Prije spavanja provjerim jesu li duda i čista pelena u torbi.

to be

Breakdown of Prije spavanja provjerim jesu li duda i čista pelena u torbi.

• u: in
• i: and
• prije: before

Questions & Answers about Prije spavanja provjerim jesu li duda i čista pelena u torbi.

Why is spavanja in the form spavanja?

Because prije normally takes the genitive case in Croatian.

The base noun is spavanje = sleeping / sleep (a verbal noun from spavati = to sleep).
Its genitive singular form is spavanja.

So:

• prije = before
• spavanja = sleeping / sleep in the genitive

Literally, prije spavanja means before sleeping or before sleep. In natural English, that often becomes before going to bed or before bed, depending on context.

What form is provjerim?

Provjerim is the 1st person singular present form of provjeriti.

So it means:

• provjerim = I check / I verify

The verb provjeriti is perfective, so it presents the action as a single completed check. That is why it can feel a bit like I make sure in English.

A learner may wonder why this is not provjeravam. The difference is roughly:

• provjerim = I do one complete check
• provjeravam = I am checking / I check habitually, with more focus on the process

In everyday Croatian, provjerim can sound very natural when the speaker sees this as one routine step.