Questions & Answers about Sutra ću pročitati članak.
Ću is the future-tense auxiliary, often translated as will in English.
Grammatically, it is the short (clitic) form of the verb htjeti (to want), and its present tense is used to form the Future I tense:
- ja ću – I will
- ti ćeš – you will (sg.)
- on/ona/ono će – he/she/it will
- mi ćemo – we will
- vi ćete – you will (pl./formal)
- oni/one/ona će – they will
Future is formed as:
(subject) + ću/ćeš/… + infinitive
Sutra ću pročitati članak. = Tomorrow I will read the article.
So in your sentence, ću is “I will”, and pročitati is the main verb in the infinitive (“to read through, to finish reading”).
Croatian normally drops subject pronouns because the verb form already shows who the subject is. From ću alone, it’s clear that the subject is I (first person singular).
- Sutra ću pročitati članak. – natural, neutral
- Ja ću sutra pročitati članak. – also correct, but ja adds emphasis: I will read it (as opposed to someone else).
So:
- Not saying ja is normal and preferred in neutral sentences.
- Adding ja is used for contrast or emphasis, not for basic grammar necessity.
Yes, you can move sutra around. Croatian word order is relatively flexible, especially with adverbs like sutra (tomorrow).
All of these are grammatically correct:
- Sutra ću pročitati članak. – Tomorrow I will read the article.
- Članak ću pročitati sutra. – I will read the article tomorrow.
- Pročitati ću članak sutra. – (spelling is off; see next question about ću)
- Sutra ću članak pročitati. – stylistic, with a bit more focus on članak or pročitati.
Typical and most neutral here is:
- Sutra ću pročitati članak.
- Pročitat ću članak sutra. (common spoken form with shortened infinitive)
Placing sutra at the start often sets the time as the topic: we’re talking about tomorrow.
Ću is a clitic – a short, unstressed word that must stand in the second position in the clause. It cannot freely move like a normal word.
The rule of thumb:
Clitics (ću, se, mi, ga, etc.) go after the first stressed word or phrase.
Correct positions:
- Sutra ću pročitati članak. – adverb sutra is first; ću comes second.
- Ja ću sutra pročitati članak. – ja is first; ću comes second.
- Članak ću sutra pročitati. – članak is first; ću comes second.
Incorrect:
- ✗ Sutra pročitati ću članak. – here ću is not in second position; it’s too late in the sentence.
So you need to think: What is the first word (or phrase)?
Then put ću immediately after that.
Croatian verbs come in aspect pairs: imperfective vs perfective.
- čitati – imperfective: “to read / to be reading” (focus on process, duration, repetition)
- pročitati – perfective: “to read through, to finish reading” (focus on the completed result)
In Sutra ću pročitati članak, the speaker implies:
Tomorrow I will (start and) finish reading the article – a single, completed action.
If you said:
- Sutra ću čitati članak.
this sounds more like:
Tomorrow I’ll be (busy) reading the article – focusing on the activity, not necessarily on finishing it.
So pročitati is chosen because you want to say I will read it completely.
In Sutra ću pročitati članak, pročitati is in the infinitive form (“to read through”).
In Croatian Future I, the main verb usually stays in the infinitive, and only the auxiliary htjeti (here: ću) is conjugated:
- Sutra ću pročitati članak. – I will read the article.
- Sutra ćeš pročitati članak. – You will read the article.
- Sutra će pročitati članak. – He/She will read the article.
In everyday speech, people often drop the final -i of the infinitive:
- Pročitat ću članak sutra.
That is still based on the infinitive pročitati; it’s just a common spoken/colloquial shortening.
Članak here is in the accusative singular case, because it is the direct object of the verb pročitati.
For many inanimate masculine nouns ending in -ak, the nominative and accusative singular look the same:
- Nominative (dictionary form): članak – (a/the) article
- Accusative (object): članak – (read) the article
So although it looks like the dictionary form, grammatically it is accusative.
Also, Croatian has no articles like “a” or “the”.
Članak can mean a(n) article or the article, depending on context. If you need to be explicit, you can say:
- taj članak – that/the article
- jedan članak – one/an article
To stress the ongoing activity rather than the completed result, you use the imperfective verb čitati:
- Sutra ću čitati članak. – I will be reading the article tomorrow.
Compare:
Sutra ću pročitati članak. – I will read (and finish) the article tomorrow.
→ focus on completion / result (perfective).Sutra ću čitati članak. – I will be reading the article tomorrow.
→ focus on activity / duration (imperfective).
Croatian does not have a separate “will be V-ing” form like English; it uses verb aspect to express this difference.
You change only the auxiliary, not the infinitive pročitati:
- Mi ćemo sutra pročitati članak. – We will read the article tomorrow.
- Oni će sutra pročitati članak. – They will read the article tomorrow.
Full set with pročitati članak:
- Ja ću sutra pročitati članak. – I will read…
- Ti ćeš sutra pročitati članak. – You (sg.) will read…
- On/ona/ono će sutra pročitati članak. – He/She/It will read…
- Mi ćemo sutra pročitati članak. – We will read…
- Vi ćete sutra pročitati članak. – You (pl./formal) will read…
- Oni/one/ona će sutra pročitati članak. – They will read…
In practice ja, ti, mi, vi, oni… are often omitted unless you want emphasis.
Both č and ć are “ch-like” sounds, but č is harder, and ć is softer / more palatal.
Approximate guidelines:
č
– Similar to “ch” in “chocolate, chair, cheese”, but a bit stronger and longer.
– In your sentence: pročitati, članak both have č.ć
– Softer, something between “t” and “ch”, often described as “ty” in British “tune” or “Tuesday”.
– In your sentence: ću is with ć.
Minimal pair (just to hear the contrast):
- čete – “troops, units”
- ćete – “you (pl.) will” (future auxiliary form)
The difference is important in spelling and in some word pairs, but many learners need time before they can hear and produce it consistently.