Learn Hardcore Croatian: Na sastanku svatko mirno objašnjava svoju stranu priče. - At the meeting everyone calmly explains their side of the story.

na
- locative = at/on (somewhere), static location
  - Na sastanku = at the meeting
  - Na stolu = on the table
na
- accusative = onto/to (somewhere), movement toward
  - Idem na sastanak. = I am going to the meeting.
  - Stavljam čašu na stol. = I’m putting the glass on the table.

In your sentence, the meaning is at the meeting, so na takes the locative, giving na sastanku.

Why is it na sastanku and not u sastanku?

Both na and u can mean in/at, but they are used with different types of nouns.

For events, activities, and organized gatherings, Croatian normally uses na:

na sastanku – at a meeting
na koncertu – at a concert
na nastavi – in class
na predavanju – at a lecture

U is preferred for physical interiors or enclosed spaces:

u sobi – in the room
u kući – in the house
u uredu – in the office

A meeting is treated as an event, not so much as a physical container, so na sastanku is the natural choice.

Why is svatko used here instead of svi or svaki?

These three words are related but not interchangeable:

svatko = everyone / each person
- It is a pronoun (stands alone, does not modify a noun)
- Always grammatically singular
- Example: Svatko razumije. – Everyone understands.
svaki = every / each
- It is an adjective; it must stand before a noun
- Example: Svaki čovjek razumije. – Every person understands.
svi = all
- Pronoun for plural
- Example: Svi razumiju. – Everyone / They all understand.

In your sentence we want everyone as a stand‑alone word, so svatko is correct:

Na sastanku svatko mirno objašnjava…
= At the meeting, everyone calmly explains… (literally each person)

If svatko means many people, why is the verb objašnjava in the singular, not objašnjavaju?

Grammatically, svatko is singular, even though it refers to all people one by one. This is exactly like English:

English: Everyone explains (not everyone explain)
Croatian: Svatko objašnjava (not svatko objašnjavaju)

So the verb agrees with svatko as a singular subject:

Svatko mirno objašnjava. – Everyone calmly explains.
Svi mirno objašnjavaju. – All (of them) calmly explain.

What exactly is mirno here, and why is it not miran?

Mirno is an adverb meaning calmly.

The base adjective is miran – calm (describes a noun):
- miran čovjek – a calm person
The adverb is mirno – calmly (describes how an action is done):
- objašnjava mirno – explains calmly

Croatian forms many adverbs from adjectives by taking the neuter singular form of the adjective:

brz → brzo – fast → quickly
tih → tiho – quiet → quietly
miran → mirno – calm → calmly

You cannot use miran here, because it would be an adjective and would need to describe a noun (miran čovjek, miran sastanak), not a verb. We need something that describes how people explain, so mirno is correct.

What does svoju mean here, and why do we use svoju instead of njegovu or njezinu?

Svoju is the reflexive possessive adjective from svoj, meaning one’s own.

It is used when the possessor is the subject of the clause. In this sentence:

Subject: svatko – everyone
Possession: svoju stranu priče – his/her own side of the story

So:

svatko mirno objašnjava svoju stranu priče
= everyone calmly explains his/her own side of the story.

We do not normally say:

svatko mirno objašnjava njegovu/njezinu stranu priče

because that would usually mean everyone calmly explains his/her side of the story where his/her refers to some other person, not the speaker.

Also, svoju is feminine accusative singular to agree with stranu:

strana (side) – feminine noun
- nominative: strana
- accusative: stranu
svoj (one’s own) – feminine accusative singular: svoju

So we get svoju stranu.

What case is stranu in, and why that case?

Stranu is accusative singular feminine of strana (side).

In this sentence, stranu is the direct object of the verb objašnjava (explains):

Tko? – Svatko
Što objašnjava? – Svoju stranu (priće)

The direct object of a transitive verb like objašnjavati normally takes the accusative:

Čitam knjigu. – I’m reading a book.
Pišem pismo. – I’m writing a letter.
Objašnjavam svoju stranu. – I explain my side.

So strana → stranu in the accusative.

What case is priče in svoju stranu priče, and what does that structure mean?

Priče is genitive singular of priča (story).

The phrase strana priče literally means side of the story, just like in English. The pattern is:

strana
- genitive
  - strana priče – side of the story
  - strana problema – side of the problem

Genitive is used here to show a relationship or belonging between two nouns, similar to English of.

So:

svoju stranu priče = one’s own side of the story
Grammar detail:
- stranu – accusative (direct object)
- priče – genitive (dependent on stranu)

Could I say svoju priču instead of svoju stranu priče?

You can, but the meaning changes slightly.

svoju priču = one’s own story
- This focuses on the entire story a person tells.
svoju stranu priče = one’s own side of the story
- This emphasises that there are multiple sides or versions of the same story/situation, and each person is presenting their side.

In a meeting where different people are explaining their viewpoint on a shared issue, svoju stranu priče is the more natural and precise phrase.

Can the word order be changed? For example, could I say Svatko na sastanku mirno objašnjava svoju stranu priče?

Yes, Croatian word order is relatively flexible, and all of these are grammatically possible:

Na sastanku svatko mirno objašnjava svoju stranu priče.
Svatko na sastanku mirno objašnjava svoju stranu priče.
Svatko mirno na sastanku objašnjava svoju stranu priče. (less natural, but possible)

The differences are mostly about emphasis and rhythm:

Starting with Na sastanku sets the scene first: At the meeting, everyone calmly explains…
Starting with Svatko highlights each person: Everyone at the meeting calmly explains…

The original order is very natural. Changing the order usually doesn’t change the core meaning, as long as the sentence remains clear.

Can mirno be placed in a different spot, and does that change the meaning?

Yes, mirno can move around somewhat, with only subtle changes in emphasis:

Na sastanku svatko mirno objašnjava svoju stranu priče.
Na sastanku svatko objašnjava mirno svoju stranu priče.
Svatko mirno na sastanku objašnjava svoju stranu priče.

All of these are understandable. The most natural positions are:

Right before the verb: svatko mirno objašnjava
Right after the subject, before most of the rest of the sentence.

If you put mirno too far from the verb, it can sound a bit odd or overly literary, but the core meaning (calmly) stays the same.

Why is objašnjava (imperfective) used here instead of objasni (perfective)?

Croatian verbs come in aspect pairs:

objašnjavati – imperfective (to be explaining, to explain in general)
objasniti – perfective (to explain once, to have explained)

In the present tense:

Imperfective present (objašnjava) describes:
- actions in progress
- repeated or habitual actions
- general statements
Perfective present (objasni) usually refers to a single future event:
- Sutra će svatko objasniti svoju stranu priče. – Tomorrow everyone will explain their side of the story.

Your sentence is about what is happening (or typically happens) during the meeting, so the imperfective objašnjava is the natural choice:

Na sastanku svatko mirno objašnjava svoju stranu priče.
= During the meeting, everyone is/does explaining their side of the story.

Using objasni here would sound like you are talking about a one‑off future explanation, which doesn’t match the usual interpretation of this sentence.

Is there a difference between svatko and svako?

In standard Croatian, svatko is the correct and preferred form.

svatko – standard Croatian
svako – appears in some dialects, in colloquial speech, and in Serbian

Croatian grammar books and formal writing use svatko. As a learner of Croatian, you should use svatko to be safe and correct in all contexts.