Learn Hardcore Croatian: Imamo zajednički plan za vikend. - We have a joint plan for the weekend.

Imamo zajednički plan za vikend.
→ depending on context, this can mean:
- We have *a joint plan for the weekend.*
- We have *the joint plan for the weekend.*

If you really want to make it clearer that it’s this coming weekend, you add a word like ovaj:

Imamo zajednički plan za ovaj vikend. – We have a joint plan for this weekend.

What exactly does zajednički mean, and how is it different from isti or uzajamni?

Zajednički literally means shared / joint / common (between people).

zajednički plan – a plan that we both/all share, that we made together
zajednički stan – a shared apartment (we live there together)
zajednički prijatelj – a mutual friend (one friend that we both know)

Compare with:

isti – the same
- Imamo isti plan. – We have the same plan.
  (Each of us has a plan, and those plans are identical.)
uzajamni – mutual, reciprocal (emphasises two‑way relationship)
- uzajamno poštovanje – mutual respect

In this sentence, zajednički plan is natural because it’s one shared plan, not just two identical separate plans.

Why is the verb imamo and not imam or something else?

Imamo is the 1st person plural present tense of imati (to have):

ja imam – I have
ti imaš – you have (singular, informal)
on/ona/ono ima – he/she/it has
mi imamo – we have
vi imate – you have (plural or formal)
oni/one/ona imaju – they have

In Imamo zajednički plan za vikend, the subject is we, so you use imamo.

Notice that Croatian often drops the subject pronoun, because the verb ending already tells you who is doing the action:

Imamo zajednički plan za vikend. = Mi imamo zajednički plan za vikend.

Both mean We have a joint plan for the weekend, but the version without mi is more typical in everyday speech.

Why is it za vikend? What does the preposition za do here?

Here za + accusative roughly means for / for the duration of / over (in relation to time).

za + accusative can express:

Time frame, “for / over” a time period
- za vikend – for the weekend / over the weekend
- za praznike – for the holidays
- za Božić – for Christmas
Goal or purpose
- plan za vikend – a plan for the weekend
- karte za koncert – tickets for the concert

So Imamo zajednički plan za vikend. literally:

We have a shared plan for (the) weekend.

Vikend is in the accusative form (which, for masculine inanimate nouns, is the same as nominative: vikend).

Can I change the word order, for example say Za vikend imamo zajednički plan? Does it change the meaning?

Yes, you can change the word order. Croatian word order is flexible, and the main meaning stays the same.

Possible variants:

Imamo zajednički plan za vikend.
– Neutral: just stating what we have.
Za vikend imamo zajednički plan.
– Slight emphasis on za vikend: As for the weekend, we have a joint plan.
Zajednički plan imamo za vikend.
– Unusual as a standalone sentence, sounds like you’re contrasting with some other plan or time (e.g. We have a joint plan for the weekend, but not for tonight).

In practice, the first two (Imamo zajednički plan za vikend and Za vikend imamo zajednički plan) are the most natural and common.

Why is it zajednički plan and not zajednička plan or zajedničko plan?

Because adjectives in Croatian must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe.

plan is masculine, singular, nominative.
So the adjective must also be masculine, singular, nominative → zajednički.

Patterns:

Masculine: zajednički plan – a joint plan
Feminine: zajednička ideja – a joint idea
Neuter: zajedničko vrijeme – shared time

So:

zajednički plan – correct
zajednička plan – wrong (feminine adjective with a masculine noun)
zajedničko plan – wrong (neuter adjective with a masculine noun)

Is vikend masculine, feminine, or neuter? How does it decline?

Vikend is masculine, inanimate. Its base form (nominative singular) is vikend.

Singular (common forms):

Nominative: vikend – Ovaj vikend je sunčan. (This weekend is sunny.)
Accusative: vikend – Planiramo vikend na moru. (We’re planning a weekend at the sea.)
Genitive: vikenda – Nema vikenda bez kave. (There’s no weekend without coffee.)
Dative/Locative: vikendu – Veselim se vikendu. (I’m looking forward to the weekend.)
Instrumental: vikendom – Putujem kući vikendom. (I travel home on weekends.)

Plural:

Nominative: vikendi – Ljeti su vikendi kratki.
Accusative: vikende – Volim duge vikende.

In za vikend, vikend is in the accusative singular (same form as nominative).

Could I say Imamo zajedničke planove za vikend instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, that’s grammatically correct, but the meaning changes slightly.

Imamo zajednički plan za vikend.
– We have one shared plan for the weekend (one overall plan).
Imamo zajedničke planove za vikend.
– We have several shared plans for the weekend (multiple activities/plans, all shared).

The first sentence uses singular (plan), the second plural (planove – accusative plural). Which one you use depends on whether you’re thinking of one general plan or several distinct plans.

In English I might say “We are planning something for the weekend.” Why does Croatian use imamo plan instead of planiramo?

Both structures exist in Croatian, but they don’t mean exactly the same thing:

Imamo zajednički plan za vikend.
– Literally: We have a joint plan for the weekend.
– Focus: the existence of a plan (it already exists, it’s decided).
Zajedno planiramo vikend. / Planiramo nešto za vikend.
– We’re (currently) planning the weekend / something for the weekend.
– Focus: the process of planning, not just the result.

So if the idea is “We already have our weekend figured out”, imamo plan is perfect.
If the idea is “We’re still in the process of making plans”, then use planirati.

Is za vikend the only way to say “for the weekend / at the weekend”? Are there alternatives?

There are a few natural options, with slightly different nuances:

za vikend – for/over the weekend
- Imamo zajednički plan za vikend. – neutral, very common.
ovaj vikend – this weekend (time expression, often without za)
- Imamo zajednički plan ovaj vikend. – We have a shared plan this weekend.
  (Common in speech; you’re just saying when.)
vikendom – on weekends (regularly, habitually)
- Imamo zajednički plan vikendom. – We have a shared plan on weekends.
  (Sounds like something that happens regularly every weekend, not just once.)

For one specific upcoming weekend, za vikend or ovaj vikend are the natural choices.

If I want to stress that it’s we together who have this plan (and not someone else), how could I adjust the sentence?

You can add emphasis in a few ways:

Add the subject pronoun mi:
- Mi imamo zajednički plan za vikend.
  → We (as opposed to others) have a joint plan for the weekend.
Add svi if you mean “all of us”:
- Svi mi imamo zajednički plan za vikend.
  → All of us have a joint plan for the weekend.
Use word order and stress in speech:
- Mi imamo zajednički plan za vikend, a oni nemaju.
  → We have a joint plan for the weekend, but they don’t.

Grammatically, nothing new is needed; the verb ending -mo in imamo already signals we, but adding mi makes the emphasis explicit.