Learn Hardcore Croatian: Trening radimo u dvorani kad je kiša, a na igralištu kad je sunce. - We train in the sports hall when it’s raining, and on the playing field when it’s sunny.

Trening radimo u dvorani kad je kiša, a na igralištu kad je sunce.

We train in the sports hall when it’s raining, and on the playing field when it’s sunny.

Breakdown of Trening radimo u dvorani kad je kiša, a na igralištu kad je sunce.

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Questions & Answers about Trening radimo u dvorani kad je kiša, a na igralištu kad je sunce.

Why is there no word for “we” in this sentence?

Croatian usually leaves out subject pronouns (like ja, ti, mi, vi, etc.) because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

In radimo, the ending -mo tells you it’s “we” (1st person plural). So:

Radimo trening. = We do training.
Mi radimo trening. = We do training. (with extra emphasis on we)

Using mi is possible, but it’s only added for emphasis or contrast, for example:

Mi radimo trening u dvorani, a oni rade na igralištu.
We train in the hall, but they train on the field.

In the neutral sentence you gave, the pronoun mi is simply not needed.

Why is it trening radimo and not radimo trening?

Both Trening radimo u dvorani… and Radimo trening u dvorani… are grammatically correct. The difference is focus and style:

Radimo trening u dvorani… is the most neutral word order:
radimo (we do) + trening (training).
Trening radimo u dvorani… puts slightly more emphasis on trening, as if you are first stating what is being done, then where.

In everyday speech, people might say:

Radimo trening u dvorani…
or use the verb trenirati: Treniramo u dvorani…

Your sentence’s word order is still natural and idiomatic; it just foregrounds trening a bit more.

Could we use treniramo instead of trening radimo? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say:

Treniramo u dvorani kad je kiša, a na igralištu kad je sunce.

This is perfectly correct and very natural. The difference is:

trening radimo = literally “we do training”
treniramo = “we train”

Meaning-wise they’re almost the same here. Using the noun trening with raditi is very common in sports contexts and sounds a bit more like sports jargon. Using treniramo is slightly more direct and “general language”. Both are fine.

Why is it u dvorani but na igralištu? Why two different prepositions?

The choice of u vs na depends on how Croatians conceptualize the place:

u (+ locative) is used for enclosed, inside spaces:
u dvorani = in the hall/gym (inside a building)
na (+ locative) is used for open areas, surfaces, or fields:
na igralištu = on the playground / sports field

So:

u kući – in the house
u školi – at/in school
na igralištu – on the playground/field
na stadionu – at the stadium
na ulici – in the street (lit. on the street)

Your sentence follows this general pattern: u dvorani (enclosed) vs na igralištu (open field).

What case are dvorani and igralištu in, and why do they change from dvorana and igralište?

They are in the locative singular case, used with prepositions of location like u and na when something is at/in/on a place (not moving to it).

Nominative (dictionary form):

dvorana (hall, gym)
igralište (playground, field)

Locative singular:

(u) dvorani – in the hall
- dvorana → dvorani (a → i)
(na) igralištu – on the playground
- igralište → igralištu (e → u)

Pattern here:

Feminine -a nouns: dvorana → dvorani
Neuter -e nouns: igralište → igralištu

So the preposition + locative combination:

u + dvorani = in the hall
na + igralištu = on the playground

Why is it kad je kiša (literally “when it is rain”) instead of something like “when it rains”?

Croatian often describes weather using noun + je:

Je kiša. – It is rain. (It is raining / There is rain.)
Je sunce. – It is sun. (It is sunny.)

So:

kad je kiša = when there is rain / when it’s rainy / when it’s raining
kad je sunce = when there is sun / when it’s sunny

You can also use verbs:

kad pada kiša – when rain is falling / when it rains
kad je sunčano – when it is sunny (adjective)

All are correct; they just have slightly different styles:

kad je kiša – very common, simple, everyday style
kad pada kiša – focuses on the action of the rain falling
kad je sunce – common, simple way to say “when it’s sunny”
kad je sunčano – a bit more literal “when it is sunny (weather)”

Can we say kad kiša or do we always need je in kad je kiša?

In normal, standard Croatian you need the verb je here. So:

✔ kad je kiša – correct
✘ kad kiša – wrong in standard speech

The verb je (from biti, “to be”) is required to form a complete clause:

Kad je kiša, trening radimo u dvorani.
When it is rain → When it’s raining.

Leaving out je might happen in poetry, song lyrics, or very informal/elliptical speech, but you should learn and use the full form kad je kiša / kad je sunce.

What is the difference between kad and kada?

kad and kada mean the same thing: “when”.

kad is the shorter, more common everyday form.
kada is slightly more formal or emphatic, but still very common.

You can say:

Trening radimo u dvorani kad je kiša…
Trening radimo u dvorani kada je kiša…

Both are correct. In speech, kad is more frequent; in writing, you’ll see both.

Why is a used instead of i between the two parts of the sentence?

Croatian has two common conjunctions that both can translate as “and”:

i – simple “and”, just adding information
a – “and/but/whereas”, often showing contrast or opposition

In your sentence:

…u dvorani kad je kiša, a na igralištu kad je sunce.

The a signals a contrast:

in one situation (rain) → in the hall
in the opposite situation (sun) → on the field

You could technically use i:

…u dvorani kad je kiša i na igralištu kad je sunce.

but a sounds more natural here because it highlights the difference between the two conditions.

Why is the present tense (radimo, je) used, even though this talks about a general rule, not something happening right now?

Croatian, like English, uses the present tense to describe:

actions happening now
habitual or general actions / rules

Your sentence expresses a general rule/habit, so the present is appropriate:

Trening radimo u dvorani kad je kiša…
We (generally) train in the hall when it’s raining…

This is similar to English:

“We train in the gym when it rains.” (present simple = habit, rule)

So present tense in Croatian is commonly used for:

routines: Svakog dana ustajem u sedam. – I get up at seven every day.
rules: Voda vrije na sto stupnjeva. – Water boils at 100 degrees.
schedules: Vlak polazi u osam. – The train leaves at eight.

Why is it na igralištu and not na igralište?

The preposition na can take either locative or accusative, depending on the meaning:

na + locative → location (where?), no movement
- na igralištu – on the field (location)
na + accusative → direction (to where?), movement
- na igralište – to the field (movement)

Your sentence describes where the training happens, not movement towards that place, so it uses na + locative:

Trening radimo na igralištu. – We train on the field. (location)
Idemo na igralište. – We are going to the field. (direction)

Are there any articles like “the” or “a” in trening, dvorani, or igralištu?

Croatian has no articles equivalent to English “a/an” or “the”. So:

trening can mean training / a training / the training
u dvorani can mean in a hall / in the hall
na igralištu can mean on a field / on the field

Context decides whether the meaning is more like “a” or “the”. In your sentence, it’s naturally understood as the training and the usual hall/field used by that group.