Ako opet izračunamo troškove, možda ćemo otkazati hotel i spavati kod prijateljice.

Breakdown of Ako opet izračunamo troškove, možda ćemo otkazati hotel i spavati kod prijateljice.

i
and
htjeti
will
možda
maybe
spavati
to sleep
ako
if
kod
at
opet
again
hotel
hotel
prijateljica
female friend
trošak
expense
izračunati
to calculate
otkazati
to cancel
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Questions & Answers about Ako opet izračunamo troškove, možda ćemo otkazati hotel i spavati kod prijateljice.

Why is it Ako opet izračunamo... and not something like Ako ćemo opet izračunati...?

In Croatian, after ako (if) you normally don’t use the future tense with ću/ćeš/ćemo....
Instead, you use:

  • the present tense (often of a perfective verb) to refer to a future action, e.g. ako izračunamo = if we (re)calculate (in the future). Using ako ćemo izračunati is generally non-standard and sounds wrong in most contexts.

What tense is izračunamo here—present or future?

Formally it’s present tense, 1st person plural (we).
Functionally, in an ako-clause it often has a future meaning: if we calculate again (later). This is very common in Croatian.


Why is it izračunamo (perfective) and not izračunavamo (imperfective)?

izračunati is typically perfective and focuses on completing the calculation (getting the result).
izračunavati is imperfective and suggests an ongoing/repeated process.

So:

  • Ako izračunamo troškove... = if we do the calculation and get the totals (once, as a completed step)
  • Ako izračunavamo troškove... would sound more like if we are (habitually) calculating costs / if we keep calculating costs.

Why is troškove in that form?

troškove is accusative plural of trošak (cost/expense). It’s accusative because it’s the direct object of izračunamo (calculate what?the costs/expenses).

Dictionary form: trošak
Plural nominative: troškovi
Plural accusative: troškove


How does možda ćemo otkazati work grammatically?

možda = maybe / perhaps
ćemo = future auxiliary, 1st person plural (we will)
otkazati = infinitive (to cancel)

So it’s the standard Croatian future I: ćemo + infinitive.
Word order is flexible, but možda ćemo otkazati is very natural.


Can I place ćemo elsewhere, like možda otkazat ćemo hotel?

Yes, but it’s less common in everyday style. The auxiliary ćemo is a clitic and typically takes an early position in the clause (often the “second position”).
Most natural options:

  • možda ćemo otkazati hotel
  • možda ćemo hotel otkazati (more emphasis on hotel)
    možda otkazat ćemo is possible but tends to sound more marked/poetic/formal.

Why is there a comma after troškove?

Because the sentence begins with a dependent ako-clause:
Ako ... , možda ...
Croatian normally uses a comma to separate an introductory subordinate clause from the main clause.


Why is it otkazati hotel—what case is hotel, and does otkazati mean “cancel” here?

hotel is accusative singular (direct object): cancel what?the hotel (booking).
otkazati commonly means to cancel (a reservation, appointment, subscription, etc.). In travel contexts, otkazati hotel is understood as cancel the hotel booking.


Why is it spavati and not spavat ćemo? Where is the second “will”?

Croatian often doesn’t repeat the future auxiliary in coordinated verbs when it’s clear from context. Here ćemo applies to both actions:

  • možda ćemo otkazati (hotel) i (ćemo) spavati kod prijateljice

You can repeat it for emphasis/clarity:

  • možda ćemo otkazati hotel i spavat ćemo kod prijateljice But the version with one ćemo is very normal.

Why is it kod prijateljice—what does kod require?

kod (at someone’s place / near / by) requires the genitive case.
prijateljice is genitive singular of prijateljica (female friend).

So kod prijateljice = at (my/our/her) friend’s place (female friend).


Does prijateljice imply the friend is female? What if the friend is male?

Yes. prijateljica is explicitly a female friend, so kod prijateljice means the friend is female.
For a male friend you’d use prijatelj:

  • kod prijatelja = at a (male) friend’s place (genitive singular)

Is the position of opet fixed? Could it be elsewhere?

It’s not fixed. opet (again) is fairly mobile. These are all possible, with small emphasis differences:

  • Ako opet izračunamo troškove... (again is highlighted early)
  • Ako izračunamo troškove opet... (again emphasized later)
  • Ako izračunamo opet troškove... (possible, but often less smooth)

The original placement is very natural.


Should there be something like na or u with hotel, or is otkazati hotel enough?

otkazati hotel is enough because hotel stands for the reservation/booking.
If you want to be extra explicit, you can say:

  • otkazati rezervaciju hotela = cancel the hotel reservation
    But it’s longer and not necessary in casual speech.