Learn Hardcore Croatian: U nedjelju imamo obiteljski ručak.

Accusative for time points: u nedjelju (on Sunday), u ponedjeljak (on Monday).
Locative for places and some longer time periods: u Zagrebu (in Zagreb), u siječnju (in January).

Because here we are talking about a specific time (on Sunday), u takes the accusative, so nedjelja → nedjelju.

What is the difference between nedjelja, nedjelju and nedjeljom?

They are different forms/usages of the same noun:

nedjelja – nominative (dictionary form):
- Nedjelja je dan odmora. = Sunday is a day of rest.
nedjelju – accusative (after u to mean “on Sunday”):
- U nedjelju imamo obiteljski ručak. = On Sunday we have a family lunch.
nedjeljom – an adverbial form meaning “on Sundays / every Sunday”:
- Nedjeljom imamo obiteljski ručak. = We have a family lunch on Sundays (habitually).

So:

u nedjelju = this particular Sunday (or a specific one you have in mind),
nedjeljom = every Sunday / usually on Sundays.

Why is it u nedjelju and not na nedjelju, even though English says on Sunday?

Croatian and English prepositions don’t match one-to-one.

For days of the week, Croatian normally uses:

u + accusative: u nedjelju, u ponedjeljak, u petak.

The preposition na is used with some time expressions, but not with days:

na Božić (on Christmas),
na Uskrs (at Easter),
but u nedjelju, u ponedjeljak, etc.

So:

on Sunday = u nedjelju, not na nedjelju.

What tense and person is imamo, and what does it correspond to in English?

Imamo is:

the present tense,
1st person plural (we),
of the verb imati (to have).

So imamo corresponds to:

we have, and often also we’re having or we’re going to have (for a planned event).

In context:

U nedjelju imamo obiteljski ručak.
- can be translated as:
  - We have a family lunch on Sunday.
  - We’re having a family lunch on Sunday.
  - We’re going to have a family lunch on Sunday.

Where is the word we in this sentence? Why isn’t mi used?

Croatian usually drops subject pronouns (like I, you, we) because the verb ending already shows the subject.

imamo clearly shows 1st person plural (“we”).
So U nedjelju imamo obiteljski ručak already means On Sunday we have a family lunch.

You can add mi for emphasis or contrast:

Mi u nedjelju imamo obiteljski ručak.
(We — as opposed to someone else — have a family lunch on Sunday.)

But in everyday speech, the short version without mi is more natural.

Can I change the word order? For example, can I say Imamo obiteljski ručak u nedjelju?

Yes, Croatian word order is fairly flexible. All of these are grammatically correct, with slightly different emphasis:

U nedjelju imamo obiteljski ručak.
Neutral, common; emphasizes when: “On Sunday, we have a family lunch.”
Imamo obiteljski ručak u nedjelju.
Also natural; starts with the fact that we have a lunch, time at the end.
Obiteljski ručak imamo u nedjelju.
Emphasizes that the family lunch (not something else) is on Sunday.

The basic information doesn’t change; it’s mostly about rhythm and what you want to highlight.

Why is it obiteljski ručak and not obiteljska ručak?

Because the adjective must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun it describes.

ručak (lunch) is masculine singular.
The corresponding adjective form is obiteljski (family, familial) in masculine singular.

So:

obiteljski ručak = family lunch (correct),
obiteljska ručak would mix feminine adjective with a masculine noun (incorrect).

If the noun were feminine, the adjective would change:

obiteljska večera (family dinner) – because večera is feminine.

Why doesn’t ručak change its form here? Isn’t it in the accusative too?

Yes, ručak is also in the accusative singular (it is the direct object of imamo), but:

For masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative singular is the same as the nominative.

nominative: ručak (What is on Sunday? A lunch.)
accusative: ručak (What do we have? A lunch.)

Compare with a masculine animate noun, where accusative changes:

nominative: brat (brother)
accusative: brata
- Vidim brata. = I see (my) brother.

So ručak is indeed accusative here; it just looks the same as the nominative.

Does the sentence mean a one‑time plan for this Sunday, or a regular thing every Sunday?

By itself, U nedjelju imamo obiteljski ručak usually suggests a specific Sunday (often the upcoming one) and a specific plan.

For a habitual action, Croatian more often uses:

Nedjeljom imamo obiteljski ručak. = We have a family lunch on Sundays (every Sunday).
Svake nedjelje imamo obiteljski ručak. = We have a family lunch every Sunday.

Context and extra words like ovu nedjelju (this Sunday) or svake nedjelje (every Sunday) clarify the meaning.

Why is nedjelju not capitalized like Sunday in English?

In Croatian, days of the week are not capitalized (unless they start a sentence or are part of a title):

nedjelja, ponedjeljak, utorak, srijeda, četvrtak, petak, subota

So:

U nedjelju imamo obiteljski ručak.
Compare: On Sunday we have a family lunch.

English capitalizes day names; Croatian doesn’t.

What exactly does obiteljski ručak mean? Is it lunch with family, or a special kind of event?

Obiteljski ručak literally means family lunch and usually implies:

Lunch where family members gather together, often at home.
Often a more social/important meal than a quick everyday lunch.
In many contexts, it’s understood as a shared, maybe weekly or special, family event, not just any lunch that happens to include family.

So U nedjelju imamo obiteljski ručak implies something a bit more planned or special than simply “we’re eating lunch and family happens to be there.”

Could I also say U nedjelju ručamo s obitelji? How is that different from imamo obiteljski ručak?

Yes, you can say:

U nedjelju ručamo s obitelji. = On Sunday we (will) have lunch with (the) family.

Differences in nuance:

imamo obiteljski ručak
- Sounds like a named event: “a family lunch” (perhaps a regular tradition or a special occasion).
- A bit more event-like.
ručamo s obitelji
- Focuses on the action of eating lunch with family members.
- Slightly more neutral, more about the activity than the “event.”

Both are natural; context decides which feels better.

How do you pronounce the tricky consonants in nedjelju and ručak?

Approximate English-like guidance:

nedjelju: ne-dye-lyu
- dj = like the j in juice, but a bit softer.
- lj = similar to the lli in million.
- Final u is like oo in food.
ručak: roo-chak
- č = like ch in church, but sharper.
- Final k is clearly pronounced, not softened.

Croatian spelling is quite phonetic, so once you know the sounds of letters like č, đ, lj, it becomes consistent.