Ako prodavač ne zna odgovor, blagajnik često zove kolegicu iz drugog odjela.

Ako means if.

In this sentence, it introduces a condition:

• Ako prodavač ne zna odgovor = If the salesperson does not know the answer

This is the normal Croatian way to start an if-clause. Unlike in English, Croatian does not need a word like then in the second part, although you can sometimes add onda for emphasis in other contexts.

Prodavač means salesman / shop assistant / salesperson depending on context.

A few useful points:

• prodavač = masculine singular
• the feminine form is prodavačica

So this sentence specifically uses the masculine form. In real life, Croatian often uses the masculine form when referring to a male person, or sometimes more generally depending on context.

Because ne is the negation word: it means not.

• zna = he/she knows
• ne zna = he/she does not know

In Croatian, ne is usually written separately from the verb:

• ne znam = I do not know
• ne znaš = you do not know
• ne zna = he/she does not know

So:

• Ako prodavač ne zna odgovor = If the salesperson does not know the answer

Croatian has no articles, so there is no direct equivalent of a/an/the.

That means:

• odgovor can mean an answer or the answer
• prodavač can mean a salesperson or the salesperson
• blagajnik can mean a cashier or the cashier

You understand whether it is a or the from context.

So ne zna odgovor literally looks like does not know answer, but naturally it means does not know the answer.

Odgovor is in the accusative singular, but for this noun the accusative looks the same as the nominative because it is an inanimate masculine noun.

• nominative: odgovor = answer
• accusative: odgovor = answer

The verb znati often takes a direct object in the accusative:

• zna odgovor = knows the answer

So even though the form does not change, grammatically it is the object of the verb.

Yes. Blagajnik means cashier, and it is a masculine noun.

• masculine: blagajnik
• feminine: blagajnica

So the sentence is talking about a male cashier. Croatian usually marks gender directly in many job titles.

Često means often.

Croatian word order is flexible, but često zove is a very natural placement:

• blagajnik često zove kolegicu = the cashier often calls a colleague

You could sometimes move često for emphasis, but this position is neutral and common.

Compare:

• Blagajnik često zove kolegicu. = neutral
• Često blagajnik zove kolegicu. = more marked, often emphasizing often
• Blagajnik zove kolegicu često. = possible, but less neutral in many contexts

Here zove means calls.

It comes from the verb zvati.

• zovem = I call
• zoveš = you call
• zove = he/she calls

So:

• blagajnik često zove kolegicu = the cashier often calls a colleague

Important: zvati se means to be called / to be named.

For example:

• Kako se zoveš? = What are you called? / What is your name?

But in your sentence there is no se, so it simply means calls.

Because kolegicu is the accusative singular form of kolegica.

• nominative: kolegica = colleague (female)
• accusative: kolegicu

It changes because it is the direct object of zove:

• zove koga? = calls whom?
• kolegicu

This is a very common pattern with feminine nouns ending in -a:

• žena → ženu
• prijateljica → prijateljicu
• kolegica → kolegicu

Yes. Kolegica is specifically a female colleague, and kolegicu is its accusative form.

If the colleague were male, you would use:

• kolega → kolegu

So:

• zove kolegicu = calls a female colleague
• zove kolegu = calls a male colleague

Croatian usually makes this gender distinction directly in the noun.

Because the preposition iz means from / out of, and it requires the genitive case.

So:

• iz
  • genitive

Here:

• drugi odjel = another/second department (base form)
• after iz, it becomes iz drugog odjela

Breakdown:

• drugog = genitive singular masculine/neuter of drugi
• odjela = genitive singular of odjel

So the phrase means:

• iz drugog odjela = from another department or from the other department, depending on context

Drugi can mean both second and other / another, depending on context.

In this sentence, iz drugog odjela most naturally means:

• from another department
• or from the other department

Because drugi is describing odjel, and because iz requires genitive, drugi changes to drugog.

So:

• nominative: drugi odjel
• genitive: drugog odjela

This is adjective agreement: the adjective must match the noun in case, gender, and number.

Because odjela is the genitive singular form of odjel.

The preposition iz requires genitive:

• odjel = department
• iz odjela would be wrong
• iz odjela? Actually, with the correct genitive form of this noun, it is iz odjela, and in this full phrase you get iz drugog odjela

So in the sentence:

• iz drugog odjela = from another department

The noun changes because of the preposition.

Yes:

• Ako = if
• prodavač = salesperson / salesman / shop assistant
• ne zna = does not know
• odgovor = answer / the answer
• blagajnik = cashier
• često = often
• zove = calls
• kolegicu = female colleague (accusative)
• iz = from
• drugog = another / other / second (genitive form)
• odjela = department (genitive form)

Natural whole meaning:

• If the salesperson does not know the answer, the cashier often calls a female colleague from another department.

Yes, it is standard to use a comma here.

The sentence begins with a subordinate if-clause:

• Ako prodavač ne zna odgovor, ...

Then comes the main clause:

• ..., blagajnik često zove kolegicu iz drugog odjela.

Croatian normally separates this kind of introductory subordinate clause with a comma, just as English usually does.

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

Original:

• Ako prodavač ne zna odgovor, blagajnik često zove kolegicu iz drugog odjela.

Other possible versions include:

• Ako prodavač ne zna odgovor, često blagajnik zove kolegicu iz drugog odjela.
• Blagajnik često zove kolegicu iz drugog odjela ako prodavač ne zna odgovor.

These may sound more marked or shift emphasis slightly. For a learner, the original sentence is the safest and most standard way to say it.

It has two clauses:

1. Ako prodavač ne zna odgovor
   = subordinate conditional clause
   = If the salesperson does not know the answer

2. blagajnik često zove kolegicu iz drugog odjela
   = main clause
   = the cashier often calls a female colleague from another department

So the overall pattern is:

• Ako + clause, main clause
• If + clause, main clause

This is a very common Croatian sentence structure for conditions.