Prepositions Governing Instrumental (s/sa, pod, nad, pred, za)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
These five prepositions (s, pod, nad, pred, za) describe location and require the noun to be in the Instrumental case.
- Use 's' (with) to indicate accompaniment: 'S prijateljem' (With a friend).
- Use 'pod' (under) and 'nad' (above) for vertical positioning: 'Pod stolom' (Under the table).
- Use 'pred' (in front of) and 'za' (behind) for relative positioning: 'Pred kućom' (In front of the house).
Instrumental Case Endings (Singular)
| Gender | Ending (Consonant) | Ending (Vowel) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Masculine
|
-om
|
-em
|
stol -> stolom
|
|
Neuter
|
-om
|
-em
|
selo -> selom
|
|
Feminine
|
-om
|
-om
|
kuća -> kućom
|
The 'sa' Rule
| Preposition | Condition | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
s
|
Before s, š, z, ž
|
sa ženom
|
Meanings
These prepositions define the spatial relationship between two objects or people, specifically requiring the Instrumental case to show location.
Accompaniment
Being with someone or something.
“Idem s njom.”
“Pijem kavu s mlijekom.”
Vertical Position
Above or below an object.
“Lampa je nad stolom.”
“Mačka spava pod krevetom.”
Relative Position
In front of or behind an object.
“Auto je pred kućom.”
“Stojim za vratima.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Prep + Noun(Instr)
|
S prijateljem
|
|
Negative
|
Ne + Verb + Prep + Noun(Instr)
|
Ne idem s njim
|
|
Question
|
Prep + Noun(Instr) + Verb?
|
S kim si?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Prep + Noun(Instr)
|
S njom
|
|
Plural
|
Prep + Noun(Instr-Pl)
|
S prijateljima
|
Spectre de formalité
Nalazim se s prijateljem. (Social)
S prijateljem sam. (Social)
S frendom sam. (Social)
S frendom sam. (Social)
Instrumental Prepositions Map
Location
- pod under
- nad above
Position
- pred in front of
- za behind
Accompaniment
- s with
Exemples par niveau
Kava s mlijekom.
Coffee with milk.
Mačka je pod stolom.
The cat is under the table.
Idem s prijateljem.
I am going with a friend.
Auto je pred kućom.
The car is in front of the house.
Lampa je nad stolom.
The lamp is above the table.
Parkiram za zgradom.
I am parking behind the building.
Razgovaram sa ženom.
I am talking with the woman.
Pas spava pod krevetom.
The dog is sleeping under the bed.
Sjedim za stolom.
I am sitting at the table.
Avion leti nad gradom.
The plane is flying over the city.
Stojim pred vratima.
I am standing in front of the door.
Došao sam sa šefom.
I came with the boss.
Knjiga leži pod prašinom.
The book lies under the dust.
Oblaci lebde nad planinama.
Clouds float above the mountains.
Sakrio se za drvetom.
He hid behind the tree.
S kim si razgovarao?
Who did you talk with?
Pred nama je težak zadatak.
A difficult task is before us.
Sve je pod kontrolom.
Everything is under control.
Zvijezde sjaje nad morem.
Stars shine above the sea.
Svi su za stolom.
Everyone is at the table.
S njom se ne može raspravljati.
One cannot argue with her.
Sve se odigralo pred našim očima.
Everything happened before our eyes.
Nad njim se nadvila sjena.
A shadow loomed over him.
Za njim su ostali tragovi.
Traces remained behind him.
Facile à confondre
Both describe location.
Both used with 'pod', 'nad', 'pred', 'za'.
When to use which.
Erreurs courantes
s prijatelj
s prijateljem
pod stol
pod stolom
s ženom
sa ženom
pred kuća
pred kućom
nad stol
nad stolom
za stol
za stolom
s ja
sa mnom
s prijateljima
s prijateljima
pod drvo
pod drvetom
nad grad
nad gradom
pred očima
pred očima
za vratima
za vratima
s njom
s njom
Structures de phrases
Ja sam s ___.
Knjiga je pod ___.
Auto je pred ___.
Oblak je nad ___.
Real World Usage
S kim si?
Kava s mlijekom.
Pred zgradom sam.
Lampa je nad stolom.
Sastanak je pred nama.
Sakrio se za drvetom.
The 'sa' rule
Case confusion
Pronouns
Coffee culture
Smart Tips
Always ask: is it relative position or inside/on?
Check the next word's first letter.
Learn the Instrumental pronoun forms (mnom, njim, njom).
Double-check noun endings.
Prononciation
The 'sa' rule
Use 'sa' before words starting with s, š, z, ž.
Statement
Knjiga je pod stolom. ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
Question
S kim si? ↗
Rising intonation for questions.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Remember 'SPONZ' (S, Pod, Od/Nad, Za, Pred).
Association visuelle
Imagine a cat (mačka) sitting under (pod) a table (stol) with (s) a friend (prijatelj) in front of (pred) a house (kuća).
Rhyme
Pod stolom mačka spava, s prijateljem pijem kava.
Story
I am standing in front of (pred) the house. My friend is with (s) me. We look above (nad) the roof and see the stars. We hide behind (za) the tree.
Word Web
Défi
Write 5 sentences about your room using these prepositions in 5 minutes.
Notes culturelles
Using 's' is very common in social life. Croatians value coffee culture, so 'kava s mlijekom' is a staple.
In some coastal dialects, prepositions might be dropped or shortened, but standard Croatian requires them.
Urban slang often uses 'frend' instead of 'prijatelj'.
These prepositions are inherited from Proto-Slavic.
Amorces de conversation
S kim si danas?
Što je pod tvojim stolom?
Tko stoji pred zgradom?
Što se nalazi nad gradom?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
Idem ___ prijateljem.
Mačka je pod ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
S ženom sam.
Auto / pred / kuća
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Sjedim za ___.
Avion leti ___ gradom.
Find and fix the mistake:
Stojim za vratima.
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesIdem ___ prijateljem.
Mačka je pod ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
S ženom sam.
Auto / pred / kuća
Match: pod, nad, pred, za
Sjedim za ___.
Avion leti ___ gradom.
Find and fix the mistake:
Stojim za vratima.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
It's for pronunciation. It's hard to say 's' followed by another 's' or similar sound.
No, it's also used for tools (e.g., 'pišem olovkom').
No, movement usually requires the Accusative case.
Most masculine/neuter do, but there are variations based on the root.
People will understand you, but it will sound like a beginner.
No, there are many more, but these are the main ones for relative position.
Try describing your room or your daily routine.
It's standard Croatian, used in all registers.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Prepositions with Dative/Accusative
German uses case for both location and direction; Croatian uses different cases.
Prepositions + Noun
Croatian is highly inflected.
Prepositions + Noun
Croatian requires noun declension.
Particles (to, no shita, etc.)
Croatian uses prepositions before the noun.
Prepositions (ma'a, tahta, etc.)
Croatian uses Instrumental case.
Prepositions + Noun
No case system in Chinese.
