Na velikom križanju čekamo na zeleno svjetlo na semaforu.

At the big intersection we wait for the green light at the traffic light.

Breakdown of Na velikom križanju čekamo na zeleno svjetlo na semaforu.

• velik: big
• čekati: to wait
• na: at
• križanje: intersection
• zelen: green
• svjetlo: light
• semafor: traffic light

Questions & Answers about Na velikom križanju čekamo na zeleno svjetlo na semaforu.

What case is križanju, and why does it end in -u?

Križanju is in the locative singular.

• The base form (dictionary form) is križanje (neuter noun: “intersection, crossing”).
• For neuter nouns like križanje, the locative singular often ends in -u:
  • križanje → (na) križanju
  • putovanje (trip) → (na) putovanju
• We use the locative because of the preposition na meaning “at/on (a place)” here:
  na velikom križanju = at the big intersection.

So križanju is locative singular of križanje.

Why is it na velikom križanju but na zeleno svjetlo? Why two different cases after na?

The preposition na can take locative or accusative, depending on meaning:

1. na + locative = location (“where?”)

   • na velikom križanju – “at the big intersection”
     → static location → locative (križanju)

2. na + accusative = direction / goal / target (“to where? / for what?”) or certain idioms

   • čekati na + accusative is a very common pattern: “to wait for”
   • na zeleno svjetlo is the thing we’re waiting for
     → accusative (zeleno svjetlo)

So:

• na velikom križanju – where are we? → locative
• čekamo na zeleno svjetlo – what are we waiting for? → accusative

Why čekamo na zeleno svjetlo and not simply čekamo zeleno svjetlo? Are both correct?

Both forms are possible, but there is a nuance:

• čekati + accusative (no preposition)

  • Čekamo zeleno svjetlo.
    → neutral, perfectly correct: We are waiting for the green light.

• čekati na + accusative

  • Čekamo na zeleno svjetlo.
    → also correct and very common; it often sounds slightly more like
    “we are waiting for the moment when the green light appears / comes on”.

In everyday speech, čekati na + accusative is extremely frequent:

• čekati na red – to wait for one’s turn
• čekati na autobus – to wait for the bus
• čekati na odluku – to wait for a decision

So your sentence with čekamo na zeleno svjetlo is idiomatic and natural.
If you say čekamo zeleno svjetlo, it is also correct and maybe a bit simpler/cleaner stylistically.

What are the base forms and genders of križanju, svjetlo, and semaforu?

• križanju

  • Base form: križanje – “intersection, crossing”
  • Gender: neuter
  • Form in the sentence: locative singular (na križanju)

• svjetlo

  • Base form: svjetlo – “light” (here: traffic light signal)
  • Gender: neuter
  • Form in the sentence: accusative singular (na zeleno svjetlo – same form as nominative for neuter)

• semaforu

  • Base form: semafor – “traffic light”
  • Gender: masculine
  • Form in the sentence: locative singular (na semaforu)

Why does velikom end in -om, but zeleno ends in -o?

Because they are in different cases and agree with different nouns:

1. velikom križanju

   • Noun: križanje – neuter, locative singular → (na) križanju
   • Adjective: velik must match case, number, gender of the noun:
     • neuter, locative singular → velikom
   • So: na velikom križanju – “at the big intersection”

2. zeleno svjetlo

   • Noun: svjetlo – neuter, accusative singular, but neuter nominative = accusative in form.
   • Adjective: zelen must also be neuter, accusative singular → zeleno
   • So: na zeleno svjetlo – “for the green light”

Summary:

• -om = typical ending for masculine/neuter locative singular adjectives.
• -o = typical ending for neuter nominative/accusative singular adjectives.

Why is it na semaforu and not something like kod semafora? What’s the difference?

Both are possible, but with a slight difference in nuance:

• na semaforu (locative)

  • Literally “on the traffic light”, but in practice usually understood as “at this traffic light”, i.e. at the junction controlled by this light.
  • Focuses on the traffic light as the place where the signal is happening.

• kod semafora (genitive after kod)

  • “by/near the traffic light”
  • Emphasises being in the vicinity of the traffic light, not so much the device itself as a point of control.

