A1 Prepositions 1 min read かんたん

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

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Use the Accusative case after 'u', 'na', 'kroz', and 'za' when describing movement toward a destination or purpose.

  • Use 'u' for entering a space: Idem u školu (I am going to school).
  • Use 'na' for surfaces or events: Idem na koncert (I am going to a concert).
  • Use 'kroz' for passing through: Prolazim kroz park (I am passing through the park).
Preposition + Noun (Accusative) = Direction/Goal

Accusative Case Changes

Gender Nominative Accusative Example
Masculine (Inanimate)
stol
stol
na stol
Feminine
škola
školu
u školu
Neuter
selo
selo
u selo
Masculine (Animate)
prijatelj
prijatelja
za prijatelja

Meanings

These prepositions indicate movement toward a destination or a specific purpose in the Accusative case.

1

Physical Motion

Moving into or onto a location.

“Idem u grad.”

“Stavljam knjigu na stol.”

2

Purpose/Goal

Doing something for a specific reason.

“Ovo je poklon za tebe.”

“Idem na kavu.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Prepositions Governing Accusative (u, na, kroz, za)
Type Structure Example
Affirmative
Idem u [noun]
Idem u školu.
Negative
Ne idem u [noun]
Ne idem u školu.
Question
Ideš li u [noun]?
Ideš li u školu?
Purpose
Za [noun]
Za tebe.
Motion
Kroz [noun]
Kroz park.

フォーマル度スペクトル

フォーマル
Idem u školu.

Idem u školu. (Daily life)

ニュートラル
Idem u školu.

Idem u školu. (Daily life)

カジュアル
Idem u školu.

Idem u školu. (Daily life)

スラング
Pičim u školu.

Pičim u školu. (Daily life)

Directional Prepositions

Accusative

Inside

  • u into

Surface

  • na onto

Passage

  • kroz through

レベル別の例文

1

Idem u školu.

I am going to school.

2

Idem na kavu.

I am going for coffee.

3

Ovo je za tebe.

This is for you.

4

Prolazim kroz park.

I am passing through the park.

1

Putujem u Zagreb.

I am traveling to Zagreb.

2

Idem na posao.

I am going to work.

3

Trčim kroz šumu.

I am running through the forest.

4

Kupujem poklon za mamu.

I am buying a gift for mom.

1

Ulazim u zgradu.

I am entering the building.

2

Idem na sastanak.

I am going to a meeting.

3

Gledam kroz prozor.

I am looking through the window.

4

Borim se za pravdu.

I am fighting for justice.

1

Sjedam na stolicu.

I am sitting on the chair.

2

Idem u kino na film.

I am going to the cinema for a film.

3

Prošetao sam kroz grad.

I walked through the city.

4

Radim za tvrtku.

I work for a company.

1

Uronio sam u misli.

I immersed myself in thoughts.

2

Otišao je na put bez povratka.

He went on a journey of no return.

3

Probijam se kroz gužvu.

I am pushing through the crowd.

4

Živim za ovaj trenutak.

I live for this moment.

1

Ušao je u legendu.

He entered the legend.

2

Sve je palo na njega.

Everything fell on him.

3

Gledao je kroz vrijeme.

He looked through time.

4

Spreman sam za sve.

I am ready for everything.

間違えやすい

Prepositions Governing Accusative (u, na, kroz, za) Accusative vs Locative

Both use prepositions like 'u' and 'na'.

Prepositions Governing Accusative (u, na, kroz, za) U vs Na

Both mean 'to'.

Prepositions Governing Accusative (u, na, kroz, za) Kroz vs Preko

Both imply movement.

よくある間違い

Idem u škola

Idem u školu

Feminine nouns need -u ending.

Idem na kino

Idem u kino

Buildings usually take 'u'.

Idem u posao

Idem na posao

Work is an event/activity.

Kroz park

Kroz park

This is correct, but learners often forget 'kroz'.

Idem na grad

Idem u grad

Cities take 'u'.

Za tebe

Za tebe

Correct, but learners often use nominative 'ti'.

