Polazak je za deset minuta.

Polazak is a noun, not a verb. It means departure, setting off, or the start of leaving.

In this sentence, it is the subject:

• Polazak = the departure

It is a masculine singular noun, and here it is in the nominative because it is the thing being talked about.

You will often see polazak in:

• travel contexts: bus/train/flight departures
• schedules and timetables
• announcements

So it sounds very natural in this kind of sentence.

Je is the 3rd person singular present of biti (to be).

So the structure is literally:

• Polazak = departure
• je = is
• za deset minuta = in ten minutes

Croatian usually needs this je in sentences like this, just as English needs is in The departure is in ten minutes.

Here, za is used for time from now until something happens.

So:

• za deset minuta = in ten minutes / ten minutes from now

This is a very common Croatian pattern:

• Vraćam se za sat vremena. = I’m coming back in an hour.
• Film počinje za pet minuta. = The movie starts in five minutes.

A useful contrast:

• za deset minuta = in ten minutes (from now)
• u deset sati = at ten o’clock
• u deset minuta = in ten minutes / within ten minutes as a duration

So in your sentence, za is the correct choice because it refers to how soon the departure will happen.

Because after numbers 5 and higher, Croatian normally uses the noun in the genitive plural.

So:

• jedna minuta = one minute
• dvije minute = two minutes
• tri minute = three minutes
• četiri minute = four minutes
• pet minuta = five minutes
• deset minuta = ten minutes

This is a very important number pattern in Croatian.

With minute/minuta, the forms change like this after numbers:

• 2–4 → minute
• 5 and more → minuta

So deset minuta is exactly what you should expect.

Yes, za normally goes with the accusative in this time expression.

The tricky part is that with numbers like deset, Croatian uses a numeral phrase, and inside that phrase the counted noun appears in the genitive plural:

• deset minuta

So the whole expression za deset minuta is normal and correct.

A simple learner-friendly way to remember it is:

• za = the preposition used here
• after 5+, the noun after the number usually becomes genitive plural

So even though the phrase is introduced by za, you still get:

• za pet minuta
• za deset minuta
• za dvadeset minuta

It only looks singular.

This is a common source of confusion because minuta can be:

• nominative singular: minuta = a minute
• genitive plural: minuta = of minutes

In deset minuta, it is genitive plural, not singular.

So although the form is the same, the grammar is different.

Because Croatian has no articles.

English uses:

• a
• the

Croatian does not. So polazak can mean:

• departure
• the departure

The exact meaning is understood from context.

That is why Polazak je za deset minuta does not need any separate word for the.

Yes, Croatian word order is more flexible than English word order.

The most neutral version here is:

• Polazak je za deset minuta.

But other orders are possible, depending on emphasis:

• Za deset minuta je polazak. = puts more focus on the time
• Za deset minuta polazak. = possible in announcements, more clipped

Still, for a learner, Polazak je za deset minuta is the safest and most standard form.

Sometimes, but not always with the same feel.

• polazak = departure, setting off, especially the start of a trip or scheduled departure
• odlazak = leaving, departure, going away more generally

In travel, schedules, and announcements, polazak is usually the more natural word.

So for something like a bus, train, group trip, or organized departure, polazak fits very well.

Yes, but it sounds a bit like an announcement, schedule notice, or organized departure.

In everyday conversation, people might also say:

• Krećemo za deset minuta. = We’re leaving in ten minutes.
• Idemo za deset minuta. = We’re going in ten minutes.

So:

• Polazak je za deset minuta. = a little more formal / announcement-like
• Krećemo za deset minuta. = more conversational

Both are natural, just used in slightly different situations.