Breakdown of Sutra ćemo dogovoriti sastanak u uredu u šest sati.
Questions & Answers about Sutra ćemo dogovoriti sastanak u uredu u šest sati.
Croatian commonly forms the future (Futur I) with the clitic form of htjeti (ću, ćeš, će, ćemo, ćete, će) + an infinitive:
- ćemo = we will
- dogovoriti = to arrange/agree
So Sutra ćemo dogovoriti... literally means Tomorrow we will arrange/agree....
You may also see an alternative spelling/order when the infinitive ends in -ti:
- dogovorit ćemo sastanak (infinitive shortened to dogovorit
- ćemo)
Both are correct; ćemo dogovoriti is extremely common in everyday use.
Because the verb/clitic already marks the person and number:
- ćemo unambiguously means we will
Croatian often omits subject pronouns unless they’re needed for emphasis or contrast. If you add it, it becomes more emphatic:
- Sutra ćemo... = neutral
- Sutra ćemo mi... = we (not someone else) will...
dogovoriti is perfective: it focuses on completing the agreement/arrangement (reaching a final result).
- Sutra ćemo dogovoriti sastanak ≈ Tomorrow we’ll settle/arrange the meeting (i.e., finalize it).
dogovarati is imperfective: it focuses on the process of discussing/arranging.
- Sutra ćemo dogovarati sastanak ≈ Tomorrow we’ll be arranging/discussing the meeting (process, not necessarily finalized).
dogovoriti sastanak is natural and common, especially when the idea is agreeing on a meeting (possibly with another person/team).
Another very common verb is zakazati:
- zakazati sastanak = to schedule/set a meeting (more “booking/setting” a time)
Both can translate “schedule,” but dogovoriti often suggests mutual agreement.
sastanak is in the accusative singular (same form as nominative for this masculine inanimate noun). It’s the direct object of the verb:
- dogovoriti (što?) sastanak = arrange (what?) a meeting
So the form stays sastanak, not because it’s nominative, but because accusative = nominative for many masculine inanimate nouns.
Because u takes different cases depending on meaning:
1) Location (where?): u + locative
- u uredu = in the office
- ured (office) → locative singular uredu
2) Time (when? at what time?): u + accusative (common for clock time)
- u šest sati = at six o’clock
- šest behaves like a numeral, and sati is in a form used after numerals (see next question)
So the same preposition is used, but the grammar is different because “place” vs “time.”
With numerals in Croatian, the noun form depends on the number:
- 1: sat (e.g., u jedan sat)
- 2, 3, 4: sata (e.g., u dva sata, u tri sata)
- 5 and above (including 6): sati (e.g., u pet sati, u šest sati)
So u šest sati is the standard pattern for “at 6 o’clock.”
Word order is fairly flexible; you move elements to change emphasis. All of these are possible:
- Sutra ćemo dogovoriti sastanak u uredu u šest sati. (neutral)
- U šest sati ćemo dogovoriti sastanak u uredu. (emphasizes the time)
- U uredu ćemo sutra dogovoriti sastanak u šest sati. (emphasizes the location)
One constraint: clitics like ćemo tend to appear early in the clause (often second position), so very unusual placements can sound unnatural.
Two common pronunciation points for English speakers:
- ć (in ćemo) is a soft “ch”-like sound (similar to a softer ch than in church, closer to a palatalized t).
- r in sutra is a tapped/rolled r, not the English “r.”
Approximate guide:
- ćemo ≈ “CHEH-moh” (but with a softer, palatal ch)
- sutra ≈ “SOO-tra” with a tapped r