Expressions with 'Prije' and 'Poslije' (Before/After)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'prije' and 'poslije' with the Genitive case for nouns, or add 'nego što' for full sentences.
- Use 'prije' + Genitive for nouns: 'prije kave' (before coffee).
- Use 'poslije' + Genitive for nouns: 'poslije škole' (after school).
- Use 'prije nego što' + Verb for actions: 'prije nego što odem' (before I leave).
Genitive Case Endings for 'Prije' and 'Poslije'
| Gender | Singular Ending | Example (Nominative) | Example (Genitive) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Masculine
|
-a
|
Ručak
|
Prije ručk**a**
|
|
Feminine
|
-e
|
Kava
|
Poslije kav**e**
|
|
Neuter
|
-a
|
Ljeto
|
Prije ljet**a**
|
|
Masculine Plural
|
-a (long)
|
Ispiti
|
Poslije ispit**a**
|
|
Feminine Plural
|
-a (long)
|
Škole
|
Prije škol**a**
|
|
Neuter Plural
|
-a (long)
|
Pitanja
|
Poslije pitanj**a**
|
Conjunction Variations
| Type | Standard Form | Alternative Form | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Before (Clause)
|
Prije nego što
|
Prije no što
|
Alternative is more literary
|
|
After (Clause)
|
Nakon što
|
Poslije nego što
|
Poslije form is less common
|
|
Before (Adverb)
|
Prije
|
Ranije
|
Ranije means 'earlier'
|
|
After (Adverb)
|
Poslije
|
Kasnije
|
Kasnije means 'later'
|
Meanings
These terms are used to sequence events in time, either by referencing a specific point (a noun) or a specific action (a clause).
Prepositional Use (Nouns)
Used directly before a noun or pronoun to indicate a relative time. Requires the Genitive case.
“Vidimo se poslije posla.”
“Prije kiše bilo je jako vruće.”
Conjunctional Use (Actions)
Used to link two full sentences or clauses. 'Prije' becomes 'prije nego što', and 'poslije' is often replaced by 'nakon što'.
“Prije nego što zaspim, čitam knjigu.”
“Nakon što smo jeli, prošetali smo.”
Adverbial Use (Standalone)
Used alone to mean 'earlier' or 'later/afterwards'.
“Nikada ga prije nisam vidio.”
“Doći ću malo poslije.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative (Noun)
|
Prije/Poslije + Genitive
|
Prije posla.
|
|
Affirmative (Verb)
|
Prije nego što + Verb
|
Prije nego što spavam.
|
|
Negative (Verb)
|
Prije nego što + NE + Verb
|
Prije nego što ne završiš, ne idi.
|
|
Question
|
Što radiš prije/poslije...?
|
Što radiš poslije škole?
|
|
Adverbial
|
Time period + prije
|
Dva dana prije.
|
|
Formal After
|
Nakon + Genitive
|
Nakon sastanka.
|
|
Immediate After
|
Tek što / Odmah nakon
|
Tek što je došao...
|
|
Short Answer
|
Prije/Poslije.
|
Kada? Poslije.
|
طیف رسمیت
Nazvat ću Vas nakon završetka sastanka. (Professional/Social communication)
Nazvat ću te nakon sastanka. (Professional/Social communication)
Čujemo se poslije sastanka. (Professional/Social communication)
Zovem te poslije. (Professional/Social communication)
The Temporal Map of Prije & Poslije
With Nouns (Genitive)
- Prije ručka Before lunch
- Poslije kave After coffee
With Verbs (Conjunctions)
- Prije nego što odem Before I leave
- Nakon što završim After I finish
Prije vs. Ispred (Time vs. Space)
Choosing the Right 'Before'
Is it followed by a noun?
Is it followed by a verb?
Common Time Phrases
Morning
- • Prije doručka
- • Prije posla
- • Prije kave
Evening
- • Poslije večere
- • Prije spavanja
- • Poslije filma
مثالها بر اساس سطح
Prije kave ne govorim.
