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Learn Hardcore Croatian: Odakle dolazi taj vlak? - Where is that train coming from?

Hardcore Croatian
/Lesson 65
/Odakle dolazi taj vlak?

Odakle dolazi taj vlak?

Word

Odakle dolazi taj vlak?

Meaning

Where is that train coming from?

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Croatian

Lesson

Breakdown of Odakle dolazi taj vlak?

Questions & Answers about Odakle dolazi taj vlak?

What does odakle mean, and how is it different from gdje or kamo?

Odakle means from where or where ... from.

It is used when you ask about the origin or starting point of movement:

Odakle dolazi taj vlak? = Where does that train come from?

Compare:

Gdje je vlak? = Where is the train?
- asks about location
Kamo ide vlak? = Where is the train going?
- asks about destination
Odakle dolazi vlak? = Where is the train coming from?
- asks about origin

So a useful pattern is:

gdje = where
kamo/kuda = where to / which way
odakle = where from

Why is dolazi used here? Does it literally mean comes?

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Yes. Dolazi is the 3rd person singular present tense of dolaziti, meaning to come or to be coming.

Because vlak means train, and it is singular, the verb is singular too:

vlak dolazi = the train comes / is coming

In this sentence, dolazi is often best translated naturally as:

does ... come from
is ... coming from

So although Croatian uses a simple present form, English may use either:

Where does that train come from?
Where is that train coming from?

Both can fit depending on context.

Why is it dolazi and not dođe?

Dolazi and dođe come from related but different verbs/aspects.

dolaziti = imperfective, ongoing/repeated process of coming
doći = perfective, to arrive / to come as a completed event

In ordinary questions like this, Croatian usually uses the imperfective dolaziti:

Odakle dolazi taj vlak?

Using dođe would sound different and is generally not the normal choice here. Doći focuses more on the completed arrival, while dolaziti fits the general idea of a train’s route or origin.

For learners, the safest version is:

odakle dolazi = where does it come from / where is it coming from

What is taj, and why is it there?

Taj means that.

So:

taj vlak = that train

It is a demonstrative adjective, and it must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Here:

vlak is masculine singular
so the form is taj

Some related forms are:

taj vlak = that train
ta žena = that woman
to selo = that village

You can also omit taj if the context is already clear:

Odakle dolazi vlak? = Where does the train come from?

But taj points to a specific train: that train.

Why is vlak in this form? Is it the dictionary form?

Yes. Vlak is in the nominative singular, which is also the dictionary form.

It is in the nominative because it is the subject of the sentence:

taj vlak dolazi = that train comes / is coming

Croatian changes noun endings depending on case, but here no change is needed because the subject stays in the nominative.

For example:

Taj vlak dolazi. = That train is coming.
Vidim taj vlak. = I see that train.
- here vlak stays the same, but taj changes to taj in masculine animate/inanimate patterns depending on usage context; with vlak as inanimate masculine, accusative is the same as nominative

So in your sentence, vlak is simply the normal subject form.

Is the word order fixed? Could I say Taj vlak odakle dolazi?

The most natural neutral word order is:

Odakle dolazi taj vlak?

Croatian word order is more flexible than English, but not every possible order sounds equally natural.

This sentence starts with odakle because that is the question word, and that is the normal position in direct questions.

You may also hear variations for emphasis, but Taj vlak odakle dolazi? sounds marked and less neutral. It could appear in conversation if someone is emphasizing that train, but it is not the standard beginner pattern.

Best default rule:

Put the question word first.
Then the verb.
Then the subject, unless you want special emphasis.

So for learners, use:

Odakle dolazi taj vlak?

Why doesn’t Croatian use an extra word like English does in this question?

Croatian does not need a helper verb like English do/does/did to make most questions.

English:

Where does that train come from?

Croatian:

Odakle dolazi taj vlak?

The question is shown by:

the question word (odakle), and
intonation in speech

Croatian verbs already contain person and number information, so there is no need for a separate auxiliary like does here.

Could this also mean Where is that train arriving from?

Yes, depending on context, that is a possible natural English interpretation.

Croatian present tense can cover meanings that English expresses in slightly different ways. So:

Odakle dolazi taj vlak?

could be understood as:

Where does that train come from?
Where is that train coming from?
Where is that train arriving from?

The exact English version depends on the situation:

timetable / route context: Where does that train come from?
live situation, watching a train approach: Where is that train coming from?

How do you pronounce Odakle dolazi taj vlak?

A rough pronunciation guide for an English speaker is:

Odakle ≈ oh-DAH-kleh
dolazi ≈ doh-LAH-zee
taj ≈ tie
vlak ≈ vlahk

A few useful notes:

j in Croatian is like English y in yes
z in dolazi sounds like z
lj, nj, č, ć, đ, š, ž are special Croatian letters/sounds, but they do not appear in this sentence
vl at the start of vlak may feel unusual for English speakers, but just pronounce both consonants: v-lak

The stress is not usually marked in normal writing, so beginners often learn pronunciation mainly by listening.

Can I leave out taj and just say Odakle dolazi vlak?

Yes, absolutely.

Odakle dolazi vlak? = Where does the train come from?
Odakle dolazi taj vlak? = Where does that train come from?

Adding taj makes the train more specific, often something visible or already mentioned.

So:

without taj = more general or just the train
with taj = that train, a specific one

Is this asking about the train’s route in general, or about what it is doing right now?

It can be either. Croatian present tense is often broader than English present tense.

Depending on context, the sentence may ask:

about the train’s usual route
- What city does that train come from?
about the current situation
- What place is that train coming from right now?

Croatian does not have the same strict contrast as English between comes and is coming. The context tells you which meaning is intended.

What would the answer to this kind of question look like in Croatian?

A typical answer would use iz + place name in the genitive:

Dolazi iz Zagreba. = It comes from Zagreb.
Taj vlak dolazi iz Splita. = That train comes from Split.

This matches the meaning of odakle:

odakle? = from where?
iz Zagreba = from Zagreb

So this is a very useful pattern:

Odakle dolazi ... ?
Dolazi iz ...

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