Learn Hardcore Croatian: U trgovini je veliko sniženje, pa kupac traži veći popust. - There is a big sale in the store, so the customer asks for a bigger discount.

trgovina (dictionary form = nominative) → u trgovini (locative singular) = in the store
If u means into, it usually takes the accusative: u trgovinu = into the store.

What is the role of je here? Is it literally is or more like there is?

Here je functions like an existential “there is” in English: In the store, there is a big sale.
Croatian often expresses there is/are simply with biti (je) + the subject:

U trgovini je veliko sniženje. = There is a big sale in the store.
A common alternative is ima: U trgovini ima veliko sniženje, but je is very natural in this type of sentence.

Why is it veliko sniženje and not velika sniženje?

Because sniženje is neuter, so the adjective must agree in gender, number, and case.

sniženje (neuter singular nominative) → veliko (neuter singular nominative)
If the noun were feminine, you’d get velika (e.g., velika akcija).

What’s the difference between sniženje and popust? They both seem like “discount.”

They overlap, but the nuance is different:

sniženje = a sale / price reduction event (often store-wide or a promotion): Seasonal sale, prices are reduced.
popust = a discount (often a specific reduction you get, sometimes negotiated): 10% discount, extra discount.
So: There’s a big sale, so the customer asks for a bigger discount makes perfect sense with sniženje first and popust second.

Why does Croatian use pa here? Is it exactly the same as so?

pa often means so / therefore / and then, linking cause → result in a conversational, very common way.
In this sentence: ..., pa ... = ..., so ...
Croatian also has more formal options like zato or stoga, but pa is the most everyday choice.

Is the comma before pa required?

In this kind of structure, yes, it’s standard to write a comma because pa is connecting two clauses:

U trgovini je veliko sniženje, pa kupac traži veći popust.
Think of it like English: There is a big sale, so the customer asks...

Why is it kupac and not something like the customer (with an article)?

Croatian has no articles (a/the). kupac can mean a customer or the customer, depending on context.
Here it’s a general, typical scenario, so kupac is best understood as the customer / a customer.

What case is kupac in, and how do I know?

kupac is nominative singular because it’s the subject of the verb traži (asks/seeks).
You can identify it by the structure:

kupac traži ... = (The) customer asks for ...

Why is traži in the present tense? Could it also be past?

The present tense in Croatian is often used to describe a general situation or a scene as if it’s happening now (similar to English present or narrative present).
You could switch to past if you want a completed story:

... pa je kupac tražio veći popust. = ... so the customer asked for a bigger discount.

Does tražiti mean “ask for” or “look for”? Which one is it here?

tražiti can mean both to look for/seek and to ask for/request, depending on context.
Here, with popust (a discount), it naturally means to ask for / request:

traži veći popust = asks for a bigger discount

Why is it veći and not više (since English says “more”)?

Because veći is the comparative adjective of velik (big/large) and it agrees with the noun popust (masculine singular nominative/accusative form here).

velik → veći = bigger / larger
više usually means more in a quantity sense, and it’s commonly used with:
verbs: traži više = he asks for more
uncountable/mass ideas: više novca = more money
With popust as a noun described by an adjective, veći popust is the normal phrasing.

Why does popust look the same even though it’s an object of the verb?

Because popust is masculine inanimate, and for many such nouns the accusative singular is identical to the nominative singular.
So:

nominative: popust (a discount)
accusative (object): traži popust (asks for a discount)
Same form, different role.

How would you pronounce the tricky words in this sentence?

A rough guide (stress can vary by region, but this will be understood):

U trgovini: oo tr-go-VEE-nee
sniženje: snee-ZHEH-nyeh
kupac: KOO-pats
traži: TRAH-zhee
veći: VEH-chee
popust: POH-poost