Prepositions for Time (prije, poslije)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'prije' for before and 'poslije' for after, followed by the Genitive case to talk about time.
- Use 'prije' + Genitive for events happening earlier: 'prije ručka' (before lunch).
- Use 'poslije' + Genitive for events happening later: 'poslije škole' (after school).
- These prepositions always trigger the Genitive case for the noun that follows.
Genitive Case Formation for Time
| Noun (Nominative) | Noun (Genitive) | Example with Prije | Example with Poslije |
|---|---|---|---|
|
ručak
|
ručka
|
prije ručka
|
poslije ručka
|
|
škola
|
škole
|
prije škole
|
poslije škole
|
|
posao
|
posla
|
prije posla
|
poslije posla
|
|
film
|
filma
|
prije filma
|
poslije filma
|
|
večera
|
večere
|
prije večere
|
poslije večere
|
|
sastanak
|
sastanka
|
prije sastanka
|
poslije sastanka
|
Meanings
These prepositions establish temporal sequence, indicating whether an action occurs prior to or subsequent to a specific time or event.
Temporal sequence
Indicating relative time before or after an event.
“Prije posla pijem kavu.”
“Poslije posla idem kući.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Prije/Poslije + Genitive
|
Prije ručka.
|
|
Negative
|
Ne + Verb + Prije/Poslije + Genitive
|
Ne idem prije ručka.
|
|
Question
|
Kada + Verb + Prije/Poslije + Genitive?
|
Kada dolaziš poslije posla?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Prije/Poslije + Genitive
|
Prije posla.
|
|
Variation
|
Prije/Poslije + Noun + Verb
|
Prije ručka radim.
|
|
Variation
|
Verb + Prije/Poslije + Noun
|
Radim poslije ručka.
|
Formalitätsspektrum
Vidimo se poslije posla. (General)
Vidimo se poslije posla. (General)
Vidimo se poslije posla. (General)
Vidimo se poslije posla. (General)
Temporal Prepositions Map
Before
- prije before
After
- poslije after
Time vs Space
Choosing the Preposition
Is it before the event?
Common Time Nouns
Daily
- • ručak
- • večera
- • posao
- • škola
Beispiele nach Niveau
Prije ručka.
Before lunch.
Poslije škole.
After school.
Vidimo se prije filma.
See you before the movie.
Poslije kave.
After coffee.
Što radiš prije posla?
What do you do before work?
Poslije večere idem spavati.
After dinner I go to sleep.
Doći ću prije sastanka.
I will come before the meeting.
Poslije kiše dolazi sunce.
After the rain comes the sun.
Prije nego što odem, moram raditi.
Before I leave, I must work.
Poslije dugog dana, želim odmor.
After a long day, I want rest.
Nazovi me prije podne.
Call me before noon.
Poslije ručka ćemo razgovarati.
After lunch we will talk.
Prije samog početka predstave, utihnula je dvorana.
Before the very start of the play, the hall went quiet.
Poslije završenog projekta, uzeli smo odmor.
After the finished project, we took a break.
Prije svega, moramo biti iskreni.
First of all, we must be honest.
Poslije mnogo godina, vratila se kući.
After many years, she returned home.
Prije no što se upustite u raspravu, provjerite činjenice.
Before you engage in a discussion, check the facts.
Poslije niza neuspjeha, napokon je uspio.
After a series of failures, he finally succeeded.
Prije samog čina, osjećao je strah.
Before the act itself, he felt fear.
Poslije svega, ostala je samo tišina.
After everything, only silence remained.
Prije negoli se sunce pomolilo, oni su već bili na putu.
Before the sun had risen, they were already on their way.
Poslije silnih peripetija, situacija se smirila.
After many complications, the situation calmed down.
Prije svega ostaloga, prioritet je zdravlje.
Above all else, health is the priority.
Poslije dugotrajnih pregovora, postignut je dogovor.
After long negotiations, an agreement was reached.
Leicht verwechselbar
Both can mean 'before' in some languages, but in Croatian, one is time and one is space.
