Breakdown of U ponedjeljak ujutro imam sastanak u uredu.
Questions & Answers about U ponedjeljak ujutro imam sastanak u uredu.
Why do we say u ponedjeljak and not na ponedjeljak or just ponedjeljak?
For days of the week used as a time expression, Croatian commonly uses u + accusative: u ponedjeljak = on Monday.
You can also say just ponedjeljak ujutro in some contexts, but u ponedjeljak is very standard and clear. Na ponedjeljak is generally not used for this meaning.
What case is ponedjeljak here, and why?
It’s accusative singular. The preposition u takes:
- accusative for time expressions like u ponedjeljak (when something happens), and also for motion/direction
- locative for location (where something is), like u uredu
So u ponedjeljak (accusative) = on Monday, while u uredu (locative) = in the office.
Why is it ujutro and not u jutro?
Ujutro is an adverb meaning in the morning / in the mornings. It’s a fixed, common form.
U jutro can exist but is much less common and usually sounds marked; in normal everyday speech you use ujutro.
Does u ponedjeljak ujutro mean a specific Monday morning or Mondays in general?
Usually it means a specific Monday morning (the next/that Monday), especially with imam sastanak.
If you want every Monday morning, Croatian often uses something like:
- Ponedjeljkom ujutro imam sastanak. (Mondays in the morning)
- Svaki ponedjeljak ujutro imam sastanak. (Every Monday morning)
Why is imam in the present tense if the meeting might be in the future?
Can I add ja (I) here: Ja imam sastanak...? When is it needed?
Yes, but it’s usually omitted because the verb ending -am already shows I.
You add ja for emphasis or contrast:
- Ja imam sastanak, a ti imaš slobodno. (I have a meeting, but you’re free.)
Is imam sastanak the most natural way to say this, or would Croatians say it differently?
Imam sastanak is very natural and common. Other possible options:
- Imam meeting u uredu. (colloquial, mixing English is common in offices)
- Sastajem se u uredu. (I’m meeting (someone) at the office — focuses more on meeting people, and you may want to add s kim = with whom)
- Imam dogovoren sastanak u uredu. (I have a meeting arranged/scheduled)
What case is sastanak, and does it change here?
It’s accusative singular, and it looks the same as nominative because sastanak is a masculine noun where nominative = accusative for inanimate objects.
You can see it change in other cases, e.g.:
- Bez sastanka (without a meeting) — genitive
- O sastanku (about the meeting) — locative
Why is it u uredu and not u ured?
Because this is location (where the meeting is), so u + locative is used: u uredu = in the office.
U ured (accusative) would imply motion/direction: going into the office.
What exactly is uredu—is that the same as u redu (meaning OK)?
They look similar but are different:
- uredu (one word) is the locative of ured (office): u uredu = in the office
- u redu (two words) means all right / OK / in order: Sve je u redu. = Everything is OK.
Is the word order fixed? Could I rearrange the sentence?
It’s flexible. This order is neutral and natural: time → verb → object → place.
Common alternatives include:
- U uredu imam sastanak u ponedjeljak ujutro. (emphasizes location)
- Imam sastanak u uredu u ponedjeljak ujutro. (very natural too) The meaning stays basically the same; word order mostly shifts emphasis.
Should ponedjeljak be capitalized?
No. In Croatian, days of the week and months are not capitalized unless they start a sentence:
- U ponedjeljak... (Monday not capitalized)
- Ponedjeljak je težak. (Capitalized only because it’s the first word)
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