Learn Hardcore Croatian: Bicikli su parkirani na velikom parkiralištu pokraj ureda. - The bicycles are parked in the large parking lot next to the office.

So this literally means “The bicycles are parked” (describing their state), not “The bicycles are parking” (an action they themselves are doing).

If you said “Bicikli parkiraju”, it would mean “The bicycles are parking (themselves)”, which sounds odd in both languages because bicycles don’t act on their own. You need the passive or a stative description in both English and Croatian.

What exactly is “parkirani” grammatically? Why does it end in -i?

Parkirani is a past passive participle of the verb parkirati (to park).

It behaves like an adjective and must agree with the noun in:

gender: bicikli are masculine plural
number: plural
case: nominative (it describes the subject)

Masculine nominative plural adjective/participle endings are often -i, so:

parkiran – masculine singular: Bicikl je parkiran. – The bicycle is parked.
parkirana – feminine singular: Automobil je parkirana. (wrong, because automobil is masculine; correct is parkiran)
parkirano – neuter singular: Vozilo je parkirano. – The vehicle is parked.
parkirani – masculine plural: Bicikli su parkirani. – The bicycles are parked.

So -i here shows masculine plural agreeing with bicikli.

Why is it “bicikli” here and not “bicikle”? Aren’t both plural forms?

Both bicikli and bicikle are plural forms of bicikl (bicycle), but they are different cases:

bicikli – nominative plural (used for the subject)
- Bicikli su parkirani. – The bicycles are parked.
bicikle – accusative plural (used mainly for direct objects)
- Vidim bicikle. – I see the bicycles.
- Parkiram bicikle. – I (am) park(ing) the bicycles.

In your sentence, “bicikli” is the subject (the thing doing / being), so we use the nominative plural.

How is the plural of “bicikl” formed, and is “bicikli” always correct?

Bicikl is a masculine noun. Its basic plural forms are:

Nominative plural: bicikli
- Ovi bicikli su novi. – These bicycles are new.
Accusative plural: bicikle
- Imam bicikle. – I have bicycles.
Genitive plural: bicikala
- Nema bicikala ovdje. – There are no bicycles here.

“Bicikli” is correct only when you need nominative plural (mostly subjects or after the verb to be when describing identity).

So no, you can’t use “bicikli” in every context; you must match the case to the function in the sentence.

Why is it “na velikom parkiralištu” and not “na veliko parkiralište”? What’s going on with the case here?

The preposition na can take two cases:

Locative – for a static location (where something is)
- Bicikli su na velikom parkiralištu. – The bicycles are on/at the big parking lot.
Accusative – for movement towards a place (where something is going)
- Vozim bicikl na veliko parkiralište. – I’m riding the bike to the big parking lot.

In your sentence, the bicycles are already there (no movement), so we use:

locative singular neuter:
- adjective: velikom
- noun: parkiralištu

So “na velikom parkiralištu” = on/at the big parking lot (place, no movement).
“Na veliko parkiralište” = to the big parking lot (destination, movement).

Why do we use “na” and not “u” for the parking lot? Could we say “u velikom parkiralištu”?

Both na and u can translate as “on/at/in”, but they differ in spatial feeling:

na = on, on top of, at (open surfaces or areas)
- na stolu – on the table
- na stadionu – at the stadium
- na parkiralištu – in/at the parking lot (seen as an open area)
u = in, inside (enclosed spaces)
- u kući – in the house
- u uredu – in the office
- u garaži – in the garage

A parking lot (parkiralište) is usually thought of as an open area, so na parkiralištu is the standard choice.

“U parkiralištu” might be used only if you conceptually see it as something enclosed (e.g. a multi‑storey closed parking structure), but even then na parkiralištu is more natural in everyday speech.

What case is “velikom parkiralištu”, and why do both words end in -om and -u?

