A1 Prepositions 1 min read آسان

Expressing Direction with Accusative

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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

When you move toward a destination in Croatian, use the preposition 'u' or 'na' followed by the Accusative case.

  • Use 'u' for enclosed spaces: Idem u školu (I am going to school).
  • Use 'na' for open spaces or events: Idem na posao (I am going to work).
  • The Accusative case for feminine nouns ending in -a changes to -u.
Subject + Verb + (u/na) + Destination (Accusative)

Meanings

The Accusative case is used to indicate the destination or goal of a movement.

1

Physical Destination

Moving toward a specific physical location.

“Idem u Zagreb.”

“Putujem na more.”

Accusative Directional Formation

Gender Nominative Accusative (Direction) Example
Feminine škola u školu Idem u školu
Masculine (Inanimate) park u park Idem u park
Neuter kino u kino Idem u kino
Feminine trgovina u trgovinu Idem u trgovinu
Masculine (Inanimate) posao na posao Idem na posao
Neuter more na more Idem na more

Reference Table

Reference table for Expressing Direction with Accusative
Form Structure Example
Affirmative Subj + Verb + u/na + Acc Idem u školu.
Negative Subj + ne + Verb + u/na + Acc Ne idem u školu.
Question Kamo + Verb + Subj? Kamo ideš?
Short Answer U + Acc U školu.
Plural Subj + Verb + u/na + Acc(pl) Idem na otoke.
Formal Idete li u grad? Are you going to town?
Casual Ideš u kino? Going to the cinema?
Negated Question Ne ideš u park? Aren't you going to the park?

طیف رسمیت

رسمی
Idem u trgovinu.

Idem u trgovinu. (Daily errand)

خنثی
Idem u dućan.

Idem u dućan. (Daily errand)

غیر رسمی
Idem u dućan.

Idem u dućan. (Daily errand)

عامیانه
Šibam u dućan.

Šibam u dućan. (Daily errand)

Directional Prepositions

Motion To

Enclosed

  • u into

Open/Event

  • na onto/at

Accusative vs Locative

Accusative (Motion)
u školu to school
Locative (Position)
u školi in school

Choosing the Preposition

1

Is it an enclosed space?

YES
Use 'u'
NO
Use 'na'

Common Destinations

🏠

Places

  • • škola
  • • kino
  • • park
  • • posao
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مثال‌ها بر اساس سطح

1

Idem u školu.

I am going to school.

2

Idem na posao.

I am going to work.

3

Putujem u Hrvatsku.

I am traveling to Croatia.

4

Idem u kino.

I am going to the cinema.

1

Trčim u park.

I am running to the park.

2

Idemo na koncert.

We are going to a concert.

3

Vraćam se u kuću.

I am returning to the house.

4

Putujemo na more.

We are traveling to the seaside.

1

Svaki dan idem u teretanu.

Every day I go to the gym.

2

Moram ići na sastanak.

I have to go to a meeting.

3

Idemo u posjet prijateljima.

We are going to visit friends.

4

Šaljem pismo u poštu.

I am sending a letter to the post office.

1

Uputio se u nepoznatom smjeru.

He headed in an unknown direction.

2

Idemo na otvorenje izložbe.

We are going to the exhibition opening.

3

Svi idu na trg.

Everyone is going to the square.

4

Vraćam se u rodni grad.

I am returning to my hometown.

1

Ušao je u dvoranu punu ljudi.

He entered a hall full of people.

2

Uputili su se na put oko svijeta.

They set off on a trip around the world.

3

Idem na predavanje iz povijesti.

I am going to a history lecture.

4

Ušao je u povijest.

He went down in history.

1

Krenuli su u osvajanje vrha.

They started the conquest of the peak.

2

Uputio se na putovanje bez povratka.

He set off on a journey of no return.

3

Svi su krenuli na prosvjed.

Everyone went to the protest.

4

Ušao je u trag lopovu.

He tracked down the thief.

به‌راحتی اشتباه گرفته می‌شود

Expressing Direction with Accusative در مقابل Accusative vs Locative

Both use 'u' or 'na', but the endings differ.

Expressing Direction with Accusative در مقابل u vs na

Learners don't know which preposition to pick.

Expressing Direction with Accusative در مقابل Masculine Inanimate vs Animate

Inanimate nouns don't change, animate ones do.

اشتباهات رایج

✗

Idem u škola

✓

Idem u školu

Feminine nouns must change -a to -u.
✗

Idem u školi

✓

Idem u školu

Locative case is for location, not direction.
✗

Idem na kino

✓

Idem u kino

Kino is an enclosed space.
✗

Idem u posao

✓

Idem na posao

Work is treated as an event/activity.
✗

Idem u more

✓

Idem na more

Sea is an open space.
✗

Idem na kuću

✓

Idem u kuću

House is an enclosed space.
✗

Idem u koncert

✓

Idem na koncert

Concerts are events.
✗

Idem u trg

✓

Idem na trg

Squares are open spaces.
✗

Idem na zgradu

✓

Idem u zgradu

Buildings are enclosed.
✗

Idem u otok

✓

Idem na otok

Islands are open spaces.
✗

Idem na dvoranu

✓

Idem u dvoranu

Halls are enclosed.
✗

Idem u put

✓

Idem na put

Trips are abstract events.
✗

Idem na povijest

✓

Idem u povijest

Idiomatic usage requires 'u'.

الگوهای جمله‌سازی

Idem u ___.

Idem na ___.

