Mama gura kolica, a djevojčica nosi malu vrećicu s jabukama.

Both mean mother, but they are used a bit differently.

• mama = mom / mum, more everyday and familiar
• majka = mother, more neutral, formal, or literary

In this sentence, Mama gura kolica... sounds natural and conversational, like something you would see in a children’s book or a simple description.

Gura means pushes / is pushing.

It is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb gurati = to push.

So:

• ja guram = I push
• ti guraš = you push
• on/ona gura = he/she pushes

Here, Mama gura kolica = Mom is pushing the stroller/cart.

Kolica is one of those Croatian nouns that is usually used in a plural form, even when it refers to a single object.

Depending on context, kolica can mean things like:

• stroller / pram
• cart / trolley
• small wheeled vehicle

In this sentence, it most likely means a stroller.

Grammatically, it behaves like a plural noun, so you say:

• kolica su... = the stroller/cart is... literally with a plural form
• gura kolica = pushes the stroller/cart

This is similar to English words like scissors or pants, which are plural in form.

Croatian does not have articles like English the and a/an.

So:

• Mama can mean Mom or the mother, depending on context
• djevojčica can mean a little girl or the little girl
• malu vrećicu can mean a small bag or the small bag

You understand whether something is definite or indefinite from the context, not from an article.

A is a conjunction, and here it links two clauses:

• Mama gura kolica
• djevojčica nosi malu vrećicu s jabukama

It often means:

• and
• while
• whereas
• but (in some contexts)

In this sentence, a is best understood as something like:

• and
• while

So the sentence gives two parallel actions: Mom is pushing the stroller, and/while the little girl is carrying a small bag of apples.

It is slightly different from i:

• i = simple and
• a = often adds a sense of contrast, parallel action, or topic shift

Djevojčica means little girl.

Compare:

• djevojčica = little girl
• djevojka = girl / young woman / girlfriend, depending on context

The ending -ica here helps make it a diminutive form, so djevojčica clearly refers to a child.

So in this sentence:

• djevojčica nosi... = the little girl is carrying...

Because vrećicu is the direct object of nosi (carries / is carrying), so it is in the accusative case.

The noun vrećica is feminine singular:

• nominative: mala vrećica = a small bag
• accusative: malu vrećicu = a small bag (as the object)

So:

• Mala vrećica je na stolu. = The small bag is on the table.
  Here it is the subject, so nominative.
• Djevojčica nosi malu vrećicu. = The little girl is carrying a small bag.
  Here it is the object, so accusative.

The adjective must match the noun, so both change:

• mala vrećica → malu vrećicu

Vrećica means small bag or little bag.

Compare:

• vreća = sack, large bag
• vrećica = small bag, little bag, pouch

The ending -ica often creates a diminutive noun, so vrećica sounds smaller and more natural here than vreća.

So malu vrećicu is literally a small little bag, though in natural English you would usually just say a small bag.

S jabukama means with apples.

The preposition s(a) = with normally takes the instrumental case.

Singular and plural of jabuka:

• nominative singular: jabuka = apple
• instrumental plural: jabukama = with apples

So:

• s jabukom = with an apple
• s jabukama = with apples

That is why the sentence says vrećicu s jabukama = a bag with apples.

The basic form is s, but sa is used when pronunciation is easier that way, especially before certain consonant combinations.

Here, s jabukama is easy to pronounce, so s is used.

Examples:

• s mamom = with mom
• s jabukama = with apples
• sa sestrom = with my sister
• sa školom = with the school

So the choice between s and sa is mainly about pronunciation, not a difference in meaning.

Nosi is the 3rd person singular present tense of nositi.

It often means:

• carries
• is carrying
• wears
• takes / brings, depending on context

Examples:

• nosi torbu = carries a bag
• nosi haljinu = wears a dress

In this sentence, because the object is malu vrećicu (a small bag), the meaning is clearly carries / is carrying.

Croatian word order is more flexible than English word order because case endings show grammatical roles.

The original sentence is very natural:

• Mama gura kolica, a djevojčica nosi malu vrećicu s jabukama.

But other orders are possible, for example:

• Djevojčica nosi malu vrećicu s jabukama, a mama gura kolica.
• Mama kolica gura, a djevojčica nosi malu vrećicu s jabukama.

These alternatives may sound more marked or emphasize different parts of the sentence. For learners, the original order is the safest and most neutral.

Because the meaning is a bag with apples, not with an apple.

So:

• s jabukom = with an apple
• s jabukama = with apples

The plural ending -ama is a common instrumental plural ending for many feminine nouns like jabuka.

Yes, at least two clearly are:

• djevojčica = little girl
• vrećica = small bag / little bag

Croatian uses diminutives very naturally, often more often than English does. They can show:

• small size
• affection
• friendliness
• child-related language

So this sentence has a soft, everyday, slightly child-centered feel.

Like this:

Mama — subject
gura — verb
kolica — direct object

a — conjunction

djevojčica — subject
nosi — verb
malu vrećicu — direct object
s jabukama — prepositional phrase, describing the bag

So the structure is:

• [Subject] [Verb] [Object], a [Subject] [Verb] [Object + phrase]

That makes it a very useful model sentence for beginners.