“Velikom parkiralištu” is locative singular neuter:

parkiralište (parking lot) is neuter singular.
- locative sg: parkiralištu
velik (big) is an adjective that must agree with the noun.
- locative sg neuter/m. ending: velikom

Pattern (very simplified):

Neuter noun in -e:
- nominative sg: parkiralište
- locative sg: parkiralištu
Adjective velik:
- nominative sg neuter: veliko
- locative sg neuter: velikom

So we get “na velikom parkiralištu” – both adjective and noun in locative singular, matching in gender and number.

Why is it “pokraj ureda” and not “pokraj ured” or “pokraj ureda” vs “pokraj uredi”? What case is this?

The preposition pokraj (next to, beside) always takes the genitive case.

Nominative singular: ured – office
Genitive singular: ureda

Because of pokraj, we must use the genitive:

pokraj + genitive → pokraj ureda – next to the office

Similar prepositions that also require the genitive:

pored ureda – beside the office
blizu ureda – near the office
iznad ureda – above the office

So “pokraj ureda” is correct because “pokraj” dictates the genitive case.

What is the difference between “pokraj”, “pored”, “uz”, and “kod” with places like “ureda”?

All of these can express proximity, but with different nuances:

pokraj ureda – beside / next to the office
- Very close, typically side‑by‑side.
pored ureda – beside the office
- Almost the same as pokraj; in many contexts they’re interchangeable.
uz ured – along / by the office
- Often implies contact or immediate adjacency, like “right against the office” or “along the side of the office building.”
kod ureda – at / near the office
- Less specific; more like in the area of / around the office.

Your sentence uses pokraj ureda, which paints a clear picture of something next to the office building.

Can the word order in “Bicikli su parkirani na velikom parkiralištu pokraj ureda.” be changed?

Yes. Croatian word order is relatively flexible, especially for information structure (what you want to emphasize). All of these are grammatical:

Bicikli su parkirani na velikom parkiralištu pokraj ureda.
– neutral, straightforward.
Na velikom parkiralištu pokraj ureda bicikli su parkirani.
– emphasizes where they are; starting with the place.
Bicikli su na velikom parkiralištu pokraj ureda parkirani.
– slight emphasis on parkirani, sounds a bit marked but still okay.

What you can’t do is split things in a way that breaks grammar, e.g.:

✗ Bicikli na velikom su parkirani parkiralištu. – incorrect.

The most natural version is the original one or starting with the place phrase if you’re answering a “Where…?” question.

Why doesn’t Croatian use any word like “the” in “Bicikli su parkirani…”? How do we know if it’s “the bicycles” or just “bicycles”?

Croatian has no articles (no a / an / the). Definiteness (whether it’s “bicycles”, “the bicycles”, or “some bicycles”) is usually understood from:

Context
- If it’s clear which bicycles you’re talking about, listeners will understand it as “the bicycles”.
Word order and emphasis (sometimes)
Demonstratives, when needed:
- Ti bicikli su parkirani… – Those bicycles are parked…
- Oni bicikli su parkirani… – Those bicycles are parked…

In most natural contexts, “Bicikli su parkirani na velikom parkiralištu pokraj ureda.” would be translated as “The bicycles are parked on the big parking lot next to the office.” because we usually mean some specific, known bicycles.

Is “parkiralište” the normal word for “parking lot”? I’ve also seen “parking” used. Are they the same?

Parkiralište is the standard Croatian word for “parking lot” / “car park”.

You will also see/hear “parking” (from English/French), especially in speech and on signs:

parkiralište – more formal / standard Croatian
parking – common in everyday speech, somewhat informal or just borrowed

Examples:

Auto je na parkiralištu. – The car is in the parking lot.
Auto je na parkingu. – Same meaning in practice.

In careful or formal language (writing, news, school), parkiralište is preferred. In casual speech, both are used.

How would we say the same sentence with cars instead of bicycles? Does the grammar change?

Replace bicikli (bicycles) with automobili (cars):

Automobili su parkirani na velikom parkiralištu pokraj ureda.
– The cars are parked on the big parking lot next to the office.

Grammar is almost identical:

automobili – masculine plural nominative (subject)
parkirani – masculine plural participle, agreeing with automobili
na velikom parkiralištu pokraj ureda – same prepositions and cases

So the structure and cases do not change; only the subject noun changes.