Learn Hardcore Croatian: Ponekad osjećam strah prije ispita.

All are grammatically correct; changing the position mostly affects rhythm and subtle emphasis, not the basic meaning. The version with ponekad at the start sounds very natural and is often preferred.

Why is it osjećam and not osjećam se here?

Croatian distinguishes between:

osjećati + noun
- osjećam strah = I feel fear
  Here strah is a direct object.
osjećati se + adjective/adverb
- osjećam se loše = I feel bad
- osjećam se umorno = I feel tired

So in Ponekad osjećam strah prije ispita, you use osjećam without se because you are feeling a thing (fear, strah), not describing your state with an adjective.

What is the infinitive of osjećam, and how is it conjugated?

The infinitive is osjećati = to feel (imperfective verb).

Present tense, singular and plural:

ja osjećam – I feel
ti osjećaš – you feel (singular, informal)
on/ona/ono osjeća – he/she/it feels
mi osjećamo – we feel
vi osjećate – you feel (plural or formal)
oni/one/ona osjećaju – they feel

The corresponding perfective verb (for single, completed acts of feeling) is osjetiti.

What case is strah in, and why does it look like the basic form?

Strah is in the accusative singular, because it is the direct object of the verb osjećam.

For masculine inanimate nouns like strah, the nominative singular and accusative singular have the same form:

Nominative: strah (subject) – Strah je snažan. – The fear is strong.
Accusative: strah (object) – Osjećam strah. – I feel fear.

So it looks like the dictionary form, but its function in the sentence is accusative.

Could I say Ponekad se bojim prije ispita instead? How is that different from Ponekad osjećam strah prije ispita?

Yes, Ponekad se bojim prije ispita is correct and natural.

Differences in nuance:

osjećam strah = I feel fear (literally mentioning the emotion as a noun)
bojim se = I am afraid (describes your state more directly)

Bojati se also normally takes a genitive object:

Bojim se ispita. – I am afraid of the exam.

Your original sentence focuses on feeling fear; Ponekad se bojim prije ispita focuses more on being afraid. In everyday speech, many people would actually prefer bojim se here.

Why is it prije ispita and not prije ispit?

The preposition prije (before) requires the genitive case.

The noun ispit (exam) in the genitive singular is ispita:

Nominative singular: ispit – an exam (subject form)
Genitive singular: ispita – of an exam / before an exam

So after prije, you must use ispita:

prije ispita – before an exam

Does prije ispita mean before one specific exam, or before exams in general?

It can mean either, depending on context.

Formally, prije ispita can be:

genitive singular: before an exam / before the exam
genitive plural: before exams

For many masculine nouns, genitive singular and plural look the same.

In your full sentence Ponekad osjećam strah prije ispita, the adverb ponekad suggests a repeated, habitual situation, so the most natural interpretation is:

Sometimes I feel fear before exams (in general).

In a specific story context, it could also mean before the exam.

Can I move prije ispita to another place in the sentence?

Yes, Croatian word order is quite flexible. All of these are grammatical:

Ponekad osjećam strah prije ispita.
Ponekad prije ispita osjećam strah.
Prije ispita ponekad osjećam strah.

The meaning stays essentially the same. Changing the order changes rhythm and can slightly shift emphasis (for example, starting with Prije ispita emphasizes the time frame), but all are natural.

Is there a more natural way to say Sometimes I get nervous before exams, not literally feel fear?

Yes. Native speakers often talk about nervousness rather than fear in this context. Some natural alternatives:

Ponekad sam nervozan prije ispita. – Sometimes I am nervous before exams.
(for a male speaker; nervozna for a female speaker)
Ponekad osjećam nervozu prije ispita. – Sometimes I feel nervousness before exams.

Your original Ponekad osjećam strah prije ispita is correct and understandable, but can sound a bit stronger emotionally (actual fear) than just exam nerves.

What is the difference between strah prije ispita and strah od ispita?

strah prije ispita = fear before the exam (emphasizes when you feel it)
strah od ispita = fear of the exam (emphasizes what you are afraid of)

So:

Ponekad osjećam strah prije ispita. – Sometimes I feel fear before the exam.
Ponekad osjećam strah od ispita. – Sometimes I feel fear of the exam.

Both are correct. The first focuses on the time (before), the second on the cause (of).

How do you pronounce the ć in osjećam?

Ć is a soft ch sound, pronounced further forward in the mouth than the English ch in church.

Approximation:

ć – a softer, lighter ch, like saying ty quickly and softly in got you.

In osjećam:

o-sje-ćam
The je is pronounced like ye in yes, so roughly o-sye-cham, with stress usually on o: Òsjećam.

What is the difference between prije and pred? Could I say pred ispitom?

Both prije and pred can translate as before, but:

prije is the standard choice for time:
- prije ispita – before the exam (in time)
pred is more basic for in front of (location), but in some expressions and styles it can also mean before (time). With pred, you need the instrumental case:
- pred ispitom

Pred ispitom is possible and idiomatic in some styles (often a bit more literary or expressive), but prije ispita is the straightforward, neutral way to say before the exam in a temporal sense.