Learn Hardcore Croatian: Kad idemo na putovanje, baka čuva psa, a djed čuva mačku. - When we go on a trip, grandmother looks after the dog and grandfather looks after the cat.

Kad and kada mean the same thing here. Kada is just a slightly longer, a bit more formal or emphatic version. In everyday speech and writing, people often shorten kada to kad, especially in sentences like:

Kad idemo na putovanje… / Kada idemo na putovanje… – When we go on a trip…

Both are correct and natural.

Why is the verb idemo (we go) in the present tense, even though in English I might say “when we go” or “when we travel” about the future?

Croatian often uses the present tense in time clauses introduced by kad(a) to talk about repeated actions or future situations.

Kad idemo na putovanje, baka čuva psa…
Literally: When we go on a trip, grandma looks after the dog…
Meaning: Whenever we go on a trip, grandma looks after the dog…

If you wanted a specific future trip, you might also hear the future tense:

Kad ćemo ići na putovanje, baka će čuvati psa.
When we (will) go on the trip, grandma will look after the dog.

But for general habits, the present is normal and expected.

What is the role of na in na putovanje, and why is putovanje in that form?

Na is a preposition that often means “on” or “to”, depending on context.

With verbs of movement like ići (to go), na + accusative frequently means “to (an event, activity, trip, etc.)”:

ići na putovanje – to go on / to go for a trip
ići na koncert – to go to a concert
ići na posao – to go to work

Putovanje is in the accusative singular because it is the destination of movement after na:

nominative: putovanje (trip)
accusative: putovanje (same form for neuter nouns here)

So na putovanje literally is “onto / to [the] trip,” understood as “on a trip.”

Why are baka and djed not preceded by any article, like “the” or “my”?

Croatian has no articles (no “a/an” or “the”), so you never write anything like the grandma or a grandpa.

In this sentence:

baka – grandma
djed – grandpa

They are in the nominative case as the subjects of their verbs:
baka čuva, djed čuva – grandma looks after, grandpa looks after.

Croatian often omits possessive pronouns (my, your, etc.) when it is clear from context whose relative is meant. So:

Baka čuva psa. – Grandma looks after the dog.
(Context usually tells you it’s “my” or “our” grandma.)

Why is psa used instead of pas, and mačku instead of mačka?

Pas (dog) and mačka (cat) are in their base (nominative) forms:

nominative: pas, mačka – used for the subject of the sentence.

But in the sentence they are direct objects of the verb čuva (looks after), so they must be in the accusative case:

baka čuva psa – grandma looks after the dog
djed čuva mačku – grandpa looks after the cat

Declensions:

pas (m. animate): nominative pas, accusative psa
mačka (f.): nominative mačka, accusative mačku

So the forms psa and mačku mark “dog” and “cat” as the direct objects.

What exactly does the verb čuva mean here, and is it the same as “has” or “owns”?

Čuvati means to look after, to take care of, to watch, to keep safe.

baka čuva psa – grandma looks after / takes care of the dog
djed čuva mačku – grandpa looks after / takes care of the cat

It does not necessarily mean “to own.” It focuses on care or guarding, not possession.

imati psa – to have / own a dog
čuvati psa – to look after / take care of a dog (maybe temporarily)

Why is the conjunction a used (…baka čuva psa, a djed čuva mačku), and how is it different from i?

Both a and i can be translated as “and”, but they are used differently:

i = “and” in a neutral way, just adding information.
a = “and” with a sense of contrast or different roles / alternatives.

In this sentence:

baka čuva psa, a djed čuva mačku.
Grandma looks after the dog, and grandpa (on the other hand) looks after the cat.

A highlights that each person has a different animal.
Using i would sound more like simply listing actions, less contrastive:

Baka čuva psa i djed čuva mačku. – grammatically OK, but less natural here; it misses the “grandma does this, while grandpa does that” feel.

Can the word order be changed, for example: Baka čuva psa kad idemo na putovanje?

Yes. Croatian has flexible word order, and several variations are possible and correct:

Kad idemo na putovanje, baka čuva psa, a djed čuva mačku.
Baka čuva psa, a djed čuva mačku kad idemo na putovanje.
Baka čuva psa kad idemo na putovanje, a djed čuva mačku.

The basic meaning stays the same. Changing word order often affects:

What is emphasized (topic vs. new information)
Flow and style

The original version places the time clause first to set the scene (“When we go on a trip…”) and then states what grandma and grandpa do.

Why is there a comma before a in …baka čuva psa, a djed čuva mačku?

In Croatian, a comma is usually placed before the conjunction a when it connects two independent clauses (two full sentences):

baka čuva psa – full clause
djed čuva mačku – full clause

Joined:

Baka čuva psa, a djed čuva mačku.

So the comma marks the boundary between two clauses. The same is done before ali (but), and often before nego and već when they join full clauses.

Why is it na putovanje (“on a trip”) and not something like za putovanje?

With ići (to go), Croatian usually uses na + accusative for trips, events, and activities:

ići na putovanje – to go on a trip
ići na more – to go to the seaside
ići na izlet – to go on an excursion
ići na sastanak – to go to a meeting

Za + accusative often means “for” in a purpose or benefit sense:

novac za putovanje – money for the trip
karte za putovanje – tickets for the trip

So Kad idemo na putovanje… is the standard way to say “When we go on a trip…”

How are djed and baka pronounced, especially the sounds dj and č in čuva and mačku?

Pronunciation tips:

djed – The dj is pronounced like the English “j” in jam, but a bit softer, something like d-yed [dyed], one syllable.
baka – ba-ka, both a like in father.
čuva – č is like “ch” in church (but slightly harder), so CHU-va.
mačku – again č like ch in church: MACH-koo.

Croatian spelling is very phonetic: each letter usually represents one sound, and č always sounds like English “ch” in church.