Learn Hardcore Croatian: Navečer je park tiši od ulice. - In the evening the park is quieter than the street.

večer = evening (a noun)
navečer = in the evening, during the evening (adverbial form)
u večer is possible but much less common, and usually feels more specific or stylistic.

In everyday speech, when you mean “in the evenings / at night (generally)”, you almost always use navečer.

Can the word order change? Could I say Park je navečer tiši od ulice?

Yes. Croatian word order is flexible:

Navečer je park tiši od ulice.
Park je navečer tiši od ulice.
Park je tiši od ulice navečer.

All are grammatically correct. The difference is mostly in emphasis:

Starting with Navečer emphasizes the time (in the evening).
Starting with Park emphasizes the park as the topic.

Why is the verb je in the second position?

Je (is) is a clitic, and Croatian clitics normally go in the second position in the clause.

In Navečer je park tiši od ulice:

Navečer = first element
je = clitic in second position
park tiši od ulice = rest of the sentence

If you start with Park, you still put je second: Park je navečer tiši od ulice.

Could I drop je and say Navečer park tiši od ulice?

No. The verb je (is) is required here.
Croatian normally needs a form of biti (to be) in such sentences:

Park je tiši. = The park is quieter.

Leaving out je would sound wrong or at best like very broken speech.

Why is it tiši and not something like tihiji?

The base adjective is tih (quiet). Its comparative is tiši (quieter), with a consonant change:

tih → tiši (quiet → quieter)

This is a regular pattern for many short adjectives ending in -h:

lak → lakši (light/easy → lighter/easier)
mek → mekši (soft → softer)

Forms like tihiji are incorrect.

Why is park masculine but tiši ends with -i? I thought -i was plural.

Adjectives in Croatian have several patterns. For masculine singular nominative, many adjectives end in -i:

tih (base form)
tiši (masculine singular nominative comparative)

So in park je tiši, tiši agrees with park (masculine singular).
Here, -i is not plural; it is just the masculine singular ending for this comparative form.

Why is it od ulice and not od ulica or od ulicu?

The preposition od (from, than) takes the genitive case.

ulica (street) – nominative singular
ulice – genitive singular

So, after od, you must use ulice:

od ulice = than (the) street / from the street

Od ulica would be genitive plural (“of streets”), which would change the meaning.

Why do we use od for comparison? In other sentences I’ve seen nego.

Both od and nego can appear in comparisons, but:

With comparative adjectives like tiši, veći, brži, you normally use od:
- tiši od ulice = quieter than the street
Nego appears mainly:
- after a negation:
  - Nije veći nego manji. = It’s not bigger but smaller.
- in some “rather than” structures.

So in this sentence, od ulice is the normal, neutral way to say than the street.

Why isn’t there any word for the in park and ulice?

Croatian has no articles (no the, no a/an).
Context tells you whether you mean “a park”, “the park”, “parks” in a more general or specific sense.

Park on its own can mean:

the park (a specific, known one)
a park (some park)
parks in general, depending on context.

In your sentence, English would naturally choose the park and the street, but Croatian does not mark that with any extra word.

What is the nuance of tiši? Is it only about volume, or can it mean “calmer” too?

Tiši is primarily about sound level: quieter, less noise.

However, in context, it often overlaps with the idea of calmer, more peaceful, because when a place is quiet, it is also typically calmer.

You could also say:

Navečer je park mirniji od ulice.
- mirniji = calmer, more peaceful

This shifts the focus slightly more toward atmosphere and less strictly toward sound.

What is the difference between navečer, večer, and večeras?

večer – evening (noun)
- Ova večer = this evening
navečer – in the evening / in the evenings (adverb, general)
- Navečer čitam. = I read in the evenings.
večeras – this evening, tonight (specific, referring to today)
- Večeras idem u kino. = I’m going to the cinema tonight.

In your sentence, navečer is used because the idea is general: in the evenings, at that time of day, the park is quieter than the street.

How do you pronounce navečer, tiši, and ulice?

Approximate pronunciation (in simple English terms):

navečer → NAH-veh-cher
- č like ch in church
tiši → TEE-shee
- š like sh in shoe
ulice → OO-lee-tseh
- c like ts in cats

Stress is usually on the first syllable for these words: NA-ve-čer, TI-ši, U-li-ce.