Vlak kasni zbog gužve u prometu.

The train is late because of the traffic jam.

Breakdown of Vlak kasni zbog gužve u prometu.

• u: in
• zbog: because of
• vlak: train
• gužva: traffic jam
• promet: traffic
• kasni: late

Questions & Answers about Vlak kasni zbog gužve u prometu.

Why is it vlak kasni and not vlak je kasno?

In Croatian, kasniti is a full verb meaning to be late / to run late.

• Vlak kasni. = The train is late / running late.
• Kasniti is conjugated like any other verb: kasnim, kasniš, kasni, kasnimo…

The word kasno is an adverb meaning late in the sense of a late time of day:

• Došao je kasno. = He arrived late (in time).
• Kasno je. = It’s late.

So for something like a train, bus, or person being delayed, you use the verb kasniti, not biti kasno.
Vlak je kasno is not idiomatic in Croatian for “the train is late.”

What tense and person is kasni?

Kasni is:

• Present tense
• 3rd person singular
• From the verb kasniti (to be late, to run late).

So vlak kasni literally means the train is (currently) late / is running late. Croatian uses the present tense here just like English uses is in is late.

What case is gužve in, and why?

Gužve is in the genitive singular.

The preposition zbog (because of, due to) always takes the genitive case:

• zbog gužve = because of the crowd / congestion
• zbog kiše = because of the rain
• zbog problema = because of the problem

Base form: gužva (nominative singular)
Genitive singular: gužve

So: zbog gužve = “because of (the) traffic jam / congestion.”

What case is prometu, and why is it not just promet?

Prometu is locative singular of promet.

The preposition u (in) can take locative (location) or accusative (movement into):

• u prometu (locative) = in the traffic (state/location)
• u promet (accusative) = into (the) traffic (movement into)

Here we are talking about congestion in traffic as a state, not moving into traffic, so we use u + locative → u prometu.

Why is it zbog gužve u prometu and not just zbog prometa?

Both are possible, but the meaning is slightly different:

• zbog prometa = because of (the) traffic
  
  • more general; just says traffic is the reason.
• zbog gužve u prometu = because of congestion in traffic
  
  • more specific; there is crowding / a jam in the traffic.

Gužva adds the idea of crowd / jam / congestion, so the sentence highlights that the train is late because it’s very busy / jammed in traffic, not just because traffic exists.

What is the difference between zbog and jer? Could I say Vlak kasni jer je gužva u prometu?

Yes, you can say:

• Vlak kasni jer je gužva u prometu.

The difference is grammatical:

• zbog is a preposition and must be followed by a noun (in genitive):
  • zbog gužve u prometu = because of congestion in traffic
• jer is a conjunction and must be followed by a whole clause:
  • jer je gužva u prometu = because there is congestion in traffic

Meaning is almost the same; the zbog + noun structure is a bit more compact and often used in announcements, signs, formal style:

• Vlak kasni zbog kvara. = The train is late due to a fault.
• Vlak kasni jer je došlo do kvara. = The train is late because a fault has occurred.

Can the word order be Zbog gužve u prometu vlak kasni? Does that change the meaning?

Yes, that word order is perfectly correct:

• Vlak kasni zbog gužve u prometu.
• Zbog gužve u prometu vlak kasni.

The basic meaning is the same. Croatian word order is relatively flexible.

Placing zbog gužve u prometu first slightly emphasizes the reason:

• Zbog gužve u prometu vlak kasni.
  → It’s because of the traffic congestion that the train is late.

But in everyday speech both orders are natural and interchangeable.

How would I say “The train is late by 20 minutes” using this structure?

You simply add a time expression after kasni:

• Vlak kasni 20 minuta. = The train is 20 minutes late.

No preposition is needed; the time phrase is in the accusative:

• kasni 5 minuta
• kasni pola sata
• kasni sat vremena

Why is gužve singular and not plural, since a traffic jam feels like many cars?

In Croatian, gužva is usually treated as a mass / collective idea: crowding, jam, congestion.

You normally say:

• gužva na cesti = there’s a traffic jam on the road
• gužva u tramvaju = it’s crowded in the tram

The plural gužve (nominative plural) exists, but is used for separate, countable instances of crowds/jams:

• Ljeti su velike gužve na granici.
  = In summer there are big queues/crowds at the border.

In zbog gužve u prometu, you are referring to congestion as a single overall situation, so singular is used.

Does promet always mean “traffic”, or can it mean other things?

Promet is broader than just road traffic. It can mean:

1. Traffic / transport in general:

   • cestovni promet = road traffic
   • željeznički promet = rail traffic
   • zračni promet = air traffic

2. Flow / volume of transactions (business, trade):

   • promet u trgovini = sales volume in a shop
   • pad prometa = drop in turnover / traffic

In gužva u prometu, context makes it clear it’s about road/urban traffic congestion.

How do you pronounce vlak? The vl cluster is hard for English speakers.

Vlak is one syllable: vlak.

• v as in voice
• l as in lake
• a as in father
• k as in kit

Tips for vl:

• Don’t insert a vowel between v and l (avoid “vuh-lak”).
• Start with your lips in v position, then quickly move to l without opening into a vowel.

Slow it down as v-lak, then speed it up until it feels like a single cluster.

What is the difference between kasniti and zakasniti?

Both are related to being late, but:

• kasniti (imperfective): focuses on the state or process of being late / running late.

  • Vlak kasni. = The train is late (now).
  • Uvijek kasniš. = You are always late.

• zakasniti (perfective): focuses on the result – you have ended up late, you missed something.

  • Zakasnio sam na vlak. = I was late for / I missed the train.
  • Nemoj zakasniti na sastanak. = Don’t be late for the meeting.

In your sentence we talk about the current state (the train is running late), so kasni is the correct choice.