Questions & Answers about Sutra ćemo se upoznati na trgu.
Se is a reflexive pronoun. In upoznati se, it has a reciprocal/reflexive meaning: we will get to know each other / we will meet (for the first time).
- upoznati nekoga = to get to know / to meet someone (direct object)
- Sutra ću upoznati Mariju. = Tomorrow I’ll meet Maria.
- upoznati se = to get to know each other / to be introduced, usually for the first time
- Sutra ćemo se upoznati. = Tomorrow we’ll meet (for the first time).
So se shows that the action is mutual between the people in we (we → each other).
Croatian forms the future tense with an auxiliary verb htjeti (short forms: ću, ćeš, će, ćemo, ćete, će) + infinitive:
- (mi) ćemo upoznati = we will meet / get to know
- With the reflexive: ćemo se upoznati = we will meet each other
So:
- sutra = tomorrow
- ćemo = we will
- se = each other / ourselves (reflexive)
- upoznati = to meet, to get to know
Literally: Tomorrow we will (each other) get-to-know at the square.
No. Sutra se ćemo upoznati is incorrect.
Unstressed words like ćemo and se (called clitics) have a fairly fixed order. In this type of sentence:
- Another word usually comes first (here: Sutra).
- Then comes the auxiliary ćemo.
- Then se.
- Then the main verb upoznati.
Correct patterns include:
- Sutra ćemo se upoznati na trgu.
- Sutra ćemo se upoznati.
- Na trgu ćemo se sutra upoznati.
But Sutra se ćemo upoznati is not grammatical.
They express the same basic idea, but differ in emphasis and style.
Sutra ćemo se upoznati na trgu.
- Neutral, very natural. Slight focus on when (tomorrow).
Upoznat ćemo se sutra na trgu.
- Also correct and common. By putting Upoznat first, you slightly highlight the action to meet/get to know.
Note:
- When the auxiliary follows the infinitive directly, standard Croatian usually drops the final -i:
- Upoznat ćemo se. (standard)
- Upoznati ćemo se. (considered non‑standard / colloquial in Croatian).
These verbs are all often translated as to meet, but they’re used in slightly different situations:
upoznati se
- to be introduced / to meet for the first time / to get to know each other
- Sutra ćemo se upoznati. = Tomorrow we’ll meet (for the first time).
sresti se
- to meet, usually when you already know the person (planned or by chance)
- Sutra ćemo se sresti na trgu. = We’ll meet (see each other) tomorrow at the square.
naći se
- literally “to find each other”; very common for arranging to meet up somewhere
- Sutra ćemo se naći na trgu. = We’ll meet up at the square tomorrow.
vidjeti se
- literally “to see each other”; also used just like “to meet” in English
- Vidjet ćemo se sutra. = We’ll see each other tomorrow / See you tomorrow.
So Sutra ćemo se upoznati na trgu. strongly suggests it will be your first time meeting.
In Croatian, the choice between na and u depends on the type of location and the meaning:
na
- locative = on/at (an open space, surface, square, island, event, etc.)
- na trgu = on/at the square
- na ulici = in/on the street
- na stadionu = at the stadium
u
- locative = in/inside (an enclosed space, building, town, country, etc.)
- u kući = in the house
- u gradu = in the town
- u trgovini = in the shop
A trg (square) is an open public space, so Croatian uses na trgu.
Trgu is in the locative singular case of trg (square).
For the masculine noun trg (ending in a consonant):
- Nominative singular (dictionary form): trg
- Locative singular: trgu
With the preposition na (when it means “on/at a place”), you use locative:
- na trgu (on/at the square)
- na stolu (on the table)
- na fakultetu (at the university)
No, that’s incomplete and sounds wrong.
Upoznati is a transitive verb: it normally needs a direct object (who you will meet / get to know).
Correct examples:
- Sutra ćemo upoznati nove kolege na trgu.
= Tomorrow we will meet our new colleagues at the square. - Sutra ćemo se upoznati na trgu.
= Tomorrow we’ll meet (each other) at the square.
Without se or an explicit object (nove kolege, prijatelje, etc.), Sutra ćemo upoznati na trgu is ungrammatical.
You’d drop the reflexive se and use a direct object:
- Sutra ću te upoznati na trgu.
= Tomorrow I will meet you at the square.
Breakdown:
- Sutra = tomorrow
- ću = I will
- te = you (singular, familiar, object form)
- upoznati = to meet / get to know
- na trgu = at the square
So the original sentence (Sutra ćemo se upoznati na trgu.) is we will meet each other, while Sutra ću te upoznati na trgu. is I will meet you.
Croatian word order is quite flexible. You can move sutra to change the nuance or focus, while the meaning stays basically the same:
- Sutra ćemo se upoznati na trgu. (neutral; tomorrow is slightly in focus)
- Na trgu ćemo se sutra upoznati. (focus on the location first)
- Upoznat ćemo se sutra na trgu. (slight emphasis on the action “we will meet”)
- Na trgu sutra ćemo se upoznati. (more marked, but still possible)
What you generally should not move freely are the clitics (ćemo, se, te, ga, mi, etc.) into positions like Sutra se ćemo…, which are ungrammatical.
It’s a matter of aspect (perfective vs. imperfective):
upoznati se – perfective
- one complete event: to (start to) get to know each other, to be introduced
- used in future, past, or when you care about the result:
- Sutra ćemo se upoznati. = We’ll meet (for the first time) tomorrow.
- Upoznali smo se na trgu. = We met / got to know each other at the square.
upoznavati se – imperfective
- ongoing, repeated, or process: to be getting to know each other
- used when you talk about a process or repeated action:
- Još se upoznavamo. = We’re still getting to know each other.
- Često se upoznavaju na poslu. = They often meet/get to know each other at work.
In your sentence, Sutra ćemo se upoznati na trgu., the perfective upoznati se is correct, because it’s a single, completed event in the future.