Learn Hardcore Croatian: Ponekad nastane mali konflikt u grupi, ali ga riješimo mirnim razgovorom. - Sometimes a small conflict arises in the group, but we solve it with a calm conversation.

nastane is the present tense of the perfective verb nastati (to arise, to come into existence as a single event). It presents the conflict as something that suddenly appears at a certain moment.
nastaje is the present tense of the imperfective verb nastajati, which focuses more on the process or ongoing nature of arising.

In this sentence, Ponekad nastane mali konflikt… suggests: from time to time, a small conflict pops up / arises.
You could say Ponekad nastaje mali konflikt…, but that sounds a bit more like “a small conflict is forming / tends to form,” with a little more emphasis on the process rather than the moment it appears. Both are grammatically correct; the original sounds more concise and event-like.

Why is it mali konflikt and not malo konflikt?

Because mali is an adjective agreeing with the noun konflikt:

konflikt is masculine singular, nominative.
The adjective must match that: mali (masc. sg. nom.) conflict = a small conflict.

malo usually functions as:

an adverb: malo spavam – I sleep a little
or an indeclinable quantifier: malo mlijeka – a little milk

So malo konflikt would be ungrammatical in this context. When directly describing a masculine singular noun in the nominative, you use mali, not malo.

Why is it u grupi and not u grupu?

The preposition u can take either the locative or the accusative, depending on the meaning:

u + locative (here: u grupi) = being in/inside something (location, no movement):
- u grupi – in the group
u + accusative (e.g. u grupu) = movement into something:
- u grupu – into the group (direction / change of position)

In the sentence, the conflict exists within the group as a setting, not moving into it. So we use u grupi (locative), not u grupu (accusative).

What does the pronoun ga refer to, and why is it ga?

Ga is the unstressed (clitic) form of the third-person singular masculine accusative pronoun: him/it.

In this sentence it refers to mali konflikt.
konflikt is masculine, so the object pronoun must be ga (we solve it = riješimo ga).

If the noun were feminine, you’d get:

mala svađa (a small quarrel) → riješimo je (we solve it, feminine).

So ga is used because konflikt is masculine and is the direct object of riješimo.

Why is the word order ali ga riješimo, and could I say ali riješimo ga?

Croatian has clitic pronouns (like ga) that strongly prefer the second position in a clause:

After ali (but), a new clause starts: ali | ga riješimo…
The clitic ga goes right after the first stressed element of that clause (here, ali), so ali ga riješimo is the natural word order.

You can sometimes hear ali riješimo ga, but it sounds marked—more emphatic, less neutral, and in many contexts simply odd or incorrect. For standard, neutral speech, keep ga in the clitic (2nd) position: ali ga riješimo…

Why is riješimo (perfective) used here instead of rješavamo?

The verb pair is:

rješavati – imperfective (to be solving, to solve regularly)
riješiti – perfective (to solve, to resolve as a completed act)

In riješimo (present tense of a perfective verb), the focus is on the fact that each conflict is brought to a conclusion: we resolve it. In general, perfective present is often used for single, complete events and, in sentences about habits or general truths, for “whenever X happens, we do Y (to completion)”.

You could say ali ga rješavamo mirnim razgovorom, but that would sound more like “we (tend to) be resolving it / we keep resolving it,” with slightly more focus on the process than on the final result. The original emphasizes successful resolution each time a conflict appears.

What case is mirnim razgovorom, and what does it express?

Mirnim razgovorom is in the instrumental singular:

razgovor → razgovorom (instrumental sg. masculine)
mirnim is the matching instrumental form of the adjective miran.

The instrumental case here expresses means or instrument: how something is done. So mirnim razgovorom means “by/with calm conversation” or “through calm discussion”.

Croatian often uses bare instrumental (without a preposition) to express means:

Pišem olovkom. – I write with a pencil.
Liječimo ga terapijom. – We treat him with therapy.

Similarly: riješimo ga mirnim razgovorom – we resolve it by calm conversation.

Could I say s mirnim razgovorom instead of just mirnim razgovorom?

You can say s mirnim razgovorom, and it is grammatically correct, but the nuance changes:

mirnim razgovorom (bare instrumental) is the normal way to express means: by calm conversation.
s mirnim razgovorom literally means with a calm conversation and can feel a bit more literal or heavy, and less idiomatic for “by talking calmly” in this specific sentence.

In practice, for “we solve it by calm conversation,” Croatian most naturally uses the bare instrumental: riješimo ga mirnim razgovorom.

Why is there no word for “we” in ali ga riješimo mirnim razgovorom?

Croatian is a pro-drop language: the subject pronoun is usually omitted because the verb ending already shows the subject.

riješimo is 1st person plural present → the subject is clearly “we” (mi).
Saying mi ga riješimo is possible but often sounds emphatic (e.g. in contrast: others don’t, but we do).

So in a neutral sentence like this, you normally leave mi out and just say riješimo; the subject “we” is understood from the verb form.

Is there any difference between konflikt and sukob here?

Both konflikt and sukob can mean “conflict”, but there are nuances:

konflikt is a loanword (from Latin via other European languages). It can sound slightly more formal or technical, often used in psychology, sociology, politics, etc.
sukob is the more native Slavic word and is extremely common in everyday language for conflicts, clashes, disputes.

In this sentence, you could say:

Ponekad nastane mali sukob u grupi… – also perfectly natural.

The choice between konflikt and sukob is largely stylistic here; both are correct.

Can ponekad go somewhere else in the sentence, and does that change the meaning?

Yes, ponekad (sometimes) can move within the clause, and the basic meaning stays the same:

Ponekad nastane mali konflikt u grupi… – neutral, very common.
Mali konflikt ponekad nastane u grupi… – also okay; slight emphasis on the small conflict as the topic.
U grupi ponekad nastane mali konflikt… – emphasizes in the group as the setting.

All of these are grammatical and convey “Sometimes a small conflict arises in the group,” with only minor shifts in focus or emphasis. The version with ponekad at the beginning is probably the most neutral.