Both can mean 'after' or 'behind'.
Learners try to use 'prije' with verbs.
Häufige Fehler
prije ručak
prije ručka
poslije ručak
poslije ručka
prije škola
prije škole
poslije škola
poslije škole
prije sastanak
prije sastanka
poslije posao
poslije posla
prije večera
prije večere
prije nego ručka
prije nego što ručam
poslije nego što
poslije
prije ispred škole
prije škole
poslije odlazak
poslije odlaska
prije dolazak
prije dolaska
poslije sve
poslije svega
Satzmuster
Ja radim ___ ___.
___ ___ vidimo se.
Što radiš ___ ___?
___ ___ moram ići.
Real World Usage
Vidimo se poslije posla.
Može li prije sastanka?
Prije leta moram jesti.
Prije dostave ću platiti.
Poslije studija sam radio ovdje.
Prije i poslije treninga!
Focus on the ending
Don't confuse space and time
Use with verbs
Be natural
Smart Tips
Think 'Genitive' immediately.
Ask: Is it a clock or a place?
Add 'nego što'.
Use 'nakon' instead of 'poslije' for variety.
Aussprache
Prije
Pronounced Pree-yeh. The 'j' is a soft 'y' sound.
Poslije
Pronounced Pos-lee-yeh. The 'j' is a soft 'y' sound.
Statement
Prije ručka. ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
Question
Prije ručka? ↗
Rising intonation for confirmation.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Prije starts with P and sounds like 'pre-'. Poslije sounds like 'post-'.
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a clock. 'Prije' is the hand moving to the left (past), 'Poslije' is the hand moving to the right (future).
Rhyme
Prije ručka, poslije škole, ove riječi svi vole.
Story
Marko wakes up. Before work (prije posla), he drinks coffee. After work (poslije posla), he goes to the gym. He uses these words every day to organize his life.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Write down 3 things you do before work and 3 things you do after work using 'prije' and 'poslije'.
Kulturelle Hinweise
Croatians value punctuality in business but are more relaxed in social settings. Using 'prije' and 'poslije' correctly helps you navigate these expectations.
In some coastal dialects, you might hear 'posli' instead of 'poslije'.
Standard Croatian is used in all formal settings, including Slavonia.
These are Slavic prepositions that have been used for centuries to denote temporal sequence.
Gesprächseinstiege
Što radiš prije posla?
Kada se vidimo, prije ili poslije ručka?
Što obično radiš poslije napornog dana?
Prije svega, što misliš o našem planu?
Tagebuch-Impulse
Häufige Fehler
Test Yourself
Vidimo se prije ____ (ručak).
____ posla pijem kavu.
Find and fix the mistake:
Poslije škola idem kući.
posla / vidimo / se / poslije
Prije and poslije always take the Genitive case.
A: Kada dolaziš? B: ____ (after lunch).
Genitive of večera is...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesVidimo se prije ____ (ručak).
____ posla pijem kavu.
Find and fix the mistake:
Poslije škola idem kući.
posla / vidimo / se / poslije
Prije and poslije always take the Genitive case.
A: Kada dolaziš? B: ____ (after lunch).
Genitive of večera is...
Before work / After work
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
Yes, always. It is the rule for these prepositions.
Yes, e.g., 'prije pet sati' (before five o'clock).
People will understand you, but it will sound like a beginner mistake.
Yes, 'nakon' is a synonym for 'poslije' and also takes the Genitive case.
No, use 'ispred' instead.
Yes, they are standard in all registers.
Use 'prije nego što odem'.
'Poslije' needs a noun, 'poslije toga' means 'after that'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
vor / nach
German cases are different (Dative), while Croatian uses Genitive.
avant / après
Croatian requires the Genitive case, French does not.
antes de / después de
Croatian uses a single preposition + case, Spanish uses a preposition + 'de'.
mae / ato
Japanese is agglutinative, while Croatian is inflectional.
qabla / ba'da
Arabic has a different case system and root structure.
qián / hòu
Chinese has no case inflection.
