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Ne želim o tome govoriti na sastanku; to je privatan problem.

Ne želim o tome govoriti na sastanku; to je privatan problem.
I don’t want to talk about that at the meeting; it’s a private problem.

Breakdown of Ne želim o tome govoriti na sastanku; to je privatan problem.

biti
to be
ne
not
željeti
to want
na
at
problem
problem
sastanak
meeting
to
that
o
about
to
it
govoriti
to talk
privatan
private
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Questions & Answers about Ne želim o tome govoriti na sastanku; to je privatan problem.

Why is ne placed before želim? Does Croatian always put the negation there?

Yes—simple verbal negation in Croatian is normally formed with ne directly before the finite verb: ne + želim = I don’t want.
With most verbs, ne is written separately (as here). A few verbs have fused negative forms (e.g., nemam = I don’t have, nisam = I’m not), but željeti doesn’t—so ne želim is standard.

What tense/person is želim? Do I need to say ja?

Želim is the present tense, 1st person singular of željeti (to want): (ja) želim = I want.
Croatian usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person. You can add ja for emphasis/contrast: Ja ne želim... = I (personally) don’t want...

Why does it say o tome and not o to or o taj?

Because the preposition o (about) requires the locative case.
The pronoun to (that/it) changes form in the locative to tome (or shorter tom in some contexts). So:

  • o tome = about that
  • o tome govoriti = to talk about that
Is o tome the only option? What’s the difference between o tome and o tom?

Both are possible locative forms:

  • o tome is very common and feels slightly more explicit/neutral.
  • o tom is a shorter variant (also correct), often heard in speech and also used in writing.

So you can say Ne želim o tom govoriti... as well.

Why is govoriti in the infinitive? Could it be da govorim?

After željeti (to want), Croatian typically uses the infinitive:

  • (Ne) želim govoriti = I (don’t) want to speak

A da + present structure is possible in some contexts (more common with some other verbs or in some regional styles), but with željeti the infinitive is the most natural standard choice.

Why is it na sastanku and not u sastanku or na sastanak?
  • na sastanku uses na + locative to mean at/in a meeting (location where something happens).
  • na sastanak would be na + accusative, meaning to the meeting (movement/direction).
  • u sastanku is generally not used for at a meeting in standard Croatian; u is more for being inside a physical place/container.

So:

  • govoriti na sastanku = to speak at the meeting
  • ići na sastanak = to go to a meeting
Can the word order change? For example, can I say Ne želim govoriti o tome?

Yes. Croatian word order is flexible, and both are natural:

  • Ne želim o tome govoriti...
  • Ne želim govoriti o tome...

The first version can feel a bit more like it foregrounds o tome (about that) as the topic being refused.

Why is there a semicolon (;) instead of a comma?

The semicolon connects two closely related independent clauses:

  • Ne želim o tome govoriti na sastanku;
  • to je privatan problem.

A comma could also appear in more informal writing, and a dash is possible for emphasis, but the semicolon is a clean, formal way to show: these are two full thoughts that belong together.

Why does it say to je? What exactly is to doing here?

To is a neutral pronoun meaning that/it/this, often used to refer back to an entire idea or situation:

  • To je privatan problem. = That’s a private issue/problem.

It’s like English That is... referring to what was just mentioned.

What is je? Can it be omitted?

Je is the present tense of biti (to be): je = is (3rd person singular).
In the present tense, je is often omitted in casual speech, especially in short statements:

  • To je privatan problem. (standard, explicit)
  • To privatan problem. (possible in speech, sounds informal/elliptical)

In normal writing and careful speech, keep je.

Why is it privatan problem and not privatni problem?

Both can occur, but they reflect a traditional adjective distinction:

  • privatan = the “indefinite” form (often used predicatively: Problem je privatan / To je privatan problem)
  • privatni = the “definite” form, often felt as more “specific/defined” and very common before nouns: privatni problem

In modern usage, many speakers use privatni problem very freely. The sentence you have (privatan problem) is fully correct and quite natural, especially in a slightly more formal tone.

Is problem masculine, and does that affect privatan?

Yes. Problem is a masculine noun (nominative singular problem).
Adjectives must agree with the noun in gender/number/case, so you get:

  • masculine nominative singular adjective: privatan
  • masculine nominative singular noun: problem

If the noun were feminine (e.g., stvar = thing), you’d need privatna stvar.

Are there more natural alternatives to govoriti here, like pričati?

Yes, both work, but they have slightly different feel:

  • govoriti (o nečemu) = neutral, standard to talk/speak (about something); often a bit more formal
  • pričati (o nečemu) = to talk/chat (about something); often more conversational

So you could also say: Ne želim o tome pričati na sastanku... (a bit more informal).