Ovaj put dolazimo ranije u kino, da ne propustimo početak filma.

This time we are coming to the cinema earlier so we don’t miss the beginning of the movie.

Breakdown of Ovaj put dolazimo ranije u kino, da ne propustimo početak filma.

• ne: not
• u: to
• film: movie
• dolaziti: to come
• kino: cinema
• ranije: earlier
• da: so that
• početak: beginning
• propustiti: to miss
• ovaj put: this time

Questions & Answers about Ovaj put dolazimo ranije u kino, da ne propustimo početak filma.

Why does the sentence start with Ovaj put? Does it mean this time or this way?

Ovaj put means this time / on this occasion (time reference).

• put literally means time/occasion here (not “road” or “way”).
• You can also hear ovaj puta in some regions/colloquial speech, but ovaj put is the standard form.

Why is dolazimo in the present tense if the meaning is about the future?

Croatian often uses the present tense to talk about planned or near-future actions, especially with time context like ovaj put.
So dolazimo can mean we’re coming / we’ll come depending on context.

What verb is dolazimo from, and is it imperfective or perfective?

Dolazimo is 1st person plural present of dolaziti (imperfective) = to come (regularly / as a process).
A perfective alternative would be doći (e.g., doći ćemo ranije = we will come earlier), which can sound a bit more “one-time/complete arrival”.

Why isn’t mi (we) written? How do I know who is coming?

Croatian usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person/number.

• dolaz-imo = we
  You can add mi for emphasis/contrast: Ovaj put mi dolazimo ranije... (implying someone else doesn’t).

What is ranije exactly? Is it an adjective?

ranije is an adverb meaning earlier (comparative).
It comes from rano = early → ranije = earlier.
It modifies the verb dolazimo (how we come).

What’s the difference between ranije and prije? Could I say prije here?

They’re close but not identical:

• ranije = earlier (often comparing to another time/expectation)
• prije = before (often “before X” or “earlier than X”)
  In this sentence, ranije is the most natural. You could say prije in some contexts, but it often wants an explicit reference (e.g., prije početka = before the start).

Why is it u kino and not u kinu?

Because u + accusative is used for movement toward a place (destination):

• Idemo/dolazimo u kino = we’re coming to the cinema
  u + locative is used for location (being somewhere):
• U kinu smo = we are in the cinema

Why does kino not change form in u kino?

Kino is a neuter noun whose nominative and accusative forms are the same: kino.
So you still use the accusative (because of movement), but it looks unchanged.

What does da mean here, and why is there a comma before it?

Here da introduces a purpose clause: so that / in order that.
The comma is standard because you’re separating the main clause from the subordinate purpose clause:

• Ovaj put dolazimo ranije u kino, da...

Why is it da ne propustimo and not something like da nećemo propustiti?

After da (purpose), Croatian typically uses the present tense to express intended result/purpose:

• da ne propustimo = so that we don’t miss
  Using da nećemo propustiti is generally not the normal structure for purpose here; it sounds off because nećemo is a future auxiliary and doesn’t fit well in a simple purpose clause like this.

What form is propustimo? Is it perfective or imperfective?

propustimo is 1st person plural present of propustiti (usually perfective) meaning to miss (something), let slip.
Even though it’s “present form,” in the da-clause it expresses the intended outcome: so we don’t end up missing.

Why is it početak filma and not početak film or početak filma-a?

početak (start/beginning) is a noun that commonly takes a genitive to show “the beginning of X”:

• početak filma = the beginning of the film
  So filma is genitive singular of film.