Knjižničarka kaže da za tu lektiru danas nema slobodnog primjerka.

Knjižničarka means female librarian.

The ending -ka is a common way to form a feminine noun for a person in Croatian. The masculine form is knjižničar and the feminine form is knjižničarka.

So:

• knjižničar = male librarian
• knjižničarka = female librarian

Because the sentence specifically uses the feminine noun, we know the speaker is referring to a woman.

Kaže is the 3rd person singular present tense of kazati or reći in the sense of to say.

Here it agrees with knjižničarka, which is she:

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

So Knjižničarka kaže... means The librarian says...

In Croatian, da often introduces a subordinate clause, especially after verbs like say, think, know, hope, and similar verbs.

So:

• Kaže da... = She says that...

This works much like English that in:

• She says that there is no available copy.

In everyday English, that is often omitted, but in Croatian da is normally kept in this kind of sentence.

Lektira is not just any book. It usually refers to required reading, especially for school.

So in this sentence, tu lektiru most likely means:

• that assigned book
• that required reading text
• that school reading book

This is a cultural vocabulary item that English speakers often need to learn as a separate concept.

Because za here takes the accusative case when it means for.

The base form is:

• ta lektira = that required reading book/text

But after za, it becomes accusative:

• za tu lektiru = for that required reading

So:

• nominative: ta lektira
• accusative: tu lektiru

This is a regular feminine noun pattern.

Here za means for.

So za tu lektiru means:

• for that required reading
• for that book
• for that school text

In context, it means that regarding that particular required book, the library does not have a free/available copy today.

Nema is the normal negative form of ima.

• ima = there is / there are / has
• nema = there isn’t / there aren’t / doesn’t have

So:

• Ima slobodan primjerak. = There is an available copy.
• Nema slobodnog primjerka. = There is no available copy.

Croatian uses nema as a single word, not ne ima.

Because imati / nema in Croatian can work both as:

1. to have
2. an existential expression similar to there is / there are

So nema slobodnog primjerka literally looks like does not have an available copy, but in natural English it is usually best translated as:

• there is no available copy
• there aren’t any available copies

This is very common in Croatian.

Because after nema, Croatian normally uses the genitive case.

The basic nominative form is:

• slobodan primjerak = an available copy

But after nema, it changes to genitive:

• nema slobodnog primjerka

So both words change:

• slobodan → slobodnog
• primjerak → primjerka

This is a very important pattern:

• Ima primjerak. = There is a copy.
• Nema primjerka. = There is no copy.

Primjerak means copy—usually a physical copy of a book, magazine, document, etc.

Slobodan here means available, not free of charge.

So slobodan primjerak means:

• an available copy
• a copy that is not currently checked out or reserved

In a library context, slobodan often means something like free/unoccupied/available.

Danas means today, and Croatian word order is more flexible than English word order.

This sentence says:

• Knjižničarka kaže da za tu lektiru danas nema slobodnog primjerka.

But you could also hear:

• Knjižničarka kaže da danas nema slobodnog primjerka za tu lektiru.

Both are grammatical. The chosen order slightly highlights za tu lektiru first, as the topic, and then adds danas.

Croatian often moves elements around for emphasis, rhythm, or information structure more than English does.

Yes, it could, but the meaning shifts slightly.

• nema slobodnog primjerka = there is no available copy
• nema slobodnih primjeraka = there are no available copies

The singular genitive after nema can be used in a general existential way, and it is very natural here. The plural version is also possible if the speaker wants to emphasize that no copies at all are available.

So the original sentence is perfectly normal.

It is singular genitive.

The nominative singular is:

• primjerak

The genitive singular is:

• primjerka

So:

• nema slobodnog primjerka = no available copy

If it were plural genitive, it would be:

• primjeraka

So:

• nema slobodnih primjeraka = no available copies

Yes. Croatian very often leaves out subject pronouns when the verb already shows the person.

So instead of saying:

• Knjižničarka kaže da ona nema...

Croatian simply says:

• Knjižničarka kaže da nema...

The subject is clear from the context. This is normal and natural.

It is neutral and natural. It sounds like normal spoken or written Croatian.

Nothing in it is slangy or unusually formal. It is the kind of sentence you could realistically hear in a library conversation.

Sometimes yes, depending on context. Croatian present tense can correspond to English simple present or present progressive.

So kaže could be:

• says
• is saying

In this sentence, English usually prefers says:

• The librarian says that...

But in a live situation, is saying could also make sense:

• The librarian is saying that there’s no available copy today.

A useful breakdown is:

• Knjižničarka = subject
• kaže = main verb
• da = introduces a subordinate clause
• za tu lektiru = prepositional phrase, for that required reading
• danas = time expression, today
• nema = negative existential/has no
• slobodnog primjerka = genitive phrase, available copy

So the core pattern is:

[subject] + [says] + da + [for X] + [today] + [there is no Y]

That makes this sentence a very good example of:

1. a da-clause
2. accusative after za
3. genitive after nema