalište and teatar?

Both refer to a theatre, but there are some nuances:

kazalište
- Native Slavic word.
- The usual, standard word in Croatian for a theatre (the building or the institution).
- Used in most contexts: ići u kazalište, kazališna predstava (theatre play).
teatar
- Borrowed from international terminology.
- Often used in names, more artistic/modern contexts: Teatar &TD, Teatar Exit.
- Can sound slightly more specialized or stylistic.

In your sentence, kazalište is the normal, neutral choice.

How do you pronounce trg? There’s no vowel in it.

trg is one syllable, and the r acts like a kind of vowel (a syllabic r).

Approximate pronunciation:

t – like t in top
r – rolled or tapped (like the Scottish or Spanish r)
g – hard g as in go

The r is the center of the syllable, so you do not insert a vowel like tərg; it should be closer to trg in one quick beat.

Some approximations you might hear from learners are trrg or t-rg; the important thing is not to put a clear extra vowel in there.

Why is there no word for the before trg, muzej, or kazalište?

Croatian has no articles (no equivalents of English a / an / the).

trg can mean a square or the square, depending on context.
muzej can mean a museum or the museum.
kazalište can mean a theatre or the theatre.

Definiteness is understood from:

context (the square in town that both speakers know),
word order,
additional words (like taj = that, ovaj = this).

So:

U petak idemo na trg can be translated as:
- On Friday we’re going to the square (if it’s clear which one)
- or …to a square (if it’s just any square).