Zagrlit ću te kad dođeš.

Because in standard Croatian, when the future auxiliary ću comes after the infinitive, the final -i of infinitives ending in -ti is dropped in writing.

So:

• zagrliti + ću → zagrlit ću

Compare:

• Ja ću te zagrliti.
• Zagrlit ću te.

Both mean the same thing, but the form changes depending on where ću appears.

Ću is the 1st person singular future auxiliary. It means I will.

So zagrlit ću = I will hug.

Croatian often forms the future with:

• the main verb
• plus a short form of the auxiliary

Here the speaker is I, even though ja is not stated explicitly.

Croatian usually drops subject pronouns when the verb ending already makes the person clear.

In this sentence:

• ću tells you the main clause subject is I
• dođeš tells you the subordinate clause subject is you (singular)

So Croatian does not need ja or ti here unless the speaker wants extra emphasis.

For example:

• Ja ću te zagrliti kad dođeš. = more explicit/emphatic I

Te is the unstressed accusative form of you (singular informal).

It is used because it is the direct object of zagrliti:

• zagrliti koga? → te

So:

• te = you as the thing/person being hugged

This is not the same as ti, which is usually to you or a stressed form depending on context.

After kad meaning when, Croatian normally uses the present tense form for a future event.

So:

• kad dođeš = when you come / when you arrive

This is very similar to English, where we also usually say:

• when you come not
• when you will come

Also, doći is a perfective verb, so its present form often refers to a future completed event in this kind of sentence.

Dođeš is 2nd person singular.

That means the speaker is talking to one person informally:

• you come / you arrive

The ending -eš is a clue that it is you singular.

Yes. Kad and kada both mean when.

In many situations they are interchangeable:

• Zagrlit ću te kad dođeš.
• Zagrlit ću te kada dođeš.

Kad is shorter and very common in everyday speech. Kada can sound a bit fuller or slightly more formal, depending on context.

Yes, Croatian word order is fairly flexible.

For example, you can also say:

• Kad dođeš, zagrlit ću te.

That puts more focus on the time clause first: When you come, I'll hug you.

You can also say:

• Ja ću te zagrliti kad dođeš.

That sounds a bit more explicit because ja is included.

However, Zagrlit ću te kad dođeš. is a very natural neutral sentence.

Yes. This sentence uses singular informal you:

• te
• dođeš

For plural or formal singular, you would use:

• vas instead of te
• dođete instead of dođeš

So:

• Zagrlit ću vas kad dođete.

That can mean either:

• I’ll hug you all when you come or
• I’ll hug you when you come (formal singular)

Because zagrliti is perfective, and it usually refers to one completed act of hugging or embracing.

That fits this sentence well: when the person arrives, the speaker will give them a hug.

By contrast, grliti is imperfective and suggests an ongoing or repeated action, more like:

• to be hugging
• to hug repeatedly

So:

• Zagrlit ću te kad dođeš. = one natural completed hug when you arrive
• Grlit ću te... would sound more like prolonged or repeated hugging

The letter đ is pronounced somewhat like the soft sound in English duke or during in many accents, though it is not exactly the same.

A rough pronunciation guide:

• dođeš ≈ DOH-jesh, but with a softer j/dy sound in the middle
• ću has a soft ć sound, somewhat like a very soft ch/t sound

The exact Croatian sounds ć and đ do not match English perfectly, so it is best to learn them by listening to native speakers if possible.