Danas idem u ___ sa prijateljem.

Sutra putujem na ___.

Real World Usage

Texting constant

Idem u kino, vidimo se!

Travel very common

Idem u Zagreb.

Work common

Idem na sastanak.

Food Delivery occasional

Dostava ide u stan.

Social Media common

Idem na more! 🌊

Job Interview occasional

Dolazim na razgovor.

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💡

The -u rule

Always check if your noun ends in -a. If it does, change it to -u!
⚠️

Don't use Locative

If you say 'u školi', you are saying you are inside the school, not going there.
🎯

Inanimate Masculine

If the noun is a thing (like park), it doesn't change. Easy!
💬

Use 'na' for events

Any concert, meeting, or party uses 'na'.

Smart Tips

Ask yourself: Is it a container? If yes, use 'u'.

Idem na kuću. → Idem u kuću.

Always change the final -a to -u.

Idem u trgovina. → Idem u trgovinu.

Use 'na' for anything that is an activity.

Idem u posao. → Idem na posao.

Think 'Direction = Accusative'.

Idem u školi. → Idem u školu.

تلفظ

u-shko-lu

Vowel length

Ensure the final -u is clear and short.

Statement

Idem u školu ↘

Falling intonation for facts.

حفظ کنید

روش یادسپاری

Think of 'U' as a cup (enclosed) and 'NA' as a flat surface (open).

تداعی تصویری

Imagine walking into a cup (u) and stepping onto a table (na).

Rhyme

For places you go, use Accusative to show.

Story

Ana wants to go to the cinema. She says 'Idem u kino'. Then she goes to the beach. She says 'Idem na more'. She is happy because she used the right cases.

شبکه واژگان

unakinoškolaposaomoregrad

چالش

Write 5 sentences about where you are going today using 'Idem u/na...'.

نکات فرهنگی

Often uses 'na' more frequently for coastal locations.

Standard usage of 'u' for city buildings.

Very standard usage, similar to central Croatian.

The Accusative case is a Proto-Slavic inheritance.

شروع‌کننده‌های مکالمه

“

Kamo ideš?

“

Ideš li danas u grad?

“

Kada ideš na posao?

“

Kamo putuješ ovog ljeta?

موضوعات نگارش

Describe your daily routine.
Where did you go last weekend?
Plan your dream vacation.
Discuss the importance of public spaces.
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Test Yourself

Fill in the correct form.

Idem u ___ (škola).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: školu
Feminine -a becomes -u.
Choose the right preposition. چند گزینه‌ای

Idem ___ posao.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: na
Work is an event/activity.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Idem na kino.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Idem u kino
Kino is an enclosed space.
Order the words. Sentence Building

u / Idem / školu

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Idem u školu
Standard SVO order.
Select the correct case. چند گزینه‌ای

Idem u ___ (park).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: park
Inanimate masculine stays the same.
Fill in the correct form.

Idem na ___ (more).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: more
Neuter nouns stay the same.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Idem u trgovini.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Idem u trgovinu
Accusative is for direction.
Select the correct preposition. چند گزینه‌ای

Idem ___ koncert.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: na
Concerts are events.

Score: /8

تمرین‌های عملی

8 exercises
Fill in the correct form.

Idem u ___ (škola).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: školu
Feminine -a becomes -u.
Choose the right preposition. چند گزینه‌ای

Idem ___ posao.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: na
Work is an event/activity.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Idem na kino.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Idem u kino
Kino is an enclosed space.
Order the words. Sentence Building

u / Idem / školu

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Idem u školu
Standard SVO order.
Select the correct case. چند گزینه‌ای

Idem u ___ (park).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: park
Inanimate masculine stays the same.
Fill in the correct form.

Idem na ___ (more).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: more
Neuter nouns stay the same.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Idem u trgovini.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Idem u trgovinu
Accusative is for direction.
Select the correct preposition. چند گزینه‌ای

Idem ___ koncert.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: na
Concerts are events.

Score: /8

سوالات متداول (8)

Feminine nouns ending in -a change to -u in the Accusative. Masculine inanimate nouns stay the same.

Use 'u' for enclosed spaces (buildings, rooms) and 'na' for open spaces or events.

No, the Locative case is strictly for location (where you are).

Plural nouns have different endings, but the prepositions 'u' and 'na' remain the same.

Yes, it is the standard way to express direction in all registers.

You use the preposition 'k' + Dative case, not Accusative.

Some nouns have irregular forms, but the -a to -u rule covers most feminine nouns.

Try describing your daily commute using 'Idem u/na...'.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

German high

Akkusativ

German uses articles (den/die/das) while Croatian uses case endings.

French low

Prepositions (à/en)

French nouns do not change form based on direction.

Spanish low

Prepositions (a/hacia)

Spanish lacks a case system for nouns.

Japanese moderate

Particle 'e' (へ)

Japanese particles are post-positional, unlike Croatian prepositions.

Arabic moderate

Mansub case

Arabic uses 'ila' for direction regardless of case.

Chinese none

Verb-preposition structure

Chinese has no inflectional morphology.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Prepositions Governing Accusative (u, na, kroz, za)

Related Grammar Rules

A1

Prepositions with Genitive (Origin & Separation)
A2

Using Locative to Express 'About' or 'On'
A2

Expressing 'By Means of' (Čime?)
B1

Prepositions Expressing Concession (unatoč, usprkos)
B2

Omitting Prepositions with Certain Nouns/Verbs
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