Questions & Answers about Ako mi se poslije večere opet bude jelo nešto slatko, otići ću u slastičarnicu po dva mala kolača.
Why is the sentence split with Ako ... , otići ću ...? What kind of sentence is this?
It is a conditional sentence:
- Ako ... = if ...
- otići ću ... = I will go ...
So the first part gives the condition, and the second part gives the result.
Structure:
- Ako mi se ... bude jelo nešto slatko = if I feel like eating something sweet
- otići ću u slastičarnicu ... = I’ll go to the pastry shop ...
In Croatian, when the condition refers to the future, the ako-clause often uses future II, not the ordinary future I.
Why is it bude jelo instead of something simpler like će jesti?
Because this is a future II form used after ako for a future condition.
Here:
- bude = future-II auxiliary from biti
- jelo = past active participle of jesti, in neuter singular
So bude jelo is not literally the same as English will eat. In this sentence it is part of the Croatian pattern for future conditions:
- Ako bude padala kiša... = If it rains / If it is raining
- Ako mi se bude spavalo... = If I feel sleepy
- Ako mi se bude jelo... = If I feel like eating
So a learner should think of bude jelo here as part of the expression if I end up feeling like eating.
What do mi and se mean in mi se bude jelo?
This is a very common Croatian pattern.
Together, jesti se does not literally mean to eat oneself. It is an idiomatic construction meaning:
- jede mi se = I feel like eating
- pije mi se = I feel like drinking
- spava mi se = I feel sleepy / I feel like sleeping
So:
- mi se bude jelo = I will feel like eating / I happen to feel like eating
The person who experiences the feeling is put in the dative: mi, ti, mu, joj, etc.
Why is jelo in the neuter singular?
Because the construction is impersonal.
Croatian often uses neuter singular in impersonal expressions like this:
- spava mi se
- radi mi se
- jede mi se
When these go into future II, you get forms like:
- bude se spavalo
- bude se radilo
- bude se jelo
So jelo is neuter singular because there is no normal personal subject like ja doing the verb directly in the sentence structure.
Why is it nešto slatko? Why is slatko neuter?
Because nešto normally combines with an adjective in the neuter singular:
- nešto dobro = something good
- nešto novo = something new
- nešto slatko = something sweet
So slatko agrees with nešto.
Also, adjectives in Croatian can act almost like nouns in this kind of phrase. So nešto slatko means something sweet, that is, something sweet to eat.
Why is it poslije večere? What case is večere?
Is there any difference between poslije and nakon?
Both can mean after.
In many contexts, both are possible:
- poslije večere
- nakon večere
Very roughly:
- poslije often sounds a bit more everyday and conversational
- nakon can sound slightly more formal or neutral, depending on context
But both are standard, and in this sentence poslije večere sounds completely natural.
Why is opet placed there?
Opet means again, and Croatian word order is fairly flexible.
Here it comes before bude jelo to show that the feeling is happening again:
- Ako mi se poslije večere opet bude jelo...
The idea is: if after dinner I again feel like eating...
You could move adverbs around somewhat, but this placement sounds natural and clear.
Why is it otići ću and not ću otići?
Because ću is a clitic, and clitics normally do not stand at the very beginning of a clause.
So Croatian prefers things like:
- Otići ću.
- Ja ću otići.
- Onda ću otići.
But not normally:
- Ću otići. ❌
In otići ću, the infinitive comes first and the clitic ću takes second position.
This is a very common future-tense pattern in Croatian.
Why is the verb otići used, not ići?
Because otići is perfective, while ići is imperfective.
Here the speaker means one complete trip to the pastry shop, so the perfective verb is natural:
- otići = to go, as a completed action / to set off and go
- ići = to go, ongoing or habitual
In a sentence about a single decision in the future, Croatian usually prefers the perfective verb:
- Otići ću u trgovinu. = I’ll go to the store.
Why is it u slastičarnicu, not u slastičarnici?
Because u can take different cases depending on meaning:
- u + accusative = motion into / to
- u + locative = location in
Here the speaker is going somewhere, so it is motion:
- u slastičarnicu = to the pastry shop
Compare:
- Idem u slastičarnicu. = I’m going to the pastry shop.
- U slastičarnici sam. = I’m in the pastry shop.
What does po mean in po dva mala kolača?
Here po means something like to get, to pick up, or to buy.
So:
- otići u slastičarnicu po dva mala kolača means
- go to the pastry shop for two small cakes
This is a common Croatian pattern:
- Idem po kruh. = I’m going to get bread.
- Skoknut ću po mlijeko. = I’ll pop out to get milk.
- Otišla je po djecu. = She went to get the children.
In this meaning, po takes the accusative.
Why is it dva mala kolača? Why does kolač become kolača after dva?
After dva, tri, četiri, Croatian uses a special counted form of the noun. For many masculine nouns, that form looks like the genitive singular.
So:
- jedan kolač = one cake
- dva kolača = two cakes
- tri kolača = three cakes
- četiri kolača = four cakes
That is why you get kolača, not kolači.
The adjective also appears in the matching counted form:
- dva mala kolača = two small cakes
This is one of the number patterns learners simply have to get used to.
Why is there no subject pronoun like ja?
Because Croatian usually drops subject pronouns when they are not needed.
The verb form already shows the person:
- otići ću clearly means I will go
So ja is unnecessary unless the speaker wants emphasis:
- Ja ću otići = I will go (maybe not someone else)
Without emphasis, leaving out ja is the normal choice.
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