Ako mi se mobitel pokvari, neću ti se moći javiti.

you

Breakdown of Ako mi se mobitel pokvari, neću ti se moći javiti.

• ne: not
• moći: to be able to
• mi: me

Questions & Answers about Ako mi se mobitel pokvari, neću ti se moći javiti.

Why is ako followed by pokvari in the present tense instead of a future form?

In Croatian, after ako when you mean a real future possibility, you usually use the present tense in the if-clause, not a future form.

So:

• Ako mi se mobitel pokvari... = If my phone breaks down...
• not something like Ako će mi se mobitel pokvariti... in normal usage here

This is very natural in Croatian. English often uses the same pattern too: If my phone breaks..., not If my phone will break.

Also, pokvari is from a perfective verb, so it refers to a single completed event in the future: the moment the phone stops working.

What does mi mean here?

Mi is the unstressed dative form of ja and here it means to me or on me, but the most natural English interpretation is my.

So:

• Ako mi se mobitel pokvari literally means something like If the phone breaks on me / to me
• naturally: If my phone breaks down

This is a very common Croatian structure called the dative of possession/interest, where Croatian often uses a dative pronoun instead of a possessive adjective.

Compare:

• Pokvario mi se auto. = My car broke down.
• literally: The car broke down on me.