Doktorica kaže da moram dati krv prije pregleda.

Doktorica is the feminine form, so it means female doctor. Croatian often shows natural gender in job titles and roles:

• doktor = male doctor
• doktorica = female doctor

So this sentence specifically tells you the doctor is a woman.

Kaže means says.

It is the 3rd person singular present form of kazati or reći in this meaning:

• ja kažem = I say
• ti kažeš = you say
• on/ona kaže = he/she says

So Doktorica kaže... = The doctor says...

Here da means that and introduces a subordinate clause:

• Doktorica kaže da... = The doctor says that...

This is very common in Croatian after verbs like:

• reći / kazati = to say
• misliti = to think
• znati = to know
• vidjeti = to see

So the structure is:

• X kaže da Y = X says that Y

Moram means I must or I have to.

It is first person singular because the speaker is talking about themself:

• moram = I must
• moraš = you must
• mora = he/she must

So:

• da moram dati krv = that I have to give blood

Even though the doctor is the subject of the first part, the second part is about me, so Croatian uses moram.

Because after a modal verb like morati, Croatian normally uses the infinitive.

• moram dati = I have to give
• not moram dajem

So:

• moram dati krv literally = I must give blood

This is the same pattern as:

• moram ići = I have to go
• moram raditi = I have to work
• moram čekati = I have to wait

Not necessarily. Literally, dati krv means to give blood, but in medical contexts it often means to provide a blood sample or have blood taken.

So in this sentence, because of prije pregleda (before the examination), it most likely means:

• I need to give a blood sample before the examination

If someone were talking about blood donation more generally, context would make that clearer.

Croatian has no articles, so there is no word corresponding directly to a, an, or the.

So:

• krv can mean blood, the blood, or some blood, depending on context.

English must choose an article, but Croatian does not.

Because prije requires the genitive case.

The noun pregled changes form after prije:

• nominative: pregled = examination
• genitive: pregleda = of the examination / after before

So:

• prije pregleda = before the examination

This is a very common pattern:

• prije škole = before school
• prije ručka = before lunch
• prije puta = before the trip

Pregled usually means examination, check-up, or medical examination.

In this sentence, it most naturally means a medical exam or doctor’s check-up:

• prije pregleda = before the examination / before the check-up

Depending on context, English might translate it as:

• before the exam
• before the check-up
• before the examination

Yes, Croatian word order is more flexible than English, but this version is the most neutral and natural.

Current order:

• Doktorica kaže da moram dati krv prije pregleda.

This is straightforward:

• subject: Doktorica
• verb: kaže
• subordinate clause: da moram dati krv prije pregleda

You may also hear other word orders for emphasis, for example:

• Doktorica kaže da prije pregleda moram dati krv.

This puts more focus on before the examination. Both are grammatical.

In this sentence, da is normally needed.

• Doktorica kaže da moram dati krv. = correct
• Doktorica kaže moram dati krv. = not standard in normal written Croatian

So after kaže in this kind of sentence, Croatian usually keeps da to introduce the clause.

Not exactly.

• prije + noun = before + noun
• prije nego što + clause = before + full clause

In your sentence, pregleda is a noun, so Croatian uses:

• prije pregleda = before the examination

If you wanted a full clause, you would use something like:

• prije nego što me pregleda = before she examines me

So Croatian distinguishes between before + noun and before + clause more clearly than English sometimes does.

Then you would normally say:

• Doktor kaže da moram dati krv prije pregleda.

Only the first word changes:

• doktorica = female doctor
• doktor = male doctor

The rest of the sentence stays the same because kaže works for both he says and she says.