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Ako pogriješiš u adresi, paket neće stići.

Ako pogriješiš u adresi, paket neće stići.
If you make a mistake in the address, the package won’t arrive.
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Questions & Answers about Ako pogriješiš u adresi, paket neće stići.

Why is it pogriješiš and not pogriješuješ / pogriješiš ćeš or something “more future”?

Pogriješiš is the 2nd person singular present of the perfective verb pogriješiti (to make a mistake). In Croatian, the present of a perfective verb often refers to a future action when the context is future/conditional—especially after ako (if/when).
So ako pogriješiš… naturally means if you make a mistake… (at some point in the future).

What case is adresi and why?

Adresi is locative singular of adresa. The preposition u commonly takes:

  • locative for “in/within” (location/field): u adresi = in the address / in the address details
  • accusative for motion “into”: u adresu (not the meaning here)

Here it’s like saying there’s an error in the address information, so u + locative fits.

Could I also say Ako pogriješiš adresu… (without u)?

Yes, that’s also possible and very common. It shifts the phrasing slightly:

  • pogriješiti u adresi = make a mistake in the address (details) (focus on an error within it)
  • pogriješiti adresu (accusative object) = get the address wrong / mistake the address

Both are natural; the sentence you have uses the “error within the address” framing.

Why is there neće stići—what tense is that?

Neće stići is Future I in the negative:

  • će + infinitive = future: stići će = it will arrive
  • negative ne + će merges into neće: neće stići = it won’t arrive

So paket neće stići literally = the package will not arrive.

What does stići mean exactly here, and is it perfective/imperfective?

Stići means to arrive / to reach (a destination) and it’s perfective (a completed arrival).
If you wanted an ongoing/regular sense, you’d use something like stizati (imperfective), but for a one-time delivery result, stići is the normal choice.

Why is the subject paket and not something like ga (“it”)?

Croatian often repeats the noun instead of using a pronoun, especially in short stand-alone sentences.
You could say it with a pronoun if context is clear:

  • Ako pogriješiš u adresi, neće stići. = If you mess up the address, it won’t arrive.

But including paket makes it unambiguous.

Is Ako here only “if”, or can it mean “when”?

Ako can be if, and in some contexts it can feel close to when/whenever. In this sentence it’s primarily if (a condition).
If you want a clearer “whenever,” Croatian often uses kad(a) or ako depending on nuance:

  • Kad pogriješiš… can sound more like when you (inevitably) make a mistake…
  • Ako pogriješiš… stays more conditional.
Why is there a comma: Ako …, paket …?

In Croatian, it’s standard to put a comma between a subordinate clause introduced by ako and the main clause:

  • Ako pogriješiš u adresi, paket neće stići.

If you reverse the order, you still usually use a comma:

  • Paket neće stići ako pogriješiš u adresi. (comma often omitted in this order, but many writers still include it depending on style)
What person/number is pogriješiš—is Croatian dropping “you”?

Pogriješiš = 2nd person singular (“you”). Croatian is a pro-drop language: the verb ending already shows the subject, so ti is usually omitted.
You can add ti for emphasis/contrast:

  • Ako ti pogriješiš u adresi… = If YOU (not someone else) make a mistake…
How do I pronounce the tricky parts like pogriješiš and neće?

Approximate pronunciation (with English-friendly hints):

  • pogriješiš: po-gri-ye-shish (the š is like sh)
  • neće: NEH-cheh (the ć is a soft “ch”)
  • stići: STEE-chee (again soft ć)

Also note: ije/je in grije is one of the common Croatian spelling/pronunciation patterns; many speakers pronounce it smoothly as a single syllable-like glide.

Could the word order change, or is this fixed?

It’s flexible. This is a very neutral order, but you can reorder for emphasis:

  • Ako pogriješiš u adresi, paket neće stići. (neutral)
  • Paket neće stići ako pogriješiš u adresi. (focus on the consequence first)
  • Ako u adresi pogriješiš, paket neće stići. (more emphasis on in the address)