U stol

Na stol

Surface requires 'na'.

Idem u koncert

Idem na koncert

Events take 'na'.

Za prijatelj

Za prijatelja

Animate nouns need -a.

Kroz vrata

Kroz vrata

Correct, but learners struggle with plural.

Ušao sam u misao

Ušao sam u misli

Plural usage for abstract concepts.

Spreman za sve

Spreman za sve

Correct, but learners often use wrong case.

Živim za trenutak

Živim za trenutak

Correct, but learners often use genitive.

Pao na njega

Pao na njega

Correct, but learners struggle with pronouns.

文型パターン

Idem u ___.

Idem na ___.

Prolazim kroz ___.

Ovo je za ___.

Real World Usage

Texting constant

Idem na kavu, vidimo se!

Travel very common

Idem u Hrvatsku.

Work common

Idem na sastanak.

Food Delivery occasional

Ovo je za vas.

Social Media common

Idem na koncert! #zagreb

Job Interview occasional

Radim za vašu tvrtku.

💡

Feminine Rule

Always check the last letter. If it's 'a', make it 'u'.
⚠️

Don't mix cases

Accusative is for motion, not location.
🎯

Animate nouns

If the noun is a person, use -a ending.
💬

Coffee culture

Saying 'Idem na kavu' is the best way to make friends.

Smart Tips

Always check the last letter.

Idem u škola. Idem u školu.

Use 'na' for concerts, meetings, and coffee.

Idem u koncert. Idem na koncert.

Add -a to masculine animate nouns.

Za prijatelj. Za prijatelja.

Think of it as 'through'.

Idem park. Idem kroz park.

発音

shko-loo

Accusative ending

The -u ending is short and clear.

Statement

Idem u školu ↓

Falling intonation for facts.

暗記しよう

記憶術

U-nter (u), N-ext to (na), K-ross (kroz), Z-a (for).

視覚的連想

Imagine a ball rolling into a box (u), onto a table (na), through a tunnel (kroz), and being given as a gift (za).

Rhyme

U za školu, na za stol, kroz za park, to nije bol!

Story

Ana goes to school (u školu). She puts her bag on the table (na stol). She walks through the park (kroz park) to buy a gift for her friend (za prijatelja).

Word Web

školastolparkkavaprijateljgrad

チャレンジ

Write 5 sentences about where you are going today using these prepositions.

文化メモ

Going for coffee ('na kavu') is a central social ritual in Croatia.

These prepositions are inherited from Proto-Slavic.

会話のきっかけ

Kamo ideš?

Što radiš za vikend?

Zašto učiš hrvatski?

Kroz koji grad putuješ?

日記のテーマ

Describe your daily commute.
What are you buying for your family?
Describe a walk through your city.
What are your goals for this year?

よくある間違い

Incorrect

正解


Incorrect

正解


Incorrect

正解


Incorrect

正解

Test Yourself

Fill in the correct form.

Idem u ___ (škola).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
Feminine nouns take -u.
Choose the correct preposition. 選択問題

Idem ___ koncert.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
Events take 'na'.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Idem u posao.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Work is an activity.
Reorder the words. Sentence Building

kavu / na / idem

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Standard SVO order.
Match the preposition to the meaning. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Correct mapping.
Select the correct animate form. 選択問題

Ovo je za ___ (prijatelj).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
Animate nouns take -a.
Fill in the blank.

Prolazim kroz ___ (park).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Inanimate masculine remains same.
Change to negative. Sentence Transformation

Idem u školu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Negative goes before verb.

Score: /8

練習問題

8 exercises
Fill in the correct form.

Idem u ___ (škola).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
Feminine nouns take -u.
Choose the correct preposition. 選択問題

Idem ___ koncert.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
Events take 'na'.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Idem u posao.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Work is an activity.
Reorder the words. Sentence Building

kavu / na / idem

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Standard SVO order.
Match the preposition to the meaning. Match Pairs

u / na / kroz / za

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Correct mapping.
Select the correct animate form. 選