I don't speak before coffee.
Poslije škole idem kući.
After school I go home.
Vidimo se poslije ručka.
See you after lunch.
Prije večere operi ruke.
Wash your hands before dinner.
Bio sam u Zagrebu prije tri godine.
I was in Zagreb three years ago.
Nazovi me poslije deset sati.
Call me after ten o'clock.
Prije nego što kreneš, uzmi ključeve.
Before you leave, take the keys.
Nakon posla idem u teretanu.
After work I go to the gym.
Prije nego što smo kupili auto, išli smo busom.
Before we bought a car, we went by bus.
Nakon što završiš projekt, dobit ćeš bonus.
After you finish the project, you will get a bonus.
Moramo razgovarati prije nego što donesemo odluku.
We must talk before we make a decision.
Poslije dugog putovanja, konačno smo stigli.
After a long journey, we finally arrived.
Uoči praznika, grad je bio pun ljudi.
On the eve of the holidays, the city was full of people.
Nakon što je saslušao obje strane, sudac je donio odluku.
After hearing both sides, the judge made a decision.
Prije no što išta kažeš, dobro razmisli.
Before you say anything, think well.
Sve se promijenilo neposredno nakon rata.
Everything changed immediately after the war.
Netom nakon što je sunce zašlo, postalo je hladno.
Just after the sun set, it became cold.
Prije negoli se upustite u investiciju, provjerite rizike.
Before you engage in an investment, check the risks.
Nakon višegodišnjeg istraživanja, objavili su rezultate.
After years of research, they published the results.
Što se dogodilo u razdoblju što je prethodilo krizi?
What happened in the period preceding the crisis?
Prije no što se i osvijestio, prilika je već bila prošla.
Before he even realized it, the opportunity had already passed.
Nakon što su se strasti smirile, uslijedio je konstruktivan dijalog.
After the passions subsided, a constructive dialogue followed.
U godinama koje su uslijedile nakon reforme, standard je rastao.
In the years that followed the reform, the standard grew.
Tek što smo stigli, već smo morali ići dalje.
Hardly had we arrived when we already had to move on.
بهراحتی اشتباه گرفته میشود
Learners use 'prije' for physical location because 'before' can sometimes mean 'in front of' in English.
Similar to prije/ispred, learners mix up temporal 'after' and spatial 'behind'.
Both can mean 'earlier', but 'prije' is more common as a preposition.
اشتباهات رایج
Prije kava
Prije kave
Poslije ručak
Poslije ručka
Prije ja idem
Prije nego što odem
Poslije škola
Poslije škole
Prije dva sat
Prije dva sata
Poslije što sam jeo
Nakon što sam jeo
Prije nego ja spavam
Prije nego što spavam
Prije nego što ću doći
Prije nego što dođem
Nakon što sam bio tamo...
Nakon što sam otišao...
Prije tjedan
Prije tjedan dana
Uoči od odlaska
Uoči odlaska
Prije nego što bi došao
Prije nego što je došao
الگوهای جملهسازی
Prije ___(Genitive Noun)___, uvijek ___(Verb)___.
Nakon što ___(Verb in Past)___, otišli smo u ___(Place)___.
Prije nego što ___(Verb in Present)___, moraš ___(Infinitive)___.
Real World Usage
Vidimo se poslije?
Što ste radili prije ovog posla?
Dođite na gate 30 minuta prije leta.
Dostava stiže poslije 18:00.
Objavljeno prije 2 sata.
Nemojte jesti prije pregleda.
The 'A' Rule
Don't skip 'nego što'
Nakon for Success
Time is Relative
Smart Tips
Think of 'nego što' as a bridge. You can't cross to the verb without it!
Swap every 'poslije' for 'nakon'. It's an instant professional upgrade.
Remember that numbers 2, 3, and 4 take Genitive singular, while 5+ take Genitive plural.
