Learn Hardcore Croatian: Nekad je dvorana poluprazna, ali barem jedan navijač ili navijačica uvijek donese dobru energiju i bolje raspoloženje. - Sometimes the hall is half empty, but at least one male or female fan always brings good energy and a better mood.

nekad – in everyday speech most often means sometimes. In other contexts it can also mean once, long ago (especially in stories or nostalgia).
nekada – a bit more formal/neutral; more often means once / in the past, but can also mean sometimes in some dialects or styles.
ponekad – clearly means sometimes / from time to time and doesn’t have the once, long ago meaning.

In this sentence, Nekad je dvorana poluprazna = Sometimes the hall is half‑empty.
You could also say Ponekad je dvorana poluprazna with almost no change in meaning; ponekad may sound slightly more neutral, nekad a bit more colloquial.

Why is je in the second position in Nekad je dvorana poluprazna? Could I say Nekad dvorana je poluprazna?

In Croatian, short forms of the verb biti (to be) like je, sam, si are clitics. A core rule is that clitics tend to stand in the second position in the clause (the so‑called Wackernagel position).

Here the elements are:

Nekad – first element
je – clitic in second position
dvorana – subject
poluprazna – predicate adjective

So Nekad je dvorana poluprazna is the normal word order.
Nekad dvorana je poluprazna sounds wrong in standard Croatian, because je is pushed away from that second position.

What exactly does dvorana mean, and is it different from sala?

Dvorana is a hall, usually a larger indoor space: sports hall, concert hall, lecture hall, etc.

sportska dvorana – sports hall / gym (not for fitness, but for games, matches)
koncertna dvorana – concert hall

Sala is also used, often for:

predavaonica / predavaona / sala – lecture room
sala za sastanke – meeting room
svečana sala – ceremonial hall

In many contexts dvorana and sala are close in meaning; dvorana can feel a bit larger or more formal, and sala somewhat more generic or colloquial, but actual usage overlaps. Here, with navijači (fans), dvorana suggests a sports hall where games are played.

What does poluprazna literally mean, and why does it end with ‑a?

Poluprazna literally means half‑empty / semi‑empty.

Prefix polu‑ = half‑, semi‑
Adjective prazan = empty

So polu‑ + prazan → poluprazan (half‑empty).

The form poluprazna is feminine singular nominative, because it agrees with dvorana, which is a feminine noun:

dvorana (f.) je poluprazna – the hall is half‑empty
stadion (m.) je poluprazan – the stadium is half‑empty
igralište (n.) je poluprazno – the playground/field is half‑empty

Adjectives in Croatian must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe.

What is the role of barem in ali barem jedan navijač…, and can I use bar instead?

Barem means at least.

In ali barem jedan navijač…, it emphasizes that even if the hall is half‑empty, there is at least one fan who brings good energy.

barem – neutral/standard form: at least
bar – more colloquial, also at least

You can say:

… ali barem jedan navijač… – standard, a bit more formal
… ali bar jedan navijač… – very common in speech, slightly more casual

Meaning is the same here.

Why does the sentence say navijač ili navijačica? Isn’t navijač enough?

Navijač is grammatically masculine and can function as a generic word for fan (like a fan (male or generic)).

navijač – male fan, or a fan in general
navijačica – female fan

By saying navijač ili navijačica, the speaker is being explicitly gender‑inclusive: a male fan or a female fan. It highlights that it could be either.

You could also say only:

barem jedan navijač uvijek donese…

That would usually be understood generically (at least one fan), but it does not explicitly mention women.

Why is the verb donese singular, even though we have navijač ili navijačica?

The subject is not two people together; it’s one person or the other:

barem jedan navijač ili navijačica = at least one fan, whether male or female

This is a logical OR, so the idea is one fan (of either gender), so the verb must be singular:

jedan navijač ili navijačica uvijek donese… – singular verb

If you were talking about both groups together, you would use and and a plural verb:

navijači i navijačice uvijek donesu…
male and female fans always bring…

Why is it donese and not donosi? What is the difference between these two forms?

Both translate as brings, but they come from different verbs:

donijeti (pfv.) → donese – perfective aspect
donositi (impfv.) → donosi – imperfective aspect

Aspect is important in Croatian:

donosi (imperfective) – focuses on the ongoing / habitual action:
- Uvijek donosi dobru energiju. – He/she always brings good energy (as a habit).
donese (perfective) – focuses on the action as a complete event/result each time it happens:
- Uvijek donese dobru energiju. – Every time, he/she (successfully) brings good energy; the result is there.

In practice, in this kind of sentence with uvijek, both donese and donosi are possible.

donosi sounds more straightforwardly habitual.
donese adds a sense that each time this happens, it really results in good energy and a better mood (slight emphasis on the effect).

Why are dobru energiju and bolje raspoloženje in those particular forms?

Both are direct objects of donese, so they are in the accusative case.

dobru energiju
- base: dobra energija (feminine, nominative)
- accusative singular feminine: dobru energiju
Pattern:
- dobra (Nom) → dobru (Acc)
- energija (Nom) → energiju (Acc)
bolje raspoloženje
- base noun: raspoloženje (neuter)
  - nominative = accusative: raspoloženje
- base adjective: dobro raspoloženje (good mood)
- comparative of dobar (good): bolji (m.) / bolja (f.) / bolje (n.)
Since raspoloženje is neuter singular, the comparative adjective must also be neuter singular accusative, which looks the same as nominative:
- dobro raspoloženje → bolje raspoloženje (better mood)

So grammatically:

donese što? – dobru energiju i bolje raspoloženje → both in accusative as objects.

How does the comparative bolje work here? Why not bolje raspoloženja or something else?

Bolje is the neuter singular form of the comparative adjective bolji (better), agreeing with raspoloženje (neuter singular).

Base forms of dobar (good):

masculine: dobar → comparative bolji
feminine: dobra → bolja
neuter: dobro → bolje

With raspoloženje (neuter):

dobro raspoloženje – good mood
bolje raspoloženje – better mood

We do not add a genitive like raspoloženja here. It’s just an adjective + noun combination in the accusative:

Vidim bolje raspoloženje. – I see a better mood.

Can the word order around uvijek and donese change? For example, is … uvijek barem jedan navijač… or … donese uvijek… possible?

Croatian word order is relatively flexible, and adverbs like uvijek can move, but different positions can sound more or less natural.

Original:

… ali barem jedan navijač ili navijačica uvijek donese dobru energiju…

Common alternatives:

… ali jedan navijač ili navijačica uvijek barem donese… – unusual; barem normally belongs with jedan, not with donese, in this context.
… ali uvijek barem jedan navijač ili navijačica donese… – possible, but the focus shifts to always at least one fan (stronger stress on uvijek barem jedan).

Donese uvijek… is less natural in this sentence. Uvijek typically comes before the verb in neutral word order.

So the original uvijek donese is the most natural and neutral here.

Could we leave out je and just say Nekad dvorana poluprazna?

No, not in standard Croatian. You generally must use the verb biti (to be) as a copula in the present tense:

dvorana je poluprazna – grammatical
dvorana poluprazna – ungrammatical in normal prose/speech

So:

Nekad je dvorana poluprazna – Sometimes the hall is half‑empty.

Dropping je is not standard; it might appear in very stylized poetry or headlines, but you should keep it in normal language.