Zbog radova na pruzi morali smo imati presjedanje u drugom gradu.

Zbog means because of or due to. It is always followed by the genitive case.

So in:

Zbog radova na pruzi...

the noun after zbog has to be in the genitive.

• radovi = works, construction works, repairs
• radova = genitive plural

So the phrase literally works like because of works on the railway line.

Because zbog requires the genitive case.

The basic form is:

• radovi = works

But after zbog, it changes to:

• radova = of works / because of works

This is genitive plural. Croatian often uses the plural radovi for roadworks, rail works, construction works, repairs, and similar kinds of public work.

Na pruzi means on the railway line / on the track.

The noun is:

• pruga = railway line, track

After na, Croatian can use different cases depending on meaning:

• na + locative = location, being on/at something
• na + accusative = movement onto something

Here it is a location, not movement, so we get the locative:

• pruga → pruzi

So:

• radovi na pruzi = works on the railway line

Morali smo is the past tense of morati = to have to / must.

Croatian past tense is built with:

1. the past participle
2. a present form of biti = to be

Here:

• morali = past participle, masculine plural
• smo = we are auxiliary, used to form the past tense

So:

• morali smo = we had to

Why morali?

Because the subject is we, and the participle agrees with the gender/number of the group:

• morali smo = masculine plural or mixed group
• morale smo = all-female group

Yes, it is a normal and natural expression.

Imati presjedanje literally means to have a transfer / to have a change. In travel contexts, it means you could not travel directly and had to change trains, buses, etc.

So:

• morali smo imati presjedanje = we had to have a transfer / we had to change

Croatian can also express this idea with a verb, for example:

• morali smo presjesti = we had to change trains/buses

Both are possible, but imati presjedanje focuses a bit more on the fact that the journey involved a transfer.

Presjedanje is a noun meaning transfer, change, or connection change during a journey.

It comes from the verb presjesti, which means to change from one vehicle to another.

For example:

• presjesti = to change trains/buses
• presjedanje = a transfer, a change

So in this sentence, presjedanje means that the travelers had to get off and continue the trip from another train or other means of transport.

Because this phrase expresses location, not movement.

Croatian uses:

• u + locative for in/at a place
• u + accusative for movement into/to a place

Here the meaning is:

• the transfer happened in another city

So we use the locative:

• grad = city
• u drugom gradu = in another city

If the sentence meant movement toward a city, then you would expect the accusative:

• u drugi grad = into another city / to another city

Here it means another.

The adjective drugi can mean both:

• second
• other / another

Context tells you which meaning is intended.

In:

u drugom gradu

the natural meaning is in another city, not in the second city.

So the sentence means the transfer took place in a different city from the starting point or expected route.

Not completely. Croatian word order is more flexible than English word order, although some positions are more natural than others.

This sentence:

Zbog radova na pruzi morali smo imati presjedanje u drugom gradu.

is a very natural neutral order.

You could also say:

• Morali smo imati presjedanje u drugom gradu zbog radova na pruzi.

That is also grammatical, but it shifts the emphasis a little. The original puts the reason first, which sounds very natural when giving an explanation.

One thing to notice is that smo is a clitic, so it tends to come early in the sentence, usually in the second position area.

Because Croatian has no articles like English a and the.

So Croatian simply says:

• na pruzi = on the railway line / on a railway line
• u drugom gradu = in another city

Whether English should use a, the, or nothing depends on context and translation style, not on a separate Croatian word.

This is something English speakers often need time to get used to: Croatian usually leaves definiteness unstated unless context makes it clear.

Yes. Radovi is a broad word and can cover several kinds of work depending on context.

In radovi na pruzi, possible English translations include:

• track works
• rail works
• construction works on the line
• repairs on the railway line
• maintenance work on the railway line

So the exact English wording can vary. The Croatian sentence itself simply tells you there was work being done on the railway line, and because of that, a transfer was necessary.