Ove godine planiramo ići na more.

This year we are planning to go to the sea.

Breakdown of Ove godine planiramo ići na more.

• ići: to go
• na: to
• ovaj: this
• more: sea
• godina: year
• planirati: to plan

Questions & Answers about Ove godine planiramo ići na more.

Why is it ove godine and not ova godina at the start of the sentence?

Because ove godine is in the genitive case, which is very commonly used for time expressions meaning “in / during this year.”

• The basic form is:
  • ova godina = this year (nominative, used as the subject)
• In the genitive:
  • ove godine = of this year → in many time expressions this is understood as this year (time).

You’ll see this pattern a lot:

• ove godine – this year
• prošle godine – last year
• sljedeće godine – next year
• ovog ljeta – this summer
• prošle zime – last winter

So Ove godine planiramo… literally is close to “During this year we plan…”, which is why ove godine (genitive) is used, not ova godina (nominative).

What is the grammatical function of ove godine in this sentence?

Ove godine is an adverbial phrase of time, answering the question “when?”

• Kada planiramo ići na more? – Ove godine.
  (When do we plan to go to the seaside? – This year.)

So even though it looks like a noun phrase in the genitive, in terms of meaning and function it behaves like an adverb: it modifies the verb planiramo by telling us when this planning (and the going) concerns.

Why is there no “we” in Croatian? Why not Mi ove godine planiramo…?

Croatian usually drops subject pronouns when they are clear from the verb ending. The verb ending already tells you who the subject is.

• planiramo = we plan (1st person plural)
  • ja planiram – I plan
  • ti planiraš – you plan (sg)
  • on/ona/ono planira – he/she/it plans
  • mi planiramo – we plan
  • vi planirate – you plan (pl)
  • oni/one/ona planiraju – they plan

Because planiramo already means “we plan”, you don’t need mi.
You can say Mi ove godine planiramo ići na more to emphasize “we” (as opposed to someone else), but the neutral, normal version just omits it.

What tense is planiramo and does it refer to the future?

Planiramo is present tense (1st person plural).

However, present tense in Croatian is often used for future arrangements or plans, especially with verbs of intention like:

• planirati – to plan
• namjeravati – to intend

So:

• Ove godine planiramo ići na more.
  literally: This year we are planning to go to the seaside.
  functionally: We’re planning to go to the seaside this year.

You could also express the future more explicitly:

• Ove godine ćemo ići na more. – This year we will go to the seaside.

But planiramo + infinitive already strongly implies a future plan.

Why do we say planiramo ići instead of just planiramo na more?

The verb planirati usually needs either:

1. Another verb (an action) in the infinitive, or
2. A noun phrase (what you are planning).

Here we’re planning an action: to go.

• planiramo ići na more – we are planning to go to the sea(side)

If you say only planiramo na more, it sounds incomplete in Croatian; it’s missing the verb of movement.

Compare:

• Planiramo putovanje na more. – We’re planning a trip to the seaside. (noun object: putovanje)
• Planiramo ići na more. – We’re planning to go to the seaside. (verb object: ići)

Why is it the infinitive ići and not a conjugated form like idemo or da idemo?

After planirati, Croatian very naturally uses the infinitive:

• planiramo ići – we plan to go
• planiram učiti – I plan to study
• planiraju kupiti auto – they plan to buy a car

You can also hear constructions with da + present in speech:

• Planiramo da idemo na more.

This is understandable and used, but many speakers feel planiramo ići na more is stylistically cleaner and more standard in written language. Infinitive after verbs of wishing, planning, wanting, etc. is very common and natural:

• želim ići – I want to go
• moramo ići – we must go
• volimo ići – we like to go

What exactly does na more mean, and why not just na moru or u more?

The difference is case and preposition meaning:

1. na more – to the sea / to the seaside (destination, movement towards)

   • na
     • accusative (more) → motion towards a surface/place
   • ići na more = to go to the seaside (for a holiday)

2. na moru – at the sea / by the sea (location, being there)

   • na
     • locative (moru) → location, being on/at a surface/place
   • Bili smo na moru. – We were at the seaside.

3. u more – into the sea (into the water) (physical entry into the water)

   • u
     • accusative (more) → motion into something
   • Skočio je u more. – He jumped into the sea.

So:

• ići na more = to go to the seaside (for a vacation)
• biti na moru = to be at the seaside
• ići u more / skočiti u more = to go / jump into the sea (water)

Why is the word more and not something like moru here?

More is a neuter noun. Its key singular forms are:

• Nominative: more – the sea
• Accusative: more – (to) the sea
• Locative: moru – at/on the sea

With the preposition na:

• na + accusative → movement to a location:
  • ići na more – to go to the sea(side)
• na + locative → being at a location:
  • biti na moru – to be at the sea(side)

In our sentence, the action is movement to a destination, so na takes the accusative, and that form is more.

Can I change the word order, e.g. Planiramo ove godine ići na more or Planiramo ići na more ove godine?

Yes. Croatian word order is relatively flexible, and these variants are all grammatical:

• Ove godine planiramo ići na more.
• Planiramo ove godine ići na more.
• Planiramo ići na more ove godine.

They all mean essentially the same thing: We’re planning to go to the seaside this year.

Small nuance differences:

• Ove godine planiramo… – lightly emphasizes this year.
• Planiramo ići na more ove godine. – puts more focus on the plan to go to the seaside, then adds this year as extra info.

But for everyday use, they’re interchangeable.

What is the difference between Ove godine planiramo ići na more and Ove godine idemo na more?

The nuance is in certainty vs. planning:

• Ove godine planiramo ići na more.
  – We plan to go to the seaside this year; it’s intended, but not guaranteed or booked yet.

• Ove godine idemo na more.
  – We are going to the seaside this year; it sounds more decided, like a firm arrangement (tickets booked, decision made).

In English this is similar to:

• We’re planning to go… (plan)
• We’re going… (more definite future)

What gender and case is ove, and how does it agree with godine?

Ove is the feminine singular genitive (and accusative) form of the demonstrative ovaj / ova / ovo (this).

• Masculine: ovaj – ovaj dan (this day)
• Feminine: ova – ova godina (this year)
• Neuter: ovo – ovo more (this sea)

In the genitive singular feminine, ova becomes ove, and godina becomes godine:

• Nominative: ova godina – this year
• Genitive: ove godine – of this year → used as a time expression “this year”

The adjective (ove) must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun (godine), so both are feminine singular genitive.

Could we say Ove godine idemo na more instead of using planiramo ići to talk about the future?

Yes. In many situations present tense of a movement verb is enough to express a planned future:

• Ove godine idemo na more. – This year we’re going to the seaside.

This is very natural and often more direct than planiramo ići. Use:

• planiramo ići – when you want to stress that it’s still a plan
• idemo – when you talk about decided or scheduled future action

Both are correct; it’s just a matter of nuance.