Nakon posla trebam odmor.

After work I need a rest.

Breakdown of Nakon posla trebam odmor.

• posao: work
• trebati: to need
• nakon: after
• odmor: rest

Questions & Answers about Nakon posla trebam odmor.

Why is it posla and not posao after nakon?

Posao is the basic (nominative) form meaning work / job.
After the preposition nakon (after), Croatian requires the genitive case.

• Nominative: posao (subject form)
• Genitive: posla (used after nakon)

So:

• Nakon posla = After work
  You cannot say ✗ Nakon posao.

What’s the difference between nakon posla and poslije posla?

Both nakon posla and poslije posla mean after work and are very common.

• nakon posla – sounds just a bit more neutral/formal.
• poslije posla – very common in everyday speech, maybe slightly more colloquial, but still standard.

Grammatically, they both take the genitive (posla). In most contexts you can use them interchangeably:

• Nakon posla trebam odmor.
• Poslije posla trebam odmor.

Both are correct.

Can I change the word order, like Trebam odmor nakon posla?

Yes. Croatian word order is flexible, and all of these are correct:

• Nakon posla trebam odmor.
• Trebam odmor nakon posla.
• Odmor trebam nakon posla. (emphasizes odmor)

The most neutral-sounding are:

• Nakon posla trebam odmor.
• Trebam odmor nakon posla.

Changing the order changes emphasis, not basic meaning.

Why is there no ja (I)? Could I say Ja nakon posla trebam odmor?

Croatian usually omits subject pronouns like ja (I), ti (you) because the verb ending already shows the person:

• trebam = I need
• trebaš = you need
• treba = he/she/it needs

So Nakon posla trebam odmor clearly means After work, I need a rest, even without ja.

You can say Ja nakon posla trebam odmor, but:

• It’s only used if you want to emphasize I (contrasting with others):
  Ja nakon posla trebam odmor, a ti želiš izaći.
  I need a rest after work, and you want to go out.

In normal, neutral statements, leave out ja.

Why is odmor in this form? Why not odmora?

Odmor is a masculine noun meaning rest.

In trebam odmor, odmor is the direct object of the verb trebam. For inanimate masculine nouns, the accusative singular (object form) is the same as the nominative:

• Nominative: odmor
• Accusative: odmor

So:

• Trebam odmor. = I need a rest.

You would use odmora (genitive) in other structures, for example:

• Malo odmora. = A bit of rest.
• Bez odmora. = Without rest. (preposition bez
  • genitive)

Why do we say trebam odmor and not something like trebam se odmoriti?

Both are possible, but they’re slightly different:

1. Trebam odmor.

   • Literally: I need (some) rest.
   • Focus on rest as a thing / period you need.

2. Trebam se odmoriti.

   • Literally: I need to rest (myself).
   • Focus on the action of resting.

Both are natural, but:

• In the given sentence, Trebam odmor is more compact and sounds very natural, like English I need a rest.
• Trebam se odmoriti is closer to I need to rest.

What is the difference between trebam and moram here?

• trebam = I need (something / to do something)
• moram = I must / I have to (obligation)

Compare:

• Nakon posla trebam odmor.
  After work I need a rest. (I feel I need it)

• Nakon posla moram na sastanak.
  After work I have to go to a meeting. (external obligation)

You could also say:

• Nakon posla moram odmoriti. = After work I have to rest.
  (sounds like a strong necessity, maybe for health reasons)

In the original sentence, trebam is the natural choice.

Does Croatian use something like English articles (a / the) with odmor?

No. Croatian does not have articles like a, an, the.

• odmor can mean rest, a rest, or the rest, depending only on context.

So:

• Trebam odmor.
  can be understood as: I need rest / I need a rest / I need some rest.

You don’t add anything for a / the in Croatian.

How do you pronounce Nakon posla trebam odmor?

Approximate English-style pronunciation (syllables separated with dashes):

• Nakon → NA-kon

  • A like in father, short
  • Stress on NA

• posla → POS-la

  • o like in pot (but shorter)
  • s always like s in see
  • Stress on POS

• trebam → TRE-bam

  • e like e in bed
  • r is rolled/tapped
  • Stress on TRE

• odmor → OD-mor

  • o again like in pot
  • r rolled/tapped
  • Stress on OD

Croatian has clear, short vowels and rolled r, and stress usually on the first syllable of each word (with some exceptions, but here it’s straightforward).

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral?

Nakon posla trebam odmor. is neutral and suitable in almost any context:

• Talking to friends
• Speaking to colleagues
• Even in a relatively formal setting (it’s simple and standard)

If you wanted to sound slightly more casual, you could also say:

• Poslije posla baš trebam odmor.
  (baš adds emphasis: I really need a rest after work.)

But the original sentence is already perfectly natural and neutral.