Most masculine nouns end in -a. If you're stuck, add an -a and you'll be right 80% of the time!
تلفظ
Prije Accent
The word 'prije' has a falling accent on the first syllable.
Poslije Accent
The word 'poslije' has a falling accent on the first syllable.
Genitive Length
In plural Genitive (e.g., prije škol-a), the final 'a' is long.
Temporal Clause Pause
Prije nego što odem [pause], ugasit ću svjetlo.
A slight pause after the temporal clause helps clarity.
حفظ کنید
روش یادسپاری
Prije and Poslije are 'Genitive Giants'—they always demand the Genitive case for their noun friends.
تداعی تصویری
Imagine a clock. To the left (past) is 'Prije' holding a sign with the letter 'G' (Genitive). To the right (future) is 'Poslije' also holding a 'G' sign.
Rhyme
Prije kave, poslije škole, Genitiv svi oni vole!
Story
Marko wants to go to the beach. Prije mora (Before the sea), he must finish work. Poslije posla (After work), he meets Ana. Prije nego što odu (Before they go), they buy ice cream.
شبکه واژگان
چالش
Write 3 things you did 'prije doručka' and 3 things you will do 'poslije posla' today.
نکات فرهنگی
In formal writing, 'nakon' is almost always preferred over 'poslije'.
In coastal areas, you might hear 'pri' instead of 'prije' in some contexts.
Croatians are often flexible with time, so 'poslije kave' might mean 15 minutes or an hour after!
Derived from Proto-Slavic *prědъ (before) and *po-slědě (after/following).
شروعکنندههای مکالمه
Što obično radiš prije doručka?
Gdje si živio prije nego što si došao ovdje?
Što planiraš raditi nakon što završiš tečaj hrvatskog?
Kako se grad promijenio uoči turističke sezone?
موضوعات نگارش
اشتباهات رایج
Test Yourself
Vidimo se poslije _______ (kava).
Operi ruke prije _______ što jedeš.
Find and fix the mistake:
Prije ručak sam bio u trgovini.
što / nakon / smo / jeli / prošetali / smo
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
_______ sastanka, poslat ću vam zapisnik.
Upoznali smo se prije pet _______.
Stojim _______ škole i čekam te.
Score: /8
تمرینهای عملی
8 exercisesVidimo se poslije _______ (kava).
Operi ruke prije _______ što jedeš.
Find and fix the mistake:
Prije ručak sam bio u trgovini.
što / nakon / smo / jeli / prošetali / smo
1. Before work, 2. After work, 3. Two days ago
_______ sastanka, poslat ću vam zapisnik.
Upoznali smo se prije pet _______.
Stojim _______ škole i čekam te.
Score: /8
سوالات متداول (8)
Technically you can say `poslije nego što`, but it is much more natural and common to use `nakon što` for actions.
`Prije` is usually a preposition (before something), while `ranije` is an adverb (earlier). Example: `Došao sam ranije` (I came earlier).
Yes, when it functions as a preposition followed by a noun or pronoun, it always requires the Genitive case.
You say `prije deset minuta`. The time period comes after `prije` in this construction.
No, `nakon` is strictly temporal. For 'after' in space (like 'the house after the bridge'), use `iza` or `poslije` (informally).
`Uoči` is a specific version of 'before' meaning 'on the eve of' or 'just before a major event'.
No, just say `prije toga`. Adding `od` is a common mistake for English speakers.
No, it's perfectly standard, but `nakon` is preferred in very formal or academic writing.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
antes de / después de
Croatian requires case changes on the noun.
avant / après
French uses infinitives; Croatian uses conjugated clauses.
vor / nach
Different cases (Dative in German vs. Genitive in Croatian).
mae ni / ato de
Word order (Preposition vs. Post-position).
qabla / ba'da
Arabic script and specific case markers.
yǐqián / yǐhòu
Position (Chinese is after, Croatian is before).
