Learn Hardcore Croatian: Gledam isti film više puta. - I watch the same movie several times.

Because the sentence has više puta (many times / several times), here gledam clearly means a repeated or habitual action: I watch / I have the habit of watching the same film many times.

Why is there no word for “the” before film? How do I know if it means a film or the film?

Croatian has no articles like English a/an or the.

film can mean a film or the film, depending on context.
The sentence Gledam isti film više puta. could be understood as:
- I watch the same film many times.
- I watch the same movie many times.

Definiteness (a vs the) is inferred from context, not from a specific word. Isti (same) already implies a specific film is meant, so in most contexts you’d translate it with the rather than a.

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

Film is in the accusative singular case, used for the direct object of the verb (what you watch).

For inanimate masculine nouns like film, the nominative singular (dictionary form) and accusative singular are identical in form:

Nominative (subject):
- Film je zanimljiv. – The film is interesting.
Accusative (object):
- Gledam film. – I (am) watch(ing) the film.

So in Gledam isti film više puta, film is accusative singular, even though it looks the same as the nominative.

What does isti mean exactly, and how does it work grammatically?

Isti means same.

Grammatically, it’s an adjective that agrees with the noun in gender, number, and case:

Here it modifies film (masculine, singular, accusative), so it takes the form isti.

Some basic forms in the nominative singular:

Masculine: isti film – the same film
Feminine: ista knjiga – the same book
Neuter: isto pitanje – the same question

In other cases (accusative, dative, etc.), isti will change its ending to match the noun, just like other adjectives do. In this particular sentence, masculine accusative singular inanimate looks the same as nominative: isti film.

Can I move više puta or change the word order, like Više puta gledam isti film or Gledam više puta isti film?

Yes, you can move više puta, and all of these are grammatical:

Gledam isti film više puta.
Više puta gledam isti film.
Gledam više puta isti film. (less common, but possible)

The basic meaning stays the same: you watch the same film many times.

Differences are mostly in rhythm and emphasis:

Više puta gledam isti film. – Slightly stronger emphasis on the frequency (više puta) at the start: Many times I watch the same film.
Gledam isti film više puta. – Neutral, very natural word order.
Gledam više puta isti film. – Focus feels a bit more on the same film at the end.

For everyday speech, (1) and (2) are the most natural.

What does više puta literally mean, and are there similar expressions like mnogo puta or nekoliko puta?

Literally:

više = more
puta = times (genitive plural of put – time/occasion)

So više puta literally means more times, and in practice translates as:

many times
several times
on multiple occasions

Similar expressions:

mnogo puta – many times (a bit stronger, more clearly “a lot”)
puno puta (colloquial) – many times / a lot of times
nekoliko puta – a few times / several times (smaller number)

All can go with this sentence, just with different nuance of how often:

Gledam isti film mnogo puta. – I watch the same film many times (a lot).
Gledam isti film nekoliko puta. – I watch the same film a few times.

Do I need to say Ja gledam…, or is Gledam… enough?

In Croatian, subject pronouns (ja, ti, on, etc.) are usually dropped, because the verb ending already shows the person.

Gledam isti film više puta. – perfectly natural, default.
Ja gledam isti film više puta. – also correct, but usually adds emphasis on “I”:
- I (as opposed to someone else) watch the same film many times.

So in most neutral sentences, omit the pronoun unless you want to stress the subject.

Does gledam here mean I watch or I am watching? How does Croatian handle this difference?

Croatian does not have a separate continuous tense like English.

The present tense of an imperfective verb (like gledati) can mean both:

I watch (habitual / repeated)
I am watching (right now)

In this sentence, više puta indicates a habit / repeated action, so the natural English translation is I watch the same film many times or I watch the same movie several times.

If the context were “right now”, without više puta, the same form gledam could mean I am watching:

Gledam film. – I’m watching a film / I watch a film (context decides).

What’s the difference between gledam and verbs like pogledam or odgledam?

The difference is mainly aspect:

gledati (imperfective) – focuses on the process, duration, or repetition:
- Gledam isti film više puta. – I repeatedly watch it.
pogledati / odgledati (perfective) – focus on the completed action (you watch it from start to finish at least once):
- Pogledao sam isti film više puta. (male speaker)
  Pogledala sam isti film više puta. (female speaker)
  – I have watched / I watched the same film many times (to the end).

So:

Use gledam to talk about habits, ongoing watching, or the general activity.
Use pogledam / odgledam when you want to stress that each viewing is completed.

How would I say “I have watched the same film many times” in Croatian? Is the original sentence enough?

The original sentence:

Gledam isti film više puta.

Normally describes a habit in general time: I (tend to) watch the same film many times.

If you want to be closer to English have watched (completed actions in the past, often with present relevance), you typically use a perfective verb in the past tense:

Pogledao sam isti film više puta. – male speaker
Pogledala sam isti film više puta. – female speaker

This is usually translated as:

I have watched the same film many times.
I’ve seen the same film many times.

Both versions are valid; the choice depends on whether you want to focus on the habit in general (present, gledam) or on past completed viewings (pogledao/pogledala sam).

Can isti come after the noun, like gledam film isti više puta?

Normally, adjectives in Croatian come before the noun:

isti film – the same film

Putting isti after film:

gledam film isti više puta

is not standard in normal speech or writing. Post‑position of adjectives can appear in poetic, archaic, or very marked language, but it sounds strange or wrong in everyday conversation.

So in normal usage, keep isti in front of film:

Gledam isti film više puta. ✅