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U subotu idem u galeriju sa sestrom gledati novu izložbu.

U subotu idem u galeriju sa sestrom gledati novu izložbu.
On Saturday I am going to the gallery with my sister to see a new exhibition.

Breakdown of U subotu idem u galeriju sa sestrom gledati novu izložbu.

ići
to go
u
to
nov
new
sa
with
sestra
sister
u
on
subota
Saturday
gledati
to see
galerija
gallery
izložba
exhibition
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Questions & Answers about U subotu idem u galeriju sa sestrom gledati novu izložbu.

Why is idem in the present tense if the sentence is about the future?

In Croatian, the present tense is often used for a planned or arranged future action, especially when there is already a time expression such as u subotu (on Saturday).

So:

U subotu idem... = On Saturday I’m going...

This is very natural, just like English can say I’m going on Saturday.

Croatian could also use the future form, for example ići ću, but idem sounds very normal here because the plan is already set.

Why is it u subotu?

U subotu means on Saturday.

Here, subota is the basic dictionary form, and subotu is the accusative singular form. With days of the week, Croatian often uses:

u + accusative = on a specific day

So:

  • u subotu = on Saturday
  • u nedjelju = on Sunday
  • u srijedu = on Wednesday

A useful contrast:

  • u subotu = on Saturday, this specific Saturday
  • subotom = on Saturdays, regularly / every Saturday
Why is it u galeriju and not u galeriji?

Because Croatian distinguishes between:

  • movement toward a place → u + accusative
  • location in a place → u + locative

Here the speaker is going to the gallery, so it is movement toward a destination:

  • idem u galeriju = I’m going to the gallery

But if the speaker were already there, you would say:

  • u galeriji sam = I am in the gallery

So:

  • u galeriju = into / to the gallery
  • u galeriji = in the gallery
Why is it sa sestrom?

Because the preposition s / sa meaning with takes the instrumental case.

The noun sestra changes in the instrumental singular:

  • sestra → sestrom

So:

  • sa sestrom = with (my/the) sister

This is a very common pattern:

  • s prijateljem = with a friend
  • sa mamom = with mum
  • s profesorom = with the professor
Why do we have sa instead of just s?

S and sa are the same preposition: with.

Croatian uses sa instead of s when it is easier to pronounce, especially before words beginning with certain consonants, including s.

Since sestrom begins with s, sa sestrom sounds natural and easy to say.

So:

  • sa sestrom = natural
  • s sestrom = possible in theory, but awkward in pronunciation and generally avoided
Why is there gledati after idem?

Here gledati is an infinitive, and it expresses purpose: what the speaker is going there to do.

So:

  • idem u galeriju ... gledati novu izložbu = I’m going to the gallery ... to see the new exhibition

This is a common Croatian pattern:

ići + infinitive = to go and do / to go to do something

For example:

  • idem kupiti kruh = I’m going to buy bread
  • idem spavati = I’m going to sleep
  • idem gledati film = I’m going to watch a film
Why is it novu izložbu and not nova izložba?

Because izložbu is the direct object of gledati, and direct objects usually go in the accusative case.

The basic form is:

  • nova izložba = a new exhibition / the new exhibition
    nominative

But after gledati, it changes to accusative:

  • gledati novu izložbu = to see the new exhibition

Both the adjective and noun change because they must agree:

  • nova → novu
  • izložba → izložbu

This is normal for feminine singular nouns ending in -a.

Why are there no words for the or a in Croatian?

Because Croatian does not have articles like English the and a/an.

So a noun like galerija can mean:

  • a gallery
  • the gallery

And izložba can mean:

  • an exhibition
  • the exhibition

The exact meaning is understood from context.

If Croatian wants to be more specific, it can use other words such as:

  • ova izložba = this exhibition
  • ta izložba = that exhibition
  • jedna izložba = one / a certain exhibition

But in many sentences, no article-like word is needed at all.

Does sa sestrom mean with my sister? Why isn’t my stated?

Croatian often leaves out possessive words like my when the relationship is obvious from context.

So sa sestrom can very naturally be understood as with my sister, especially if the speaker is talking about their own family.

If you want to make it completely explicit, you could say:

  • sa svojom sestrom = with my sister / with one’s own sister

But very often Croatian simply uses:

  • sa sestrom

This is one of those places where Croatian can be less explicit than English.

Could you also say idem na izložbu instead?

Yes, that would also be very natural, but it shifts the focus slightly.

  • idem u galeriju = I’m going to the gallery
    focus on the place
  • idem na izložbu = I’m going to the exhibition
    focus on the event/exhibition itself

In your sentence:

idem u galeriju sa sestrom gledati novu izložbu

the idea is: I’m going to the gallery, with my sister, to see the new exhibition.

A Croatian speaker might also say:

U subotu idem sa sestrom na novu izložbu u galeriju.

That would still be natural, just structured a little differently.

Is the word order fixed in this sentence?

No, Croatian word order is fairly flexible because the case endings show how the words function.

The given order is natural:

U subotu idem u galeriju sa sestrom gledati novu izložbu.

But other orders are also possible, depending on what you want to emphasize. For example:

  • Idem u subotu u galeriju sa sestrom gledati novu izložbu.
  • Sa sestrom idem u subotu u galeriju gledati novu izložbu.

These all mean roughly the same thing, but the first sentence sounds like a neutral, straightforward version.

A good rule for learners is:

  • the endings carry the grammar,
  • the word order often carries the emphasis.