Learn Hardcore Croatian: Moj partner i ja živimo zajedno, ali naš odnos još nije savršen i još nismo u braku. - My partner and I live together, but our relationship is not perfect yet and we are not married yet.

However, in more careful or formal Croatian, it’s common to put yourself second in such coordinated subjects, so Moj partner i ja sounds a bit more natural and polite, similar to “My partner and I” being preferred over “Me and my partner” in English.

So:

Moj partner i ja živimo... – preferred, normal
Ja i moj partner živimo... – possible, but can sound slightly less elegant in careful speech

Why is there no comma before i in Moj partner i ja, but there is a comma before ali?

In Croatian:

The conjunction i (and) normally does not take a comma when it links two parts of the same grammatical function, for example:
- Moj partner i ja
- živimo i radimo u Zagrebu
The conjunction ali (but) must have a comma before it when it links two clauses:
- ...živimo zajedno, ali naš odnos još nije savršen...

So:

Moj partner i ja živimo zajedno, ali naš odnos...
- no comma before i
- comma required before ali

Why is živimo used here, and what verb is it from?

Živimo is the 1st person plural present tense of the verb živjeti (to live).

Conjugation (present tense, short form) of živjeti:

ja živim – I live
ti živiš – you live (singular)
on/ona/ono živi – he/she/it lives
mi živimo – we live
vi živite – you live (plural / formal)
oni/one/ona žive – they live

It’s used here because the subject is Moj partner i ja (= we), so the verb must be in we form: živimo.

Is there any difference between živjeti zajedno and just živjeti?

Yes.

živjeti by itself is general: to live.
- Živimo u Zagrebu. – We live in Zagreb.
živjeti zajedno adds the idea together:
- Moj partner i ja živimo zajedno. – My partner and I live together.

The word zajedno specifically expresses the idea of sharing the same household or living arrangement.

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

Zajedno means together.

Typical positions:

After the verb: živimo zajedno
Sometimes at the start for emphasis: Zajedno živimo, ali...

In neutral sentences, putting zajedno right after the verb (as in the example) is the most common and natural-sounding word order:

Moj partner i ja živimo zajedno...

Why is it naš odnos and not naša odnos or naše odnos?

The possessive adjective naš must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun it describes.

odnos (relationship) is masculine singular.
Masculine nominative singular of naš is naš.

So:

naš odnos – our relationship (correct)
naša – feminine singular (would go with a feminine noun like naša veza)
naše – neuter singular (would go with a neuter noun like naše dijete)

What is the difference between odnos and veza for “relationship”?

Both can mean relationship, but with different typical uses:

odnos:
- very general: relationship, relation, attitude
- can be between people, ideas, countries, etc.
- naš odnos još nije savršen – our relationship (how we relate to each other) is not perfect yet
veza:
- often specifically a romantic relationship or connection
- Mi smo u vezi. – We’re in a (romantic) relationship.

In this sentence, odnos emphasizes the quality and dynamics of how they relate to each other, not just the fact that they are a couple.

What does još mean in još nije savršen and in još nismo u braku? Is it the same as still?

Još can mean still, yet, or any more / any longer, depending on context.

In your sentence:

naš odnos još nije savršen – our relationship is not perfect yet / is still not perfect
još nismo u braku – we are not married yet / are still not married

So here još adds the idea that the situation might change in the future; it’s temporary or incomplete, just like English yet or still not.

Can you change the position of još, for example naš odnos nije još savršen? Does it sound natural?

Yes, you can move još, but the most neutral and common version is:

Naš odnos još nije savršen.

Other possible orders:

Naš odnos nije još savršen. – grammatically okay, but sounds less natural in everyday speech.
Još naš odnos nije savršen. – also possible, but with stronger emphasis on još (almost like “Our relationship is still not perfect”).

For learners, it’s safest to use:

još nije + adjective → još nije savršen

What is nije and what is nismo? Why are they different?

Both are negative forms of the verb biti (to be) in the present tense:

nije = is not / isn’t (3rd person singular)
- naš odnos još nije savršen – our relationship is not perfect yet
nismo = are not / aren’t (1st person plural)
- još nismo u braku – we are not married yet

Present tense of biti (affirmative / short forms):

ja sam – I am
ti si – you are
on/ona/ono je – he/she/it is
mi smo – we are
vi ste – you are
oni/one/ona su – they are

Negative:

nisam, nisi, nije, nismo, niste, nisu

Why is it u braku and not something like brak alone? What does u braku literally mean?

Biti u braku is a fixed expression meaning to be married.

Literally:

u = in
braku = locative case of brak (marriage)

So u braku literally means in a marriage, but idiomatically it simply means married:

Mi smo u braku. – We are married.
Još nismo u braku. – We are not married yet.

You normally do not say Mi smo brak – that would be incorrect.

Could I say još se nismo vjenčali instead of još nismo u braku? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say:

Još se nismo vjenčali. – We haven’t gotten married yet / We haven’t married yet.

Difference in nuance:

još nismo u braku – focuses on the state: we are not in the state of being married.
još se nismo vjenčali – focuses on the event of getting married (the wedding hasn’t happened yet).

Both are natural; your original sentence highlights the current status more than the ceremony.

Does partner have a feminine form in Croatian? What if the speaker is female?

Yes.

partner – masculine form
partnerica – feminine form

Which one you use depends on the gender of the person you’re talking about, not the gender of the speaker.

Examples:

A woman with a male partner: Moj partner i ja živimo zajedno.
A man with a female partner: Moja partnerica i ja živimo zajedno.
A woman with a female partner: Moja partnerica i ja živimo zajedno.
A man with a male partner: Moj partner i ja živimo zajedno.

Why is the whole sentence in the present tense and not something like a perfect tense, as in English “have been living”?

Croatian often uses the simple present tense where English might use present perfect.

Moj partner i ja živimo zajedno...
- literally: My partner and I live together...
- context often implies have been living together (ongoing situation)

Croatian present tense already expresses an action or state that is currently true and ongoing, so you don’t need a separate “have been living” form to convey that idea. The continuous / ongoing meaning is usually understood from context.