Kad se vratim kući, djeca mi odmah trče u zagrljaj.

When I return home, the children immediately run into my arms.

Breakdown of Kad se vratim kući, djeca mi odmah trče u zagrljaj.

• kući: home
• mi: me (dative short form)
• kad: when
• dijete: child

Questions & Answers about Kad se vratim kući, djeca mi odmah trče u zagrljaj.

Why is it Kad se vratim and not something like Kad ću se vratiti?

In Croatian, after kad meaning when, a future event is often expressed with the present tense of a perfective verb, not with the future tense.

So:

• Kad se vratim kući = When I come back home
• literally it looks like present tense, but it can refer to a future completed event

Also, this sentence sounds very natural as a habitual statement:

• Whenever I come home, the children immediately run into my arms.

Using Kad ću se vratiti would not work here.

A useful pattern is:

• Kad dođem, nazvat ću te. = When I arrive, I’ll call you.
• Kad završim posao, idem kući. = When I finish work, I’m going home.

So vratim is correct because Croatian often uses the present of a perfective verb in this kind of time clause.

Why is it vratim and not vraćam se?