Learn Hardcore Croatian: Prije sastanka moram napuniti laptop. - Before the meeting I have to charge the laptop.

Word order in Croatian is flexible. Putting prije sastanka first slightly emphasizes the time (“Before the meeting…”), while putting it at the end sounds a bit more neutral in everyday speech. But both are natural and common.

What is the difference between moram and trebam here? Could I say Prije sastanka trebam napuniti laptop?

You can say Prije sastanka trebam napuniti laptop, and people will understand you.

However, there is a nuance:

moram = I must / I have to (obligation, necessity)
trebam = I need (something / to do something)

In practice:

Moram napuniti laptop. – I must charge the laptop (it’s necessary, I have no choice).
Trebam napuniti laptop. – I need to charge the laptop (it’s needed / it would be good to do it).

In many everyday contexts, Croatians do use trebati + infinitive similarly to English “need to”, but morati is the clearer choice when you want to express strong obligation.

Why is it napuniti and not puniti? What’s the difference?

Puniti and napuniti are a verb pair:

puniti – imperfective (to be charging / to charge in general, ongoing, repeated)
napuniti – perfective (to charge up / to fill completely, focus on completion)

In this sentence you’re talking about finishing the charging before the meeting, so the perfective makes sense:

Prije sastanka moram napuniti laptop.
→ I must get it charged (finished) before the meeting.

If you used puniti:

Moram puniti laptop.
Sounds more like “I have to be charging the laptop” (focus on the process, not on finishing), which is odd here.

So to talk about one specific, complete action with a clear result, napuniti is the natural choice.

Why doesn’t laptop change form? Isn’t it an object and therefore accusative?

Yes, laptop is the direct object of napuniti, so it is in the accusative case.

However, for many masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative singular form is the same as the nominative singular. That’s why you don’t see a visible change.

Pattern:

Nominative singular: laptop
Accusative singular: laptop (same form)

Compare:

Vidim laptop. – I see the laptop. (accusative)
Laptop je nov. – The laptop is new. (nominative)

But with masculine animate nouns (people, some animals), the accusative changes:

Vidim brata. – I see my brother. (nominative: brat; accusative: brata)

Is laptop the usual Croatian word, or is there a more “Croatian” version?

In everyday speech, laptop is very common and completely normal.

There is also a more “standard” Croatian term:

prijenosno računalo – portable computer

You might see it in formal writing or official documents, but in daily conversation people almost always say laptop.

So both are correct:

Prije sastanka moram napuniti laptop.
Prije sastanka moram napuniti prijenosno računalo. (more formal / technical)

Why is moram in the present tense if we’re talking about something that happens in the future (before the meeting)?

Croatian often uses the present tense to talk about near future when the future meaning is clear from context or from a time expression like prije sastanka, sutra, večeras, etc.

So:

Prije sastanka moram napuniti laptop.
Literally: Before the meeting, I must charge the laptop (present), but clearly refers to the future.

You could also use the future:

Prije sastanka morat ću napuniti laptop.

This is grammatically fine, but in simple, everyday statements, the present tense (with a time expression) is very natural and more common.

Could I say Ja prije sastanka moram napuniti laptop, or is ja usually omitted?

You can say Ja prije sastanka moram napuniti laptop, but normally ja is omitted.

In Croatian, the verb ending -am in moram already tells us the subject is “I”, so you don’t need the pronoun:

✅ Prije sastanka moram napuniti laptop. – normal, neutral
✅ Ja prije sastanka moram napuniti laptop. – emphasizes I (e.g. contrasting with someone else: I have to, others don’t)

Subject pronouns (ja, ti, on, ona, mi, vi, oni) are mainly used for emphasis or contrast, not as a default.

Can the word order inside moram napuniti laptop change? For example, can I say moram laptop napuniti?

Yes, Croatian word order is flexible, and Moram laptop napuniti is also grammatically correct.

Subtle differences:

Moram napuniti laptop. – neutral, default
Moram laptop napuniti. – slightly more focus on laptop (as opposed to something else you might charge)

In real life, you’ll hear both patterns, but the original order (moram napuniti laptop) is the most typical and neutral one.

When do I use prije and when prije nego (što), as in prije nego što…?

Use:

prije + noun (genitive)
When “before” is followed by a noun:
- Prije sastanka moram napuniti laptop. – Before the meeting…
- Prije ručka idem u trgovinu. – Before lunch I’m going to the store.
prije nego / prije nego što + clause
When “before” is followed by a full sentence (a verb):
- Prije nego što počne sastanak, moram napuniti laptop.
  – Before the meeting starts, I have to charge my laptop.
- Prije nego odem, moram napuniti laptop.
  – Before I leave, I have to charge my laptop.

So:

prije sastanka – before the meeting (noun)
prije nego što počne sastanak – before the meeting starts (clause with a verb)