Sutra dočekujem prijateljicu na kolodvoru, pa ću izaći ranije s posla.

In Croatian, the present tense is often used for a planned or arranged future action, especially when there is a clear time word like sutra (tomorrow).

So:

• Sutra dočekujem prijateljicu...
  = literally Tomorrow I am meeting/welcoming my friend... but naturally it means Tomorrow I’m meeting my friend...

This is very similar to English sentences like:

• I’m leaving tomorrow.
• I’m meeting her at 6.

So even though dočekujem is formally present tense, the time expression sutra makes the future meaning clear.

Dočekujem comes from the verb dočekati / dočekivati.

In this sentence, it means something like:

• to meet someone on arrival
• to wait for someone and greet them when they arrive
• to pick someone up in the sense of being there when they arrive

So dočekujem prijateljicu na kolodvoru means that the speaker is going to the station to receive their female friend when she arrives.

It is not just a general meet like English I’m meeting a friend for coffee.
It has the sense of receiving someone as they arrive.

Because prijateljicu is in the accusative case, which is used here for the direct object of the verb dočekujem.

Base form:

• prijateljica = female friend

In this sentence:

• dočekujem koga? = whom am I meeting/receiving?
• prijateljicu

So:

• prijateljica = nominative, dictionary form
• prijateljicu = accusative singular

This is a very common pattern with feminine nouns ending in -a:

• sestra → sestru
• učiteljica → učiteljicu
• prijateljica → prijateljicu

Kolodvoru is in the locative case, because na here means at/on in the sense of location.

• na kolodvoru = at the station

Croatian often uses:

• na + locative for location
• na + accusative for movement toward a place

Compare:

• Čekam je na kolodvoru. = I’m waiting for her at the station.
• Idem na kolodvor. = I’m going to the station.

So in your sentence, the speaker is already talking about the location of the meeting, not movement toward it.

Yes, kolodvor means station/terminal, usually a larger transport station.

Depending on context, it can refer to:

• a train station
• a bus station
• sometimes a station/terminal more generally

If needed, Croatian can be more specific:

• željeznički kolodvor = railway station
• autobusni kolodvor = bus station

In everyday use, the exact type may be understood from context.

Here pa means something like:

• so
• and so
• therefore
• which is why

It connects the two parts logically:

• Sutra dočekujem prijateljicu na kolodvoru, pa ću izaći ranije s posla.

Meaning:

• Tomorrow I’m meeting my friend at the station, so I’ll leave work earlier.

So the second action happens because of the first one.

Croatian future tense is usually formed with:

• the auxiliary ću (I will)
• plus the infinitive of the main verb

So:

• ću izaći = I will go out / I will leave

The verb izaći means to go out, but in this context izaći s posla means to leave work.

Also, Croatian clitic words like ću often come in second position in the clause. That is why after pa, you get:

• pa ću izaći...

This word order is very natural.

Its basic meaning is indeed to go out / come out / exit.

But with certain expressions, it can mean leave in a broader sense.
Here:

• izaći s posla = to leave work
• more naturally in English: to get off work / leave work

So the sentence does not mean the speaker is literally stepping outside for a moment. It means they will finish or leave work earlier than usual.

Because ranije means earlier, while rano means early.

Compare:

• Dolazim rano. = I’m coming early.
• Dolazim ranije. = I’m coming earlier.

In your sentence, the comparison is implied:

• earlier than usual
• earlier than expected
• earlier than normal working hours

So:

• izaći ranije s posla = to leave work earlier

Because Croatian normally says s posla in this expression.

• s posla = from work
• izaći s posla = leave work

The preposition s(a) is used with the genitive case, so:

• posao → posla

Although English says from work, Croatian idiomatically uses s here, not iz.

A useful phrase to remember as a whole is:

• Doći s posla = to come home from work
• Otići s posla = to leave work
• Izaći s posla = to get off work / leave work

Yes, Croatian word order is fairly flexible, because the case endings show the grammatical roles. But changing the order usually changes emphasis rather than the basic meaning.

For example, these are all possible with slightly different focus:

• Sutra dočekujem prijateljicu na kolodvoru, pa ću izaći ranije s posla.
• Sutra na kolodvoru dočekujem prijateljicu, pa ću izaći ranije s posla.
• Prijateljicu sutra dočekujem na kolodvoru, pa ću izaći ranije s posla.

The original sentence sounds very natural and neutral.

One thing that usually stays natural is the placement of the clitic ću near the beginning of its clause:

• pa ću izaći...

That part is less flexible than the placement of full words like sutra or na kolodvoru.