Learn Hardcore Croatian: Predložio je da idemo ranije na posao i ranije se vratimo kući. - He suggested that we go to work earlier and come back home earlier.

predložio – past participle of predložiti (to suggest), masculine singular
je – the 3rd person singular present of biti (to be), used as an auxiliary to form the past tense

So literally it’s like “He is suggested” → “He suggested”.

In Croatian, the auxiliary je is a clitic and normally goes in second position in the clause, which is why we say:

Predložio je da…
and not
~~Je predložio da…~~

You could also say On je predložio da… (“He suggested that…”). The je still stays in second position: On je predložio…

Why is there no on (he) before predložio je?

Croatian usually drops subject pronouns when the subject is clear from the verb form.

predložio je already tells us it’s 3rd person singular masculine, so it can only mean “he” (or a masculine noun mentioned earlier).

You can say:

On je predložio da idemo…

That’s grammatically correct, but it adds a bit of emphasis on on (“he suggested…”), for example if you’re contrasting him with someone else. In a neutral sentence, On is simply unnecessary.

What is the function of da in da idemo ranije na posao i ranije se vratimo kući?

Here da introduces a subordinate clause that works like English “that” plus a kind of subjunctive / volitional meaning:

Predložio je da idemo…
≈ “He suggested that we (should) go…”

So:

da + present tense (idemo, vratimo) often corresponds to English “that we go / that we should go / for us to go”.

Croatian doesn’t use a special subjunctive form here; instead, it uses da + present tense after verbs of suggestion, wishing, wanting, etc.:

Želim da dođeš. – “I want you to come.”
Predložio je da idemo. – “He suggested that we go.”

Why are idemo and vratimo in the present tense if the action is in the future?

After verbs like predložiti (to suggest), Croatian uses da + present tense even when the action clearly refers to the future.

So:

Predložio je da idemo…
…i (da) se ranije vratimo kući.

both refer to something that will happen, but the verb form is plain present.

This is normal and does not mean present time here; it fits the “da-clause” + volition pattern. It’s similar to English “I suggest that we go” (not “that we will go”).

Is da understood before vratimo, or should it be repeated?

da is understood and does not have to be repeated.

Predložio je da idemo ranije na posao i ranije se vratimo kući.

is equivalent to:

Predložio je da idemo ranije na posao i da se ranije vratimo kući.

Repeating da is optional here:

With da repeated – slightly more explicit and clear, a bit more formal or careful.
Without repeating – more natural and fluent in everyday speech.

Both are correct.

Why is ranije used twice? Could it be said only once?

The sentence says:

…da idemo ranije na posao i ranije se vratimo kući.

So you literally have:

“that we go earlier to work and (that we) return home earlier”

Ranije is modifying idemo the first time and vratimo se the second time. You can avoid repeating it:

Predložio je da idemo i vratimo se ranije.
– “He suggested that we go and return earlier.”
(Here ranije clearly applies to both actions.)
Predložio je da idemo ranije na posao i vratimo se ranije kući.
– Same meaning as the original, just slight word-order variation.

Repeating ranije makes it very clear that both parts are earlier than usual and can feel slightly more emphatic or balanced stylistically.

Why is the reflexive se in ranije se vratimo placed there? Could it be se ranije vratimo or vratimo se ranije?

In Croatian, se is a clitic (like je, se, mi, ti, etc.). Clitics have preferred positions, usually early in the clause, often right after the first stressed word or group.

All of these are grammatical:

ranije se vratimo kući
se ranije vratimo kući (less usual, sounds awkward)
vratimo se ranije kući

In practice, most natural options are:

…da se ranije vratimo kući.
…da se vratimo ranije kući.
…da ranije odemo na posao i ranije se vratimo kući.

Word order here mainly affects rhythm and emphasis, not core meaning. The version in the sentence (ranije se vratimo) is acceptable but many speakers might prefer da se ranije vratimo kući as slightly more neutral.

Why is it na posao and not something like u posao?

The phrase ići na posao is a very common fixed expression meaning “to go to work”.

na posao – literally “onto / to (the) job”, but idiomatically “to work”
na + accusative here indicates movement towards a place / activity, and with posao it forms a set phrase.

u posao would normally mean “into the job / into the work itself” (as in getting involved in some piece of work), not physically going to your workplace. So for commuting, you say:

ići na posao – go to work
doći na posao – arrive at work

Why is it kući and not kuću?

kuća = house, home (noun)
kući is a special locative/dative form that functions like an adverb meaning “home, to home”.

Some contrasts:

Idem kući. – I’m going home. (standard way to say this)
Idem u kuću. – I’m going into the house. (focus on entering the building)
Gledam kuću. – I’m looking at the house. (accusative kuću as direct object)

So in your sentence:

…ranije se vratimo kući.
= “…we return home earlier.”

Using kući is the normal, idiomatic way to say “home(wards)”. Saying vratimo se u kuću would be more like “go back into the house” as a building, not necessarily “back home” in a broader sense.

What would change if the speaker were female or if the subject were plural?

Only predložio changes to agree in gender and number with the subject; je stays the same.

Examples:

one woman:
Predložila je da idemo ranije na posao…
a group of men or mixed group:
Predložili su da idemo ranije na posao…
a group of women:
Predložile su da idemo ranije na posao…

So the pattern is:

masculine singular: predložio je
feminine singular: predložila je
masculine/mixed plural: predložili su
feminine plural: predložile su

Could we use an infinitive instead of da idemo, like predložio je ići ranije na posao?

You’ll almost never hear that in natural Croatian. With verbs of suggestion, desire, intention, etc., Croatian strongly prefers:

da + present tense

So:

Predložio je da idemo ranije na posao… – natural
~~Predložio je ići ranije na posao…~~ – sounds foreign / wrong

In other contexts, infinitives are fine:

Volim ići na posao rano. – I like going to work early.
Moramo ići na posao. – We must go to work.

But after predložiti, željeli su, htio je, etc., you typically use da + present, not an infinitive.

Is there a difference between idemo ranije na posao and something like odemo ranije na posao?

Yes, there’s a nuance:

idemo – present tense of ići, general “we go” (habitual or planned action), often used in suggestions:
Predložio je da idemo ranije… ≈ “He suggested that we go earlier…”
odemo – perfective verb otići, more like “(that we) go (once, set off, leave)”, often focusing on a single, completed act.

You could say:

Predložio je da odemo ranije na posao i ranije se vratimo kući.

This would sound more like a concrete, one-time plan (“that we leave for work earlier (on that occasion) and come back earlier”), while idemo can also suggest a general change of routine (“we should start going earlier to work”).

In many contexts, both are possible, but idemo is the more neutral, everyday choice here.