Learn Hardcore Croatian: Za kraj sata učitelj ukratko naglasi glavne stvari, kako bismo ih lakše zapamtili kod kuće. - At the end of the lesson the teacher briefly emphasizes the main things so that we can remember them more easily at home.

za
- accusative (kraj) = for / at the end (as a point in time)
kraj is a noun (“end”), here in the accusative singular: kraj
sata is the genitive singular of sat (“hour, lesson”), so kraj čega? – kraj sata (“the end of the lesson”)

So the structure is: za + kraj (acc.) + sata (gen.) → “for the end of the lesson”, used idiomatically as “at the end of the lesson”.

What is the difference between za kraj sata and na kraju sata?

Both can be used, but there is a nuance:

za kraj sata – slightly more idiomatic here, focuses on what is done as a kind of final wrap‑up; it sounds like “as a conclusion to the lesson…”
na kraju sata – more neutral, literally “at the end of the lesson (in terms of time)”

In many contexts they’re interchangeable, but za kraj often introduces something like a final remark, summary, or activity.

Why is it učitelj and not something like učitelja?

Učitelj is in the nominative singular, because it is the subject of the verb naglasI:

Tko naglasi? – učitelj. (“Who emphasizes? – the teacher.”)

You would see učitelja in the genitive or accusative (e.g. “vidim učitelja” – I see the teacher), but here we simply need the nominative subject form.

What exactly does ukratko mean, and where can it go in the sentence?

Ukratko means “briefly / in short”. It’s an adverb and is fairly flexible in position:

Učitelj ukratko naglasi glavne stvari.
Učitelj naglasi ukratko glavne stvari. (less common, but possible)
Ukratko, učitelj naglasi glavne stvari. (as a sentence‑initial comment: “In short, the teacher…”)

In your sentence, učitelj ukratko naglasi sounds natural and emphasizes how he emphasizes the main points: briefly.

What is the form naglasI here – is it present, past, or something else?

The verb is naglasiti (perfective: “to emphasize / to stress (once, as a whole action)”).

The form naglasI is 3rd person singular present of a perfective verb.
Perfective “present” in Croatian often refers to a single, completed action, typically in narration, instructions, or plans.

So učitelj ukratko naglasi is like: “the teacher (then) briefly emphasizes…” – a single summary action at the end of the class. In more neutral everyday speech, many people might also say učitelj ukratko naglašava (imperfective “is/does emphasize”) or učitelj će ukratko naglasiti (“will emphasize”).

What’s the difference between naglasiti and naglašavati?

Both are related to “emphasizing”, but they differ in aspect:

naglasiti – perfective: emphasize once, highlight as a complete act
- Učitelj je naglasio glavne stvari. – He emphasized the main points (once, finished).
naglašavati – imperfective: emphasize repeatedly / over time, or in general
- Učitelj uvijek naglašava glavne stvari. – He always emphasizes the main points.

In your sentence, naglasI (from naglasiti) fits because it’s a single summarizing action at the end of the class.

What case is glavne stvari, and why is it used?

Glavne stvari is feminine plural accusative:

glavne – feminine plural form of the adjective glavni (“main”)
stvari – nominative/accusative plural of stvar (“thing”; also “point, matter” in this context)

The verb naglasiti takes a direct object in the accusative: naglasiti što? – glavne stvari (“emphasize what? – the main points/things”).

How should I understand kako bismo here, and how is it different from da bismo?

In this sentence, kako bismo means “so that we would / in order that we could”. It introduces a purpose clause:

…kako bismo ih lakše zapamtili… – “…so that we could remember them more easily…”

Kako bismo and da bismo can often be used interchangeably in this kind of purpose clause. Da bismo is more common and neutral:

…da bismo ih lakše zapamtili… – perfectly fine alternative here.

Kako can sound a bit more formal/literary, but in everyday speech da bismo is very typical.

What exactly is bismo zapamtili? Why not just zapamtimo or ćemo zapamtiti?

Bismo zapamtili is the conditional form (“we would remember”):

bismo – 1st person plural clitic of the auxiliary biti in the conditional
zapamtili – past participle, masculine plural (used for mixed or all‑male “we” by default)

Together, (mi) bismo zapamtili = “we would remember”.

Connected with kako / da, this structure expresses purpose or intended possibility, similar to “so that we could / would remember (them)” rather than a simple factual “we remember” or future “we will remember”.

Why is the pronoun ih placed before lakše zapamtili, and can it go after the verb?

Ih = “them” (3rd person plural accusative pronoun).

Croatian object clitics (like ih, ga, je, me, te, nas, vas) tend to appear in a fixed clitic slot close to the beginning of the clause:

…kako bismo ih lakše zapamtili…

You can sometimes hear/see zapamtili ih at the very end, especially with emphasis or in poetry, but the neutral, standard order is:

(kako/da) + bismo ih + (adverb) + participle
kako bismo ih lakše zapamtili

What does lakše mean exactly, and what is it derived from?

Lakše means “more easily / easier”.

It is the comparative form of the adverb lako (“easily”).
Pattern: lako → lakše (“easily → more easily”).

So ih lakše zapamtili = “(would) remember them more easily”.

What does kod kuće literally mean, and why is it not just u kući?

Kod kuće literally is “by/at the house”, but idiomatically it means “at home”.

kod
- genitive (kuće) → “at somebody’s place / at the house of”
kuće is genitive singular of kuća (“house, home”)

U kući (“in the house”) is more physical/inside-the-building. Kod kuće is the standard way to say “at home” in general:

Ona je kod kuće. – She is at home.
učiti kod kuće – to study at home.

In many dialects or casual speech, people also say doma with the same meaning as kod kuće.