Learn Hardcore Croatian: Sestra uvijek nosi kameru kad putujemo. - My sister always carries a camera when we travel.

sestra = sister (subject form, nominative)
sestru, sestre, etc. are other case forms (object, possession, etc.) and are not used for the subject.

So you use sestra when “sister” is the one performing the action (your sister is the one who carries the camera).

Why don’t we say moja sestra (“my sister”)?

Croatian often omits possessive pronouns (my, your, his…) when the context makes them obvious.

If you are talking about your own family, sestra will naturally be understood as moja sestra (“my sister”), unless there is a reason to think it’s someone else’s sister. Adding moja is possible, but not necessary:

Sestra uvijek nosi kameru. – My sister always carries the camera.
Moja sestra uvijek nosi kameru. – Same meaning, but a bit more explicit/emphatic that it’s my sister.

Why does kamera become kameru?

Kameru is the accusative singular of kamera (a feminine noun ending in -a).

Nominative (dictionary form): kamera – used for subjects.
Accusative: kameru – used for direct objects (the thing affected by the action).

In this sentence, the camera is what is being carried, so it is the direct object and must be in the accusative:

nositi kameru = to carry a camera.

What exactly does nosi mean here? “Carries”, “wears”, or “brings”?

The verb nositi can cover several English verbs, depending on context:

nositi kameru – to carry a camera (have it with you, on you).
nositi majicu – to wear a T‑shirt.
nositi knjige – to carry books (in your hands).
nositi poklon – to bring/carry a present.

So in Sestra uvijek nosi kameru, the best translation is “My sister always carries a camera (with her)” or “always takes a camera (with her).”

Why is it uvijek nosi and not nosi uvijek or uvijek sestra nosi?

All of these word orders are possible, but they have slightly different emphasis. Neutral, most common:

Sestra uvijek nosi kameru. – Neutral: “My sister always carries a camera.”

Other options:

Sestra nosi uvijek kameru. – Still correct, but the placement of uvijek after the verb is less neutral; it can sound a bit marked or stylistic.
Uvijek sestra nosi kameru. – Emphasizes sestra: “It’s always the sister who carries the camera (and not someone else).”

So Sestra uvijek nosi kameru is the default, everyday order for “always carries.”

Why do we use kad and not kada? Is there any difference?

Kad and kada mean the same thing: when.

kad – shorter, more colloquial, very common in speech and informal writing.
kada – slightly more formal or careful style, common in writing and formal speech.

You can say:

Sestra uvijek nosi kameru kad putujemo.
Sestra uvijek nosi kameru kada putujemo.

Both are correct; the meaning doesn’t change.

Why is putujemo in the present tense, not a future tense like “when we will travel”?

In Croatian, for general or habitual actions, the present tense is used after kad/kada, even when English would use a future tense:

Kad putujemo, sestra uvijek nosi kameru.
Literally: When we travel, sister always carries a camera.
Meaning: Whenever we travel / When we travel (in general), my sister always brings a camera.

English often says “when we travel” too, but for future specific events it might use “when we will travel.” Croatian still generally uses present in both cases after kad for this kind of clause.

Why is there no pronoun mi (“we”) before putujemo?

In Croatian, subject pronouns (ja, ti, on, mi, vi, oni…) are often dropped because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

putujem – I travel
putuješ – you travel
putujemo – we travel

So:

kad putujemo = (when) we travel

You could say kad mi putujemo, but mi is only needed when you want to emphasize we (as opposed to someone else).

Could we put the “when”-clause first: Kad putujemo, sestra uvijek nosi kameru?

Yes. Both orders are correct:

Sestra uvijek nosi kameru kad putujemo.
Kad putujemo, sestra uvijek nosi kameru.

The meaning is the same. Putting Kad putujemo first slightly emphasizes the condition/time frame (“When we travel…”), but it’s a very natural word order.

Note also the comma:

When the kad‑clause comes first: Kad putujemo, sestra… → comma is used.
When it comes last: …kameru kad putujemo. → usually no comma.

How would I say “every time we travel, my sister brings a camera”?

You can make the habitual idea even clearer by adding svaki put (“every time”):

Sestra svaki put nosi kameru kad putujemo.
or
Svaki put kad putujemo, sestra nosi kameru.

Both strongly emphasize “every time” and still use the same structures you see in the original sentence.