Learn Hardcore Croatian: Napredujem polako, ali vidim da uz strpljenje mogu puno naučiti. - I am making progress slowly, but I see that with patience I can learn a lot.

So Napredujem polako literally means “I am progressing slowly / I progress slowly”. In Croatian, the simple present is used both for general habits and for actions happening now, so it covers what English often expresses with the present continuous (I am progressing).

Why is there no ja (I) in Napredujem polako and mogu puno naučiti?

Croatian is a pro-drop language: personal subject pronouns (ja, ti, on, ona, …) are usually omitted because the verb ending already shows the person.

Napredujem = I progress (ending -em tells you it’s 1st person singular)
Mogu = I can (ending -u here also marks 1st person singular)

You would add ja only for emphasis or contrast:

Ja napredujem polako, ali ti napreduješ brzo.
I progress slowly, but you progress quickly. (strong contrast)

Can I also say Polako napredujem instead of Napredujem polako?

Yes. Both are correct and common:

Napredujem polako.
Polako napredujem.

The difference is subtle:

Napredujem polako – slightly more neutral; focus is a bit more on the verb napredujem (the fact that there is progress).
Polako napredujem – puts a bit more emphasis on how you are progressing (slowly, gradually).

In everyday speech, the two are practically interchangeable; any nuance is very slight and mostly about rhythm and emphasis.

What exactly does uz mean in uz strpljenje? Why not sa strpljenjem?

Uz + accusative often means:

with, accompanied by
along with, alongside
sometimes thanks to / helped by

So uz strpljenje = with patience / if I have patience / through patience. It implies that patience is something that supports your learning.

Sa (s) + instrumental (sa strpljenjem) also means with patience, but it sounds more like “in a patient manner”. In this sentence:

uz strpljenje – more like “with the help of patience, provided I am patient, supported by patience”
sa strpljenjem – more like “patiently, in a patient way”

Both could be understood, but uz strpljenje is more idiomatic here because it highlights patience as a necessary condition/helper for learning a lot.

Which case is strpljenje in, and why?

Strpljenje is in the accusative singular:

nominative: strpljenje
accusative: strpljenje (same form for neuter nouns)

The preposition uz always takes the accusative:

uz + strpljenje (accusative)
uz + knjigu, uz + prijatelja, uz + pomoć (all accusative)

So the form is determined by the preposition uz.

What is the role of da in vidim da uz strpljenje mogu puno naučiti?

Here da introduces a subordinate clause and works like English “that” in “I see that I can learn a lot”.

Structure:

vidim – I see
da – that
uz strpljenje mogu puno naučiti – clause: with patience I can learn a lot

So it’s not “in order to” or “so that” here; it’s simply a conjunction linking the verb vidjeti (to see) with a content clause, just as in English see that / know that / think that.

Why is there a comma before ali, but not before da?

Croatian punctuation rules:

Ali (“but”) typically introduces a new clause that contrasts with the previous one, and it is normally preceded by a comma:
Napredujem polako, ali vidim…
Da in this usage (“that”) introduces a dependent clause directly linked to the verb vidim, and it does not take a comma in standard usage:
vidim da uz strpljenje mogu puno naučiti

So the punctuation here follows standard rules: comma before ali, no comma before da.

Why is naučiti used instead of učiti?

This is about aspect:

učiti – imperfective: to study / to be learning (focus on the process)
naučiti – perfective: to learn, to have learned, to manage to learn (focus on reaching the result)

In mogu puno naučiti, the speaker is talking about how much they can actually learn (achieve) thanks to patience, not just about being in the process of learning. So naučiti (perfective) is the natural choice.

Compare:

Mogu puno učiti. – I can study a lot (spend a lot of time learning).
Mogu puno naučiti. – I can learn a lot (actually acquire a lot of knowledge).

What does puno mean here, and can I use mnogo instead?

Puno means “a lot, much, many” in this context.

mogu puno naučiti = I can learn a lot.

You can almost always replace puno with mnogo:

mogu mnogo naučiti

Differences:

puno – more colloquial, very common in everyday speech and writing.
mnogo – a bit more formal / neutral, often used in writing, news, etc.

In this sentence, both are correct. Puno sounds slightly more conversational.

Why is the word order mogu puno naučiti? Can I say mogu naučiti puno?

Both orders are possible and correct:

mogu puno naučiti
mogu naučiti puno

The differences are minor and mostly about rhythm and emphasis:

mogu puno naučiti – typical, neutral order; puno closely modifies naučiti (how much you can learn).
mogu naučiti puno – puts a tiny bit more emphasis on puno at the end, but still very natural.

In conversation, both will be understood the same way. The given sentence uses a very standard, natural order.

What tense is mogu and what verb is it from?

Mogu is:

from the infinitive moći (can, to be able to)
1st person singular present tense
aspectually, moći is considered imperfective (it describes an ongoing ability/possibility)

So mogu puno naučiti = I can (am able to) learn a lot.

Is vidim here more like “I see” with my eyes, or “I realize/understand”?

In this context, vidim is used metaphorically, like English “I see / I realize / I can tell”.

Napredujem polako, ali vidim da…
→ I’m progressing slowly, but I see / I realize that…

Croatian vidjeti works the same way as English see: it can be literal (with eyes) or figurative (understand, become aware). Here it’s clearly figurative.

Could I use sporo instead of polako, and is there a difference?

Yes, you can say:

Napredujem polako.
Napredujem sporo.

Both mean I’m progressing slowly, but the nuance is:

polako – “slowly” but often with a more neutral or even positive feel, also “gradually, at a measured pace”.
sporo – “slow(ly)” with a stronger sense of slowness, sometimes slightly more negative or critical (“too slow”).

In this motivational, self-encouraging sentence polako sounds softer and more natural.

If Croatian doesn’t have a separate present continuous, how would I say “I’m progressing slowly, but I can see that with patience I can learn a lot”?

You use exactly the same Croatian sentence:

Napredujem polako, ali vidim da uz strpljenje mogu puno naučiti.

The Croatian present tense covers both English present simple and present continuous, so context tells whether you mean I progress slowly (in general) or I’m progressing slowly (right now / these days).