Learn Hardcore Croatian: Na ekranu računala vidim raspored predavanja na fakultetu i vrijeme ispita. - On the computer screen I see the schedule of lectures at the university and the time of the exams.

Na ekranu računala vidim… – I see … on the screen.
Gledam na ekran. – I’m looking at the screen (towards it, movement of gaze → accusative).

Why is računala used, and what case is it?

Računala here is genitive singular of računalo (computer).

The phrase ekran računala literally means “the screen of the computer”. Croatian often expresses this “of X” relationship by putting the second noun in the genitive:

ekran računala – the screen of the computer
vrata kuće – the door of the house
naslov knjige – the title of the book

So:

računalo – computer (nominative)
računala – of the computer (genitive singular)

In English we prefer “computer screen” (a noun acting like an adjective), but Croatian typically uses NOUN + genitive NOUN: ekran računala.

Why are there two nouns in a row: na ekranu računala? Should there be a preposition between them?

No extra preposition is needed. The pattern na + [noun in locative] + [noun in genitive] is very normal:

na ekranu računala – on the screen of the computer
na stolu učitelja – on the table of the teacher
na krovu kuće – on the roof of the house

The preposition na controls only the first noun (ekranu, locative). The second noun (računala, genitive) depends on the first noun and expresses possession or “of”.

Why is the subject ja (I) not written before vidim?

In Croatian, the subject pronoun is usually dropped, because the verb ending already shows the person:

vidim = I see
vidiš = you (sg.) see
vidi = he/she/it sees
vidimo = we see
vidite = you (pl.) see
vide = they see

So vidim by itself clearly means “I see”.
You say ja vidim only for emphasis (e.g. I see it, not you):

Ja vidim raspored. – I see the schedule.

Why is vidim (I see) used here and not gledam?

Vidim and gledam are different:

vidim – I see (it is visible to me, perception, result)
gledam – I look / I am watching (an activity, focusing your eyes)

In this sentence, the speaker is just reporting what appears on the screen, i.e. what they can see, not the action of watching:

Na ekranu računala vidim raspored… – On the computer screen, I see the schedule…

If you said:

Na ekranu računala gledam raspored…

that would sound more like “I am looking at / watching the schedule…”, focusing on the activity rather than the fact that it’s visible.

Why is raspored in this form, and how do we know it’s an object?

Raspored here is accusative singular, functioning as a direct object of the verb vidim (I see).

For many masculine inanimate nouns, the nominative and accusative forms look the same:

nominative: raspored – (the) schedule
accusative: raspored – (I see) (the) schedule

We know raspored is an object because of the word order and meaning:

Vidim raspored. – I see what? → raspored (direct object)
There is no separate subject noun; the subject is in the verb ending (vidim = I).

So in vidim raspored predavanja, the whole phrase raspored predavanja is the thing being seen → direct object in accusative.

What is raspored predavanja exactly? Why is predavanja in genitive plural?

Raspored predavanja literally means “schedule of lectures”.

raspored – schedule / timetable (accusative singular here)
predavanje – a lecture (nominative singular)
predavanja – of lectures (genitive plural)

Croatian uses the genitive to express “of X” relationships between two nouns:

raspored predavanja – schedule of lectures
lista zadataka – list of tasks
program koncerta – program of the concert

So predavanja is genitive plural because there are (implicitly) many lectures in the schedule.

Why does na fakultetu use na and the locative, instead of u fakultetu?

Both na and u can be translated as “at / in”, but they’re used with different kinds of locations and with slightly different nuances.

For institutions (school, university, faculty, office, etc.), Croatian very often uses na + locative to mean “at”:

na fakultetu – at the faculty / at college
na sveučilištu – at the university
na poslu – at work
na sudu – at court

So na fakultetu = “at the faculty / at the college” (as an institution, not literally physically inside the building).

U fakultetu would sound like inside the physical building of the faculty (and is rarely used; people would more likely say u zgradi fakulteta – in the building of the faculty).

What is the difference between fakultet and sveučilište? Both are often translated as “university”.

In Croatian academic terminology:

sveučilište – university (the overall institution)
fakultet – a faculty, that is, a college / school which is part of a university (e.g. Faculty of Law, Faculty of Medicine)

In everyday English, people sometimes just say “at the university” for both, so na fakultetu is often translated as “at university / at the university”, even though a more literal translation is “at the faculty”.

Why is vrijeme ispita formed like that? How does it mean “exam time(s)”?

Vrijeme ispita literally means “time of exams”.

vrijeme – time (accusative singular here, another direct object of vidim)
ispit – exam (nominative singular)
ispita – of exams (genitive plural)

Again, this is the same NOUN + genitive NOUN pattern:

vrijeme ispita – time of exams
termin ispita – date/time slot of an exam
datum ispita – date of the exam

Here, vrijeme ispita is coordinated with raspored predavanja:

vidim [raspored predavanja] i [vrijeme ispita]
I see the schedule of lectures and the exam times.

Why are there two direct objects (raspored predavanja and vrijeme ispita) with one verb vidim? Is that normal?

Yes, this is a normal coordination of two direct objects with one verb:

Vidim raspored predavanja i vrijeme ispita.
I see (A) the schedule of lectures and (B) the exam times.

Both raspored and vrijeme are in the accusative as direct objects of vidim, and they are joined by i (and). This is just like English:

“I see the schedule and the time.”

Could the word order be different? For example, can I start with Vidim?

Yes. Croatian word order is relatively flexible, and different orders usually change focus, not basic meaning.

Your sentence:

Na ekranu računala vidim raspored predavanja na fakultetu i vrijeme ispita.

Other natural orders:

Vidim raspored predavanja na fakultetu i vrijeme ispita na ekranu računala.
Vidim na ekranu računala raspored predavanja na fakultetu i vrijeme ispita.

Differences in nuance:

Starting with Vidim puts focus on the act of seeing.
Starting with Na ekranu računala sets the location as the scene-setting background.

You just need to be careful not to separate noun phrases unnaturally so that it becomes unclear what modifies what. But generally, reordering for emphasis is very common.

Why are there no words like “the” or “of”? How do I know when to add them in English?

Croatian:

has no articles (the / a / an)
usually doesn’t use a separate word for “of” between two nouns; it uses the genitive case instead

So you get phrases like:

ekran računala – (the) screen of the computer / the computer screen
raspored predavanja – (the) schedule of lectures
vrijeme ispita – (the) time of exams / the exam times

When translating into English, you have to add articles and “of” where they make sense in normal English, based on:

whether you are talking about something specific (→ “the”) or general (→ “a / some”),
whether English would more naturally use “of” or a noun modifier (e.g. “computer screen” instead of “screen of the computer”).

Is računalo the usual word for “computer”? I’ve also seen kompjutor / kompjuter.

Both exist, but they differ in style:

računalo – the standard Croatian word, preferred in formal, official, and educational contexts.
kompjutor / kompjuter – a colloquial / borrowed form from English “computer”, very common in everyday speech but less preferred in formal standard usage.

So in a sentence like this, which sounds like something from a textbook or formal description, računalo is exactly what you’d expect. In casual speech, many people would say:

Na ekranu kompjutera vidim…

instead of Na ekranu računala vidim…