Learn Hardcore Croatian: Nakon posla želim se vratiti kući.

nakon is a bit more formal or neutral.
poslije is very common in everyday speech and can also be used on its own as an adverb:
- Vidimo se poslije. = See you later / afterwards.

In your sentence, nakon posla and poslije posla are interchangeable in meaning.

How does se work here, and where should it go in the sentence?

Se is a reflexive clitic. In vratiti se, it shows that the subject is returning themself (not returning something else).

Word-order rule: Croatian clitics like se normally stand in second position in the clause, right after the first stressed word or phrase.

So:

Želim se vratiti kući. ✅ (standard)
Nakon posla želim se vratiti kući. ✅
- First phrase: Nakon posla
- Clitic se comes next: Nakon posla se želim vratiti kući. is also possible (see below).

The pattern with this sentence is:

Main verb (finite): želim
Reflexive infinitive: vratiti se (to return)

Because of the clitic rule, se moves up and attaches after the first stressed element of the clause, not stuck at the end:

Želim se vratiti kući. ✅
Želim vratiti se kući. ❌ (non‑standard in Croatian)

Can the word order change, for example Nakon posla se želim vratiti kući?

Yes, this is also grammatical:

Nakon posla se želim vratiti kući. ✅

Here:

The adverbial phrase Nakon posla is taken as the initial element.
The clitic se must then appear in second position in that clause, so it comes after Nakon posla.

You could also say:

Nakon posla želim se vratiti kući. ✅

Both are correct; the differences are subtle in rhythm and focus. In everyday speech, both variants are heard.

Why do we use vratiti se (infinitive) and not a present form like vraćam se?

Because it follows the verb želim (I want), which typically takes an infinitive:

Želim se vratiti kući. = I want to return home.
Moram se vratiti kući. = I have to return home.
Mogu se vratiti kući. = I can return home.

If you say:

Nakon posla vraćam se kući.

then you are not expressing a desire; you are simply stating a habit or a plan:

After work, I (usually) go back home.

So:

želim se vratiti → focuses on wanting.
vraćam se → describes what (typically) happens or is happening.

What is the difference between vratiti se and vraćati se?

This is the Croatian aspect distinction:

vratiti se – perfective (single, complete action, result-focused)
- Želim se vratiti kući. = I want to (once) go back home / to get back home.
vraćati se – imperfective (ongoing or repeated action)
- Svaki dan se vraćam kući u pet. = Every day I come back home at five.
- Upravo se vraćam kući. = I am currently on my way back home.

With želim, you normally choose the perfective vratiti se, because you are focusing on achieving that one return, not on a process or a repeated habit.

Can I leave out se and just say Nakon posla želim vratiti kući?

No, that is incorrect in standard Croatian.

Vratiti se (with se) = to return (yourself), to go back.
Vratiti (without se) = to return something, to give something back (needs an object).

Examples:

Želim se vratiti kući. = I want to return (myself) home. ✅
Želim vratiti knjigu. = I want to return the book. ✅

If you say Želim vratiti kući, it sounds like I want to return (something) home, but then you are missing the object; it is ungrammatical and confusing.

So when the subject is the person who is going back, you must use vratiti se.

Why is it kući and not kuća or kuću?

Kuća is the noun house, but kući is a special form that means home or (to) home in many contexts.

Forms of kuća (house):

Nominative: kuća (house – subject)
Accusative: kuću (into the house, the house – object)
Locative: kući (in/at the house)

But kući is also used idiomatically to mean:

home, without a preposition:
- Idem kući. = I am going home.
- Vratim se kući. = I return home.

So Nakon posla želim se vratiti kući. literally is After work I want to return home, not just to the house in a neutral, physical sense.

Do I need a preposition before kući, like u kuću?

No preposition is needed when you mean home in the sense of where you live.

Compare:

Idem kući. = I am going home. (no preposition)
Vraćam se kući. = I am returning home.

If you use a preposition like u (into), you normally also change the case:

Idem u kuću. = I am going into the house.
(More physical/locational, not necessarily your home.)

So:

kući → idiomatic, direction home.
u kuću → direction into the house (emphasis on the building as a location).

Is kući always “my home”, or can it be someone else’s home?

On its own, kući is usually understood as (to) my home / our home, just like English I’m going home usually means my home.

If you want to specify another person’s home, you normally say it explicitly:

Idem u kuću svojih roditelja. = I am going to my parents’ house.
Želim se vratiti u kuću svoje bake. = I want to return to my grandmother’s house.

So kući is the default my home unless you indicate otherwise with context.

Can I say Nakon posla idem kući or Nakon posla hoću kući instead? Are they the same?

They are similar but not identical:

Nakon posla idem kući.
- Idem = I am going / I go (present tense).
- This states a plan or a habitual action:
  - After work I go home (as a routine or a decision).
Nakon posla hoću kući.
- Hoću = I want (colloquial, from htjeti).
- Very colloquial and slightly abrupt/direct: I want to go home after work / I want home after work.
- Often used when someone is tired or fed up: Hoću kući! = I want to go home (now)!
Nakon posla želim se vratiti kući.
- Želim is a bit more neutral or polite than hoću; it can sound more like I would like.
- Using vratiti se emphasizes the idea of coming back.

All three are understandable; the one in your sentence is slightly more neutral/polite and emphasizes the “returning” aspect.

Can I add the pronoun ja: Ja nakon posla želim se vratiti kući?

You can add ja, but you must respect clitic placement.

Subject pronoun ja (I) is normally omitted, because the verb ending -im already shows that the subject is I.
You add ja only for emphasis: I (as opposed to someone else).

For correct word order with ja and se:

Ja se nakon posla želim vratiti kući. ✅
(Ja is first; se must be in second position in the clause.)

The version:

Ja nakon posla želim se vratiti kući. ❌ (clitic se is too late)

So yes, you can use ja, but then place se immediately after ja (or after the first stressed phrase, depending on the structure).

Is there any difference in meaning between Nakon posla želim se vratiti kući and Nakon posla ću se vratiti kući?

Yes:

Nakon posla želim se vratiti kući.
- Focus: desire/wish – I want to go home after work.
- It does not guarantee that it will actually happen; it just expresses what you want.
Nakon posla ću se vratiti kući.
- ću is the future auxiliary (from htjeti used as a future marker).
- Focus: future fact/plan – I will go home after work.
- This states what you will (definitely / probably) do, not just what you want.

So:

želim = I want to.
ću
- infinitive = I will.

How do you pronounce the special letters like ž in želim and ć in kući?

Approximate pronunciations for English speakers:

ž (as in želim)
- Similar to the s in measure, vision, pleasure.
- So želim ≈ zheh-leem (1st syllable stressed).
ć (as in kući)
- A soft ch sound, shorter and lighter than English ch in church.
- Closer to ty in British “tune” when pronounced carefully, but with the tongue slightly pulled back.
- kući ≈ koo-chee, but with a softer, more palatal ch.

Native-like pronunciation takes practice, but these approximations are close enough to be understood.