Obično završavamo posao prije šest sati.

Obično means usually.

It is an adverb, and putting it near the beginning is a very natural way to show that the whole statement is a habit or routine. Croatian word order is flexible, so you could also hear:

• Posao obično završavamo prije šest sati.
• Završavamo posao obično prije šest sati.

But Obično završavamo... is a very neutral, natural choice.

Završavamo is:

• present tense
• 1st person plural
• from the imperfective verb završavati

So it means we finish / we are finishing / we usually finish, depending on context.

Croatian often uses the imperfective for repeated, habitual actions, especially with words like obično. That is why završavamo fits well here.

The related perfective verb is završiti, whose 1st person plural present form is završimo. That form focuses more on the action as a completed whole. In this sentence, the habitual sense is better expressed with završavamo.

Because Croatian usually does not need subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows the subject.

The ending -mo in završavamo already tells you the subject is we.

So:

• završavamo = we finish / we are finishing

You can add mi for emphasis or contrast:

• Mi obično završavamo posao prije šest sati.

That would sound more like We usually finish work before six, with extra stress on we.

Croatian has no articles like English the or a/an.

So posao can mean different things depending on context, such as:

• work
• the job
• a job
• the work

In this sentence, English usually translates it naturally as work.

It is the direct object, so it is in the accusative case.

However, posao is a masculine inanimate noun, and for many masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative singular looks the same as the nominative singular.

So here:

• nominative: posao
• accusative: posao

That is why the form does not visibly change.

In other cases, the noun does change, for example:

• genitive: posla
• dative: poslu

Because prije means before, and it requires the genitive case.

The phrase šest sati is the form used after the number six and also works here after prije.

So:

• prije = before
• prije šest sati = before six o'clock

This is a standard way to talk about time.

It can mean either, depending on context.

• šest sati = six hours
• u šest sati = at six o'clock
• prije šest sati = before six o'clock

In this sentence, because it is about finishing work at a certain time of day, the meaning is clearly before six o'clock, not before six hours.

Yes. Very often, especially in everyday speech, Croatians simply say:

• Obično završavamo posao prije šest.

That sounds natural and common. Adding sati is also correct, but it can sound a bit more explicit or formal.

So both are fine:

• prije šest
• prije šest sati

Yes. Croatian word order is much more flexible than English word order because grammatical endings carry a lot of the meaning.

For example, all of these are possible:

• Obično završavamo posao prije šest sati.
• Posao obično završavamo prije šest sati.
• Prije šest sati obično završavamo posao.

The basic meaning stays the same, but the emphasis changes:

• starting with obično highlights the routine
• starting with posao highlights what is being finished
• starting with prije šest sati highlights the time

They are similar, but not the same.

• prije šest sati = before six
• do šest sati = by six or until six, depending on context

So:

• Obično završavamo posao prije šest sati means the work is usually finished earlier than six.
• Obično završavamo posao do šest sati means the work is usually finished by six at the latest.

In other words, prije šest is strictly earlier than six, while do šest allows six as the endpoint.