Prepositions for Manner (po, na)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'po' and 'na' to describe HOW something happens, like 'according to plan' or 'out loud'.
- Use 'po' + Locative for 'according to' or 'by' (e.g., po planu).
- Use 'na' + Accusative for methods or sudden states (e.g., na glas).
- Use 'na' + Locative for stable states of being (e.g., na miru).
Case Usage for Manner Prepositions
| Preposition | Case | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
po
|
Locative
|
According to / Following
|
po planu (according to plan)
|
|
po
|
Locative
|
Sequence / Order
|
po redu (in order)
|
|
na
|
Accusative
|
Method / Volume
|
na glas (out loud)
|
|
na
|
Accusative
|
Speed / Suddenness
|
na brzinu (in a hurry)
|
|
na
|
Locative
|
Stable State
|
na miru (in peace)
|
|
na
|
Accusative
|
Luck / Chance
|
na sreću (luckily)
|
Meanings
Prepositions of manner describe the way, method, or standard by which an action is carried out. They answer the question 'Kako?' (How?).
According to / Following
Using 'po' to indicate that an action follows a specific rule, sequence, or logic.
“Čitamo po redu.”
“Radim po zakonu.”
Method or Volume
Using 'na' to describe the physical or audible method of an action.
“Reci to na glas.”
“Pjevaj na sav glas.”
State of Being
Using 'na' to describe the emotional or situational state during an action.
“Pusti me na miru.”
“Ručamo na brzinu.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Verb + po + Locative
|
Radim po planu.
|
|
Negative
|
Ne + Verb + po + Locative
|
Ne radim po planu.
|
|
Question
|
Da li + Verb + po + Locative?
|
Da li radiš po planu?
|
|
Affirmative
|
Verb + na + Accusative
|
Govori na glas.
|
|
Negative
|
Ne + Verb + na + Accusative
|
Ne govori na glas.
|
|
Question
|
Govoriš li na glas?
|
Govoriš li na glas?
|
|
State
|
Verb + na + Locative
|
Odmori na miru.
|
|
Short Answer
|
Da, po planu. / Ne, na silu.
|
Yes, by plan. / No, by force.
|
Espectro de formalidad
Postupamo po službenom dogovoru. (Business/Social)
Radimo po dogovoru. (Business/Social)
Kako smo se dogovorili. (Business/Social)
Po dogovoru, stari. (Business/Social)
The Logic of PO vs NA
PO (The Path)
- po planu by plan
- po redu in order
- po zakonu by law
NA (The Mode)
- na glas out loud
- na brzinu quickly
- na miru in peace
Case Selection with NA
Ejemplos por nivel
Dođi na vrijeme.
Come on time.
Sve je po planu.
Everything is according to plan.
Pusti me na miru.
Leave me in peace.
Čitaj po redu.
Read in order.
Kuhaj po receptu.
Cook according to the recipe.
Reci to na glas.
Say it out loud.
Radimo na brzinu.
We are working in a hurry.
Sve ide po dogovoru.
Everything is going as agreed.
Uradio je to na silu.
He did it by force.
Po mom mišljenju, to je dobro.
In my opinion, that is good.
Pijemo kavu na miru.
We are drinking coffee in peace.
Sve radimo po propisima.
We do everything according to regulations.
On je po naravi veseo.
He is cheerful by nature.
Sve se dogodilo na brzinu.
Everything happened in a flash.
Pišem po sjećanju.
I am writing from memory.
Na prvi pogled, izgleda teško.
At first sight, it looks difficult.
Kiša pada na mahove.
It's raining in fits and starts.
Po svemu sudeći, pobijedit ćemo.
By all accounts, we will win.
Oni žive na visokoj nozi.
They live on a grand scale (richly).
Sve ide po loju.
Everything is going swimmingly (like grease).
Moramo uspjeti po svaku cijenu.
We must succeed at any cost.
On radi na svoju ruku.
He works on his own initiative/rogue.
Sve je izvedeno na jedvite jade.
Everything was carried out with great difficulty.
Po srijedi je nesporazum.
A misunderstanding is at the heart of it.
Fácil de confundir
Learners mix up 'according to' with 'each'.
Learners use location logic for manner phrases.
English 'in time' vs 'on time'.
Errores comunes
Radim sa planom.
Radim po planu.
Idem u vrijeme.
Idem na vrijeme.
Čitaj u glas.
Čitaj na glas.
Sve je po plan.
Sve je po planu.
Pusti me na mir.
Pusti me na miru.
Radim po recept.
Radim po receptu.
