Moja baka najviše voli trešnje i šljive, ali ja radije jedem marelice.

Because moja has to agree with baka in gender, number, and case.

• baka is feminine singular
• so the possessive form is moja = my

Compare:

• moj djed = my grandfather
• moja baka = my grandmother
• moje dijete = my child

So moja baka is the correct matching form.

It can correspond to either, depending on context and tone.

• baka is the normal everyday Croatian word
• in English, it may be translated as grandmother or grandma

In many situations, my grandma is the most natural English equivalent, but my grandmother is also correct.

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

So Croatian simply says:

• moja baka = my grandmother / my grandma
• trešnje = cherries
• marelice = apricots

If Croatian wants to be more specific, it usually does so with context, word order, or words like ovaj/taj/onaj rather than articles.

najviše means most.

So:

• voli = likes / loves
• najviše voli = likes the most

In this sentence, it means that cherries and plums are what the grandmother likes best.

A useful comparison:

• voli = likes
• više voli = likes more
• najviše voli = likes most

Yes. Croatian voljeti covers both ideas, and the exact English translation depends on context.

For example:

• Volim te. = I love you.
• Volim kavu. = I like coffee.
• Moja baka najviše voli trešnje i šljive. = My grandmother likes cherries and plums most.

With food, hobbies, and things, English usually translates voljeti as like, not love, unless you want a stronger tone.

Because they are direct objects, so they are in the accusative case.

Here, the verbs are:

• voli = likes
• jedem = eat

The things being liked or eaten go into the accusative.

In this sentence they are also plural, and for these feminine inanimate nouns, the accusative plural looks the same as the nominative plural:

• trešnje = cherries
• šljive = plums
• marelice = apricots

Compare the singular forms:

• trešnja → trešnju
• šljiva → šljivu
• marelica → marelicu

So the plural may look simple, but it is still functioning as accusative here.

radije means rather or preferably.

It is used to express preference between actions:

• Radije jedem marelice. = I prefer to eat apricots. / I’d rather eat apricots.

It comes from:

• rado = gladly
• radije = rather, more gladly
• najradije = most gladly

So radije is a very common word when talking about what you would prefer to do.

Because Croatian often expresses this idea with an adverb + finite verb, not with a separate verb like English prefer.

So:

• radije jedem literally = I eat more willingly / I rather eat
• natural English = I prefer to eat

This is a very normal Croatian structure.

You can also compare:

• Radije čitam. = I’d rather read.
• Radije idem pješice. = I prefer to go on foot.

Both are possible, but they are not exactly the same.

• više volim marelice = I like apricots more
• radije jedem marelice = I would rather eat apricots / I prefer eating apricots

So radije jedem focuses more on the action of eating, while više volim focuses more generally on liking.

In your sentence, that makes good sense:

• Grandma’s preference is described with voli
• the speaker’s own food choice is described with radije jedem

Yes, it could.

Croatian often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person:

• jedem already means I eat

So:

• ali ja radije jedem marelice
• ali radije jedem marelice

Both are grammatical.

Here, ja is included for contrast:

• My grandmother likes one thing,
• but I prefer something else.

So ja adds emphasis, like English but I...

ali means but and gives a clear contrast.

• ali = but
• a = and / but / whereas, often softer or looser

In this sentence, ali works well because the speaker is contrasting their own preference with the grandmother’s preference.

A version with a would also be possible in some contexts, but it would usually sound a bit softer:

• Moja baka najviše voli trešnje i šljive, a ja radije jedem marelice.

That feels more like whereas I prefer apricots, while ali feels more like but I prefer apricots.

They are both present tense forms.

• voli = he/she likes
• jedem = I eat

More specifically:

• voljeti → voli = 3rd person singular
• jesti → jedem = 1st person singular

So:

• moja baka voli = my grandmother likes
• ja jedem = I eat

In Croatian, the present tense is also used for general habits and preferences, just like in English:

• I eat apricots / I like apricots
• not necessarily only right now

Yes, Croatian word order is fairly flexible, but changing it usually changes emphasis.

The original sentence is natural and neutral:

• Moja baka najviše voli trešnje i šljive, ali ja radije jedem marelice.

You may also hear variations such as:

• Moja baka voli trešnje i šljive najviše...
• ...ali ja marelice radije jedem.

These are possible, but they sound more marked or emphasize particular words.

For a learner, the original order is the safest and most natural one to use.

They are all plural.

• trešnja = cherry
• šljiva = plum
• marelica = apricot

Plural:

• trešnje = cherries
• šljive = plums
• marelice = apricots

If you wanted singular objects after the verbs, you would need accusative singular forms:

• trešnju
• šljivu
• marelicu

For example:

• Jedem marelicu. = I’m eating an apricot.

A few useful pronunciation points:

• š sounds like sh in shoe
• ž sounds like the s in measure
• j sounds like y in yes
• c sounds like ts in cats
• lj is a soft sound, roughly like ly
• nj is a soft sound, roughly like ny

Approximate pronunciations:

• trešnje ≈ TRESH-nyeh
• šljive ≈ SHLYEE-veh
• marelice ≈ mah-REH-lee-tseh
• najviše ≈ NIGH-vee-sheh
• radije ≈ RAH-dee-yeh

These are only rough English guides, but they help a lot at the beginning.

Yes. The comma is natural and expected before ali.

Croatian normally uses a comma before coordinating conjunctions like ali when they join two clauses:

• Moja baka najviše voli trešnje i šljive, ali ja radije jedem marelice.

So the comma here works much like it does in English before but.