Poslije škole djeca obično ručaju kasnije, pa im u četiri spremam malu užinu.

Because poslije (after) normally takes the genitive case.

• škola = school
• genitive singular = škole

So:

• poslije škole = after school

This is very common in Croatian:

• poslije ručka = after lunch
• poslije posla = after work
• poslije nastave = after class

You may also see nakon škole, which means the same thing and also uses the genitive.

Although djeca is grammatically a singular-looking noun in some ways, it refers to a plural group and normally takes a plural verb.

So:

• djeca ručaju = the children have lunch
• not djeca ruča

This is standard Croatian agreement. Similar examples:

• Djeca se igraju. = The children are playing.
• Djeca spavaju. = The children are sleeping.

So when you use djeca, expect the verb to be plural.

Obično means usually.

In this sentence:

• djeca obično ručaju kasnije = the children usually have lunch later

Its position is fairly flexible, but some placements sound more natural than others. For example:

• Djeca obično ručaju kasnije.
• Obično djeca ručaju kasnije.

Both are possible, though the first one is very natural in everyday speech.

Croatian word order is often more flexible than English, but adverbs like obično are usually placed near the verb or early in the sentence.

Ručaju is the 3rd person plural present tense of ručati, which means to have lunch.

Conjugation of ručati in the present:

• ja ručam
• ti ručaš
• on/ona/ono ruča
• mi ručamo
• vi ručate
• oni/one/ona ručaju

So:

• djeca ručaju = the children have lunch / are having lunch

Croatian often uses the present tense where English might use either have lunch or are having lunch, depending on context.

Yes. Kasnije is the comparative adverb meaning later.

It comes from kasno = late.
Then:

• kasno = late
• kasnije = later

So:

• ručaju kasnije = they have lunch later

This does not always have to mean later than someone else in a strict comparison. It can also just mean at a later time than usual / than expected / than before, depending on context.

Here pa means something like:

• so
• and so
• therefore
• then

In this sentence, it links the two ideas naturally:

• the children have lunch later,
• so I prepare them a small snack at four.

It is not exactly the same as:

• i = and
• ali = but

So pa often introduces a consequence or next step.

Examples:

• Kasno je, pa idem kući. = It’s late, so I’m going home.
• Pada kiša, pa ostajemo unutra. = It’s raining, so we’re staying inside.

Im is the dative plural clitic pronoun meaning to them or for them.

Here it refers to djeca:

• spremam im malu užinu = I prepare them / for them a small snack

A fuller version would be:

• spremam djeci malu užinu = I prepare the children a small snack / I prepare a small snack for the children

So:

• djeci = to/for the children
• im = to them / for them

Croatian often uses these short pronoun forms very naturally.

Because im is a clitic, and Croatian clitics usually follow special word-order rules.

Short unstressed words like:

• sam, si, je, smo...
• mi, ti, mu, joj, im...
• se

often appear near the beginning of the clause, typically in second position.

So in:

• pa im u četiri spremam malu užinu

im comes early because clitics tend to do that.

Other possible word orders may exist, but this one is very natural and standard. Compare:

• Dajem im knjigu. = I’m giving them the book.
• Sutra im nosim ručak. = Tomorrow I’m bringing them lunch.

So the position of im is mostly about clitic placement, not emphasis.

In Croatian, clock times are often expressed with u + accusative:

• u četiri = at four
• u pet = at five
• u deset = at ten

So even though English uses at, Croatian uses u here.

Examples:

• Dolazim u tri. = I’m coming at three.
• Večeramo u sedam. = We have dinner at seven.

This is a very common pattern and worth memorizing as a chunk.

Spremam is the 1st person singular present tense of spremati/spremiti, and here it means I prepare or I am preparing, depending on context.

In Croatian, the present tense can often translate into English in more than one way:

• spremam = I prepare / I am preparing

In this sentence, because of obično and the general habitual context, it is best understood as:

• I prepare

That is, it describes a usual routine.

Also, spremati is typically the imperfective verb, which fits habitual actions well.

It is in the accusative case, because it is the direct object of spremam.

The basic noun is:

• užina = snack

Since užina is a feminine noun, the accusative singular is:

• užinu

The adjective mala must agree with the noun:

• nominative: mala užina
• accusative: malu užinu

So:

• spremam malu užinu = I prepare a small snack

This is standard adjective + noun agreement in gender, number, and case.

Užina usually means a small meal or snack, often eaten between main meals. In many contexts, snack is a good translation.

It can sometimes feel a bit more like a light planned meal, especially for children, school routines, or daily schedules, not just random munching.

For example:

• jutarnja užina = a morning snack
• popodnevna užina = an afternoon snack

So mala užina emphasizes that it is a small/light snack.

Yes. Croatian allows some flexibility in word order, especially when the meaning is clear.

For example:

• Poslije škole djeca obično ručaju kasnije, pa im spremam malu užinu u četiri.
• Djeca poslije škole obično ručaju kasnije, pa im u četiri spremam malu užinu.

These versions still mean basically the same thing.

However, the original:

• Poslije škole djeca obično ručaju kasnije, pa im u četiri spremam malu užinu.

sounds natural and well balanced. The exact order can slightly affect emphasis, but not the core meaning.

Because Croatian has no articles like English the or a/an.

So Croatian simply says:

• djeca = the children / children
• mala užina = a small snack / the small snack

Whether the meaning is definite or indefinite is understood from context.

That is why one Croatian sentence can correspond to several English possibilities:

• djeca = the children
• malu užinu = a small snack

English must choose an article, but Croatian does not.