Govori na glasu.
Govori na glas.
Uradio je to po sili.
Uradio je to na silu.
Po mom mišljenje...
Po mom mišljenju...
Sve ide na redu.
Sve ide po redu.
Kiša pada po mahovima.
Kiša pada na mahove.
On radi po svoju ruku.
On radi na svoju ruku.
Patrones de oraciones
Sve ide po ___.
Nemoj to raditi na ___.
Po mom ___, to nije dobra ideja.
Čitamo tekst na ___.
Real World Usage
Stižem na vrijeme!
Uvijek radim po planu i programu.
Može jedan sendvič, ali bez luka, po receptu.
Uživamo na suncu na miru. ☀️
Pijte lijekove po uputama.
Vlak kasni, nismo krenuli po redu vožnje.
Sve je urađeno po zakonu.
Ponovite za mnom na glas.
The 'Plan' Rule
Avoid 'Sa'
Fixed Phrases
Mir is Key
Smart Tips
Stop! Don't look for a long word. Just use 'po' + Locative.
Ask: Is it a rule/path (po) or a mode/state (na)?
Always use Accusative (na glas), never Locative (na glasu).
Use 'na sreću' at the start of your sentence.
Pronunciación
Proclitics
Prepositions 'po' and 'na' are proclitics, meaning they have no accent of their own and are pronounced as one word with the following noun.
Vowel length
The 'a' in 'na' is short and unstressed.
Rising on the noun
Po plá-nu?
Asking for confirmation if something is following the plan.
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
PO is for PO-licy (rules/plans). NA is for NA-ture of the sound or state.
Asociación visual
Imagine a train following a track (PO planu) versus a radio volume knob being turned up (NA glas).
Rhyme
Kad je plan, reci PO, kad je glas, reci NA, to je prava istina!
Story
Marko was in a hurry (na brzinu), so he didn't work according to the plan (po planu). His boss yelled out loud (na glas), but Marko just wanted to drink his coffee in peace (na miru).
Word Web
Desafío
Write three things you did today: one 'po planu', one 'na brzinu', and one 'na miru'.
Notas culturales
Croatians value 'mir' (peace). The phrase 'pusti me na miru' is culturally significant for personal space during coffee time.
In Dalmatia, 'pomalo' is often used instead of 'na miru' or 'polako' to describe a relaxed manner of living.
In official settings, 'po zakonu' is a frequent shield used by clerks to indicate they are strictly following rules.
Both 'po' and 'na' are Proto-Slavic prepositions with deep Indo-European roots.
Inicios de conversación
Ide li sve po planu danas?
Voliš li čitati knjige na glas?
Što obično radiš na brzinu ujutro?
Je li bolje raditi po receptu ili po osjećaju?
Možeš li se sjetiti situacije kad si morao reagirati na silu?
Temas para diario
Errores comunes
Test Yourself
Sve ide ___ planu.
Pusti me na ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Čitaj u glas.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Ejercicios de practica
8 exercisesSve ide ___ planu.
Pusti me na ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Čitaj u glas.
vrijeme / na / Dođi / .
1. Po redu, 2. Na brzinu, 3. Na sreću
Score: /8
Preguntas frecuentes (8)
No, 'sa' means 'with' in a physical sense. Use `po` for plans, rules, or standards.
They are similar, but `na glas` specifically means 'out loud' (reading or speaking), while `glasno` is the general adverb for 'loudly'.
In Croatian, `na vrijeme` is a fixed idiom for 'on time'. `U vrijeme` means 'during' (e.g., in the time of war).
When expressing manner ('according to'), yes. In other contexts like movement, it can take other cases, but for A2 manner, stick to Locative.
It literally means 'on peace,' but it functions as 'in peace' or 'undisturbed'.
Use the phrase `po mom mišljenju`. It is the most natural way to express your view.
Yes, `na brzinu` means 'in a hurry' or 'quickly'.
Yes, if you are doing things one by one from a list, you are doing them `po redu`.
Scaffolded Practice
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3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
por / a
Spanish doesn't change noun endings (cases) like Croatian does.
par / à
French uses articles more frequently within these phrases than Croatian.
nach / auf
German uses the Dative case after 'nach', while Croatian uses Locative (though they look similar).
で (de) / に (ni)
Japanese particles follow the noun, while Croatian prepositions precede it.
بـ (bi-) / حسب (hasaba)
Arabic 'bi-' is a prefix attached directly to the word.
按照 (ànzhào) / 用 (yòng)
Chinese lacks any case system or inflection for these structures.