In this sentence, na semaforu is standard and natural:

• čekamo (na zeleno svjetlo) na semaforu – We’re waiting for the green light at this set of lights.

Can I change the word order in this sentence? For example, can I move čekamo or the na… phrases?

Yes, Croatian word order is relatively flexible. All of these are grammatically fine (with slightly different emphasis):

• Na velikom križanju čekamo na zeleno svjetlo na semaforu.
  (original: neutral, very natural)
• Čekamo na zeleno svjetlo na semaforu na velikom križanju.
  (verb first; the location comes later)
• Na velikom križanju na semaforu čekamo na zeleno svjetlo.
  (grouping both location phrases before the verb)

What usually stays together:

• čekamo na zeleno svjetlo (verb + what we’re waiting for)
• na velikom križanju, na semaforu (location phrases)

In conversation, the original order is probably the most common and clear.

Why is there no subject pronoun mi (“we”) in the Croatian sentence?

Croatian normally drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person and number:

• čekam – I wait
• čekaš – you (sg.) wait
• čeka – he/she/it waits
• čekamo – we wait
• čekate – you (pl.) wait
• čekaju – they wait

So čekamo already means “we are waiting”.
Adding mi (Mi čekamo…) is possible but usually only for emphasis (e.g. contrast: Mi čekamo, oni ne čekaju. – We are waiting, they aren’t.)

What is the difference between svjetlo and svijetlo, and which one is correct here?

These are two different words:

• svjetlo (with -vje-)

  • noun: “light” (as in illumination, a light source, or a traffic light signal)
  • Example: zeleno svjetlo, crveno svjetlo

• svijetlo (with -vije-)

  • adjective: “light (in colour), pale, bright”
  • Example: svijetloplava košulja – a light-blue shirt

In na zeleno svjetlo na semaforu, you absolutely need the noun:

• svjetlo = the light (signal) itself.
  So the correct form is svjetlo, not svijetlo.

Is križanje the usual word for “intersection”? I’ve seen raskrižje as well.

Both exist, and you will see both:

• križanje

  • literally “crossing”
  • commonly used in everyday speech, especially regionally.

• raskrižje

  • also “intersection, junction”
  • very common in road signs, official language, and in Croatia often considered more “standard” in traffic contexts.

You could absolutely say:

• Na velikom raskrižju čekamo na zeleno svjetlo na semaforu.

Meaning-wise in this context, križanje and raskrižje are interchangeable.

Could I say Čekamo se na zeleno svjetlo? Why don’t we use se here?

No, čekati se is not used in this meaning.

• čekati is a normal transitive verb: you wait (for) something/someone.
• Adding se often changes the meaning; čekati se is rare and not used to mean “we wait (for something)”.

Correct patterns:

• Čekamo zeleno svjetlo.
• Čekamo na zeleno svjetlo.

But Čekamo se na zeleno svjetlo is ungrammatical / meaningless in standard Croatian.

Could I say Na velikome križanju instead of Na velikom križanju?

Yes, velikom and velikome are both forms of the same case (locative singular), but:

• velikom – the normal, modern, neutral form.
• velikome – a longer variant; can sound more formal, archaic, or poetic.

In everyday speech and writing, you will almost always hear:

• Na velikom križanju…

Na velikome križanju… is correct but stylistically marked (old-fashioned / literary).

Is it necessary (or good style) to repeat na before every phrase: na velikom križanju … na zeleno svjetlo na semaforu?

In this sentence, the repetition of na is natural and helpful, because each na introduces a different type of phrase:

• na velikom križanju – location 1 (where are we?)
• na zeleno svjetlo – object of the verb (what are we waiting for?)
• na semaforu – location 2, more specific (at which device? which place?)

You could drop na before zeleno svjetlo and say:

• Na velikom križanju čekamo zeleno svjetlo na semaforu.

That’s still correct; now zeleno svjetlo na semaforu is just a longer noun phrase (direct object).

However, čekamo na zeleno svjetlo is such a common pattern that many speakers prefer to keep na there. Repeating na in the original sentence is completely fine, natural-sounding Croatian.