Kako je već kasno, idemo kući.

to be

Breakdown of Kako je već kasno, idemo kući.

• ići: to go
• kući: home
• kasno: late

Questions & Answers about Kako je već kasno, idemo kući.

Why does kako mean since / as here instead of how?

In this sentence, kako is not a question word. It is being used as a conjunction introducing a reason:

• Kako je već kasno, idemo kući. = Since it is already late, we are going home.

This use of kako is correct, but it can sound a bit more literary or formal than some other options. In everyday Croatian, learners will often hear:

• Idemo kući jer je već kasno.
• Budući da je već kasno, idemo kući.
• Pošto je već kasno, idemo kući.

So yes, kako usually means how, but in sentences like this it can also mean since / as.

Why is there je if there is no subject?

Croatian often uses impersonal expressions where English would use a dummy subject like it.

• Kasno je. = It is late.
• Hladno je. = It is cold.
• Vruće je. = It is hot.

English needs it, but Croatian does not. So je is simply the 3rd person singular form of biti = to be, and the subject is not stated because Croatian does not need one here.

Why is it kasno and not some other form like or ?