Breakdown of Večeras se spremam za ispit iz hrvatskog.
Questions & Answers about Večeras se spremam za ispit iz hrvatskog.
Se is a reflexive pronoun. It shows that the subject is doing the action to themselves.
- spremam = I prepare
- spremam se = I prepare myself / I get ready
In English, you don’t usually say “I prepare myself for the exam”; you just say “I’m preparing for the exam”. But in Croatian, the verb spremati se is normally used with se when it means “get ready, prepare (oneself)”.
You cannot just drop se here:
- ✅ Večeras se spremam za ispit.
- ❌ Večeras spremam za ispit. (This sounds like “Tonight I am preparing [something] for the exam” and feels incomplete/wrong without an object.)
In Croatian, se is a clitic (an unstressed short word) that usually goes into second position in the sentence (or clause).
So the sentence structure follows this pattern:
- Some word/phrase starts the sentence: Večeras (“this evening / tonight”)
- The clitic goes second: se
- The main verb: spremam
- Other parts: za ispit iz hrvatskog
So:
- ✅ Večeras se spremam za ispit iz hrvatskog.
You can also say:
- ✅ Spremam se večeras za ispit iz hrvatskog.
Here, spremam is the first element, so se comes right after it.
But you cannot put se at the very beginning:
- ❌ Se večeras spremam za ispit… (ungrammatical)
Both can be translated as “I’m preparing (myself)”, but they have slightly different usual uses and feel:
spremam se
- very often means “I’m getting ready” in a general, practical sense
- e.g. getting dressed, packing, mentally getting ready
- Večeras se spremam za ispit. – I’m getting ready / preparing myself for the exam.
pripremam se
- emphasizes more the process of preparation, often studying, training, organizing materials, etc.
- Večeras se pripremam za ispit. – I’m preparing (studying, going through materials) for the exam.
In this context, both are possible and understandable. Spremam se is a bit more neutral/everyday; pripremam se can sound slightly more “study-oriented”.
Croatian is a pro-drop language: subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb ending shows who the subject is.
- spremam (se) → 1st person singular → “I prepare / I am preparing”
- spremaš (se) → 2nd person singular → “you prepare / you are preparing”
- sprema (se) → 3rd person singular → “he/she/it prepares / is preparing”
So:
- Večeras se spremam za ispit… = I am preparing tonight…
- If we said Večeras se spremaš za ispit… = You are preparing tonight…
You only add ja (I) when you want to emphasize it:
- Ja se večeras spremam za ispit (a ne ti). – I’m the one preparing tonight, not you.
In Croatian, the present tense can be used for planned or scheduled near-future actions, especially when a time word like večeras (tonight) is present.
So:
- Večeras se spremam za ispit.
Literally: Tonight I am preparing for the exam.
Functionally: It expresses a plan for the near future.
You could also use the future:
- Večeras ću se spremati za ispit. – I will be preparing for the exam tonight.
But that sounds a bit more “formal” or more strongly focused on the process throughout the evening. In everyday speech, the present with a time adverb (večeras, sutra, kasnije) is very common for near-future plans.
Za with the accusative often corresponds to English for in the sense of purpose or goal.
- za ispit = for the exam (with the goal of doing well on it)
- Večeras se spremam za ispit. – I’m getting ready for the exam.
Other examples:
- učim za test – I’m studying for a test
- vježbam za utakmicu – I’m practicing for the match
So za + accusative is the normal, idiomatic way to say “prepare for (an exam/test/event)”.
Literally:
- iz = “from / out of”
- hrvatskog = “Croatian” (genitive singular of hrvatski [jezik])
So word-for-word: “from Croatian”.
But in the context of school subjects, exams, tests, Croatian often uses:
- ispit iz + [subject in genitive]
Meaning: an exam in [subject]
So:
- ispit iz hrvatskog – exam in Croatian
- ispit iz matematike – exam in mathematics
- ispit iz povijesti – exam in history
It’s a fixed pattern: ispit iz + subject (genitive). It translates as “exam in [subject]” in natural English.
Case (genitive)
The preposition iz requires the genitive case.
The usual phrase is iz hrvatskog (jezika) = (from/of) Croatian (language).- nominative: hrvatski (jezik) – Croatian (language)
- genitive: hrvatskog (jezika) – of Croatian (language)
Noun “jezik” can be omitted
In everyday speech, people often leave out jezik (language) and just say the adjective:- full: ispit iz hrvatskog jezika
- shortened/normal: ispit iz hrvatskog
Both are correct; the shorter version is very common in conversation.
No, that would sound wrong in standard Croatian.
For school exams, the normal construction is:
- ispit iz + [subject in genitive]
Without iz, ispit hrvatskog doesn’t sound natural for “Croatian exam” and could be confusing or just incorrect.
So you should say:
- ✅ iz hrvatskog (jezika)
and not: - ❌ ispit hrvatskog (in this meaning)
Yes, Croatian word order is relatively flexible, and all of these can be correct, but the emphasis shifts:
Večeras se spremam za ispit iz hrvatskog.
Neutral, common order. Emphasis slightly on when (this evening).Spremam se večeras za ispit iz hrvatskog.
Slightly more focus on spremam se (the action), then specifying when.Za ispit iz hrvatskog se večeras spremam.
Now za ispit iz hrvatskog is at the front, so the exam is highlighted:- “It’s for the Croatian exam that I’m preparing tonight.”
In all cases, the clitic se must stay in second position relative to the first element in the clause.
Yes, there is a nuance:
spremam se za ispit
- broader meaning: getting ready for the exam
- can include revising, planning, organizing notes, maybe mentally preparing
- focus on “getting ready (overall)”
učim za ispit
- very specific: I’m studying for the exam (e.g. reading the textbook, doing exercises)
- focus clearly on the act of studying/learning
In practice:
- If you want to emphasize that you’re studying, say učim za ispit.
- If you want a more general “I’m preparing (myself)”, spremam se za ispit is good and natural.