Learn Hardcore Croatian: Na izborima za gradonačelnicu ona je obećala da će više ulagati u zaštitu okoliša. - At the elections for mayor female she promised that she would invest more in the protection of the environment.

na + locative is typically used for:
- events: na koncertu (at the concert), na sastanku (at the meeting), na utakmici (at the match)
- surfaces: na stolu (on the table)

So na izborima (locative plural of izbori) follows that pattern: being present at an event.

u + locative is more about being inside something:

u kući (in the house), u školi (in the school).

That’s why native speakers say na izborima, not u izborima.

Why is gradonačelnicu in that form, and what does za gradonačelnicu mean?

Gradonačelnicu is the accusative singular feminine form of gradonačelnica (female mayor).

za + accusative often means “for” in the sense of “for the position of / as”:
- za predsjednika – for president
- za učiteljicu – for (the job of) teacher (female)

So za gradonačelnicu means “for (the position of) mayor”, explicitly a female mayoral post.

If it was a male mayor, the phrase would be za gradonačelnika (accusative of gradonačelnik).

Is the pronoun ona necessary here, or could you leave it out?

You can absolutely leave ona out. Croatian is a pro‑drop language: subject pronouns are usually omitted because verb endings already show person and number.

So you could say:

Na izborima za gradonačelnicu obećala je da će više ulagati u zaštitu okoliša.

This is perfectly natural.

Using ona adds emphasis or clarity, e.g.:

if you want to stress “she (and not someone else) promised…”
if context includes several third‑person subjects and you want to be very clear.

What is the function of je in ona je obećala, and why is it in that position?

Je is the auxiliary verb “to be” (biti) used to form the past tense (perfect).

obećala is the past participle (feminine singular) of obećati – “to promise”.
Together, (ona) je obećala = “she promised”.

In Croatian, je is an enclitic (a short, unstressed word) that normally comes in second position in the clause:

Ona je obećala…
Na izborima je obećala…
Ona mu je tada obećala…

So je can’t normally stand first; it “jumps” into the second slot after the first stressed word or phrase in the sentence.

How is the future tense formed in da će više ulagati, and what does će do?

Će is the future tense auxiliary (from htjeti, “to want”) used to form Future I in Croatian:

će + infinitive = “will + verb”
- će ulagati – will invest
- će raditi – will work

In da će više ulagati:

da introduces a subordinate clause (“that”).
će marks future.
ulagati is the infinitive.

So da će više ulagati = “that she will invest more”.

Like je, će is also a clitic, so inside its own clause it tends to appear in second position:

Ona je obećala da će više ulagati…
Ona je obećala da će u zaštitu okoliša više ulagati.
Ona je obećala da više neće ulagati u… (here će fuses into neće)

Why is the verb ulagati used instead of uložiti?

This is about aspect, something very important in Croatian verbs:

ulagati – imperfective: ongoing, repeated, habitual action
uložiti – perfective: a single, completed act

In the sentence, the promise is about a general policy or ongoing behaviour in the future:

“she will invest more (as a continuing policy) in environmental protection.”

That’s why ulagati (imperfective) is used: it suggests investing regularly / continuously over time.

If you said:

obećala je da će uložiti više u zaštitu okoliša

it would sound more like “she promised she would (at some point) invest more (a larger amount) in environmental protection” – more like one or several specific actions, not an ongoing policy.

What exactly does više ulagati mean, and could the word order be different?

Više means “more”, and here it modifies the verb ulagati (“to invest”).

So više ulagati = “to invest more”, either:

more money/resources, or
more frequently / more intensely, depending on context.

You can change the word order without changing the basic meaning:

će više ulagati
će ulagati više

Both are acceptable.

više ulagati tends to emphasize the increase.
ulagati više can put a tiny bit more emphasis on the activity of investing, with “more” as a detail.

In practice, both are understood the same way in this sentence.

Why is it u zaštitu (accusative) and not u zaštiti (locative)?

The preposition u can take accusative or locative, with different meanings:

u + accusative: movement towards / into, goal, direction, purpose
- u grad – into the city
- ulagati u projekte – invest in projects
u + locative: position in / inside something
- u gradu – in the city
- živimo u Europi – we live in Europe

With ulagati (invest) u X, the standard pattern is u + accusative, because you are putting money/effort into something:

ulagati u zaštitu okoliša – invest in environmental protection

U zaštiti okoliša (locative) would sound more like “in the protection of the environment” in a static sense (where something happens), and doesn’t work well after ulagati.

Can you break down the phrase zaštitu okoliša grammatically?

Yes:

zaštitu – accusative singular of zaštita (protection).
It’s the direct object of ulagati u: "invest in protection".
okoliša – genitive singular of okoliš (environment).
It specifies what kind of protection: protection of the environment.

So zaštitu okoliša literally = “protection of the environment”, just like in English “environmental protection” or “protection of the environment”.

What case is okoliša, and how does it differ from okoliš?

okoliš is the nominative singular (dictionary form): “environment”.
okoliša is the genitive singular: “of the environment”.

The genitive is often used to show possession, origin, or ‘of’‑relationships between nouns:

zaštita okoliša – protection of the environment
zagađenje zraka – pollution of the air
čuvanje djece – taking care of children

So okoliša here just marks that the environment is what is being protected.

Why is izborima in the plural?

In Croatian (like in English), elections are normally spoken of in the plural:

English: elections
Croatian: izbori

So:

izbori – nominative plural
izborima – locative plural (after na): “at the elections”.

This is a lexical habit of the language: people say izbori (pl.) rather than a singular form when talking about political elections.

What is the role of da in obećala da će više ulagati…? Is it like English “that”?

Yes, da here works like English “that” introducing a subordinate clause:

Ona je obećala da će više ulagati…
= “She promised that she would invest more…”

Croatian normally keeps this da, even where English can drop “that”:

English: She promised she would invest more…
Croatian: Obećala je da će više ulagati… (you do not drop da)

So da is required to link obećala (“promised”) with the content of the promise.

Could this sentence be worded with a different word order, and would the meaning change?

Yes, Croatian allows quite flexible word order. All of these are grammatically fine and mean essentially the same thing, though the emphasis shifts slightly:

Ona je na izborima za gradonačelnicu obećala da će više ulagati u zaštitu okoliša.
(emphasis a bit more on her and the event)
Na izborima za gradonačelnicu obećala je da će više ulagati u zaštitu okoliša.
(very natural; focus on what happened at the elections)
Na izborima za gradonačelnicu ona je obećala da će u zaštitu okoliša više ulagati.
(slight emphasis at the end on više ulagati)

The core grammar (cases, auxiliaries, infinitive) stays the same; only information focus and rhythm change.