Learn Hardcore Croatian: Na naslovnici časopisa je intervju s poznatom građankom Zagreba. - On the cover of the magazine there is an interview with a famous female citizen of Zagreb.

Croatian clitics (like je) usually go in so‑called “second position,” but that can mean “after the first phrase,” not always after the very first word.

The first phrase here is Na naslovnici časopisa (“On the cover of the magazine”).
So je can come after that whole phrase: Na naslovnici časopisa je intervju…

You could also say Na naslovnici časopisa intervju je s poznatom građankom Zagreba, but that sounds a bit marked and emphasizes intervju more.
You normally would not start with Je intervju… in neutral, everyday speech; that sounds strange in Croatian prose and is more like special stylistic inversion or poetry.

What case is naslovnici in, and why that ending?

Naslovnici is in the locative singular (feminine).

Dictionary form: naslovnica – “cover (page), front page”
Locative singular feminine ending: -i
After the preposition na with a static meaning (“on, at” – no movement), Croatian uses locative:
- na naslovnici – on the cover (location)
- na naslovnicu – onto the cover (movement, accusative)

So na naslovnici literally means “on the cover,” indicating where the interview is.

Why is časopisa in that form and not časopis?

Časopisa is genitive singular of časopis (“magazine, journal”).

The phrase naslovnica časopisa works like “the magazine’s cover” / “cover of the magazine”:

naslovnica – nominative singular, “cover”
časopisa – genitive singular, “of the magazine”

This kind of noun + noun (genitive) construction is very common:

kuća prijatelja – the friend’s house / house of a friend
naslovnica časopisa – the magazine’s cover / the cover of the magazine

So na naslovnici časopisa = “on the cover of the magazine.”

Why do we say na naslovnici and not u naslovnici? Both na and u can be “in/on,” right?

Both na and u can sometimes overlap, but they are used with different kinds of nouns and spatial ideas.

na is typically “on (a surface)” or “on (a page, cover, screen)”
- na naslovnici – on the cover/front page
- na stolu – on the table
- na ekranu – on the screen
u is typically “in (inside something, inside a space)”
- u časopisu – in the magazine (somewhere inside its pages)
- u sobi – in the room
- u torbi – in the bag

Here, we are talking about the cover page as a surface, so na naslovnici is used, not u naslovnici.

Could we say u časopisu je intervju… instead of na naslovnici časopisa je intervju…?

Yes, but it would slightly change the meaning.

U časopisu je intervju… – “In the magazine there is an interview…”
→ The interview is somewhere inside the magazine (you don’t say where exactly).
Na naslovnici časopisa je intervju… – “On the cover of the magazine there is an interview…”
→ The interview (or at least its announcement, title, picture) is on the front cover.

So u časopisu is more general; na naslovnici časopisa is more specific and points to the cover/front page.

Why is it s poznatom građankom, and what case is poznatom građankom?

After the preposition s / sa (“with”), Croatian normally uses the instrumental case when it means “in company with.”

poznata građanka – nominative feminine singular (“a famous female citizen”)
Instrumental feminine singular:
- adjective: poznata → poznatom
- noun: građanka → građankom

So:

intervju s poznatom građankom
= “an interview with a famous female citizen”

English shows the relationship with the preposition “with,” but Croatian shows it with both the preposition s and the instrumental endings -om (on both the adjective and the noun).

Why is the preposition s and not sa here? Is there a difference?

Both s and sa are the same preposition (“with”), just different forms used for sound reasons.

Before many consonant clusters, speakers often prefer sa because it’s easier to pronounce:
- sa školom, sa psom, sa mnom
Before poznatom, both are possible:
- s poznatom građankom
- sa poznatom građankom

In practice, s poznatom građankom sounds natural and flows well, so there is no need to insert the a. There is no change in meaning between s and sa; it’s mainly about euphony (what sounds smoother).

What does građanka mean exactly, and why građankom here?

Građanka means “female citizen” (female version of građanin – “citizen”).

Nominative:
- građanka – a (female) citizen
Instrumental singular feminine (with s/sa):
- građankom

So:

s poznatom građankom
= “with a famous female citizen”

The instrumental case shows that this person is the one being interviewed (the person you are “with” in the interview).

Why is it Zagreba and not Zagreb or Zagrebom?

Zagreba is the genitive singular form of Zagreb.

The phrase građanka Zagreba literally means “a citizen of Zagreb”:

građanka – citizen (female)
(koga/čega?) Zagreba – “of Zagreb” (genitive)

Compare:

stanovnik grada – an inhabitant of the city
građani Hrvatske – the citizens of Croatia
građanka Zagreba – a female citizen of Zagreb

Zagrebom would be instrumental (“with/by/through Zagreb”), which doesn’t fit here.
Plain građanka Zagreb without the genitive ending is grammatically wrong.

Could we use Zagrepčanka instead of građanka Zagreba?

Yes, and that’s actually more natural in everyday speech.

Zagrepčanka – a woman from Zagreb / a female native of Zagreb
Zagrepčanin – man from Zagreb

So:

intervju sa poznatom Zagrepčankom
sounds very idiomatic: “an interview with a famous woman from Zagreb.”

Građanka Zagreba sounds a bit more formal or neutral/descriptive, suitable for contexts where you highlight legal or civic status as a “citizen of Zagreb.”

Why is there no word for “a” or “the” in intervju? How do I know if it’s “an interview” or “the interview”?

Croatian has no articles (no “a/an” or “the”), so you have to infer definiteness from context.

intervju on its own can mean:
- “an interview”
- “the interview”
Here, because we talk about a specific interview that is on the cover of a specific magazine, you would usually translate it as “an interview” or “the interview” depending on what sounds more natural in English.

Croatian relies on:

context,
word order,
sometimes demonstratives (taj intervju – “that interview”),

instead of articles to express “a / the.”

Can we drop je and just say Na naslovnici časopisa intervju s poznatom građankom Zagreba?

Yes, in headlines, titles, and captions, Croatian often drops the verb “to be” (je) to be shorter and punchier.

Full sentence (neutral prose):
Na naslovnici časopisa je intervju s poznatom građankom Zagreba.
Headline style:
Na naslovnici časopisa intervju s poznatom građankom Zagreba.

In everyday spoken or written full sentences, you normally keep je.
Zero-copula (omitting je) is mainly a stylistic feature of headlines, ads, notes, etc., not of regular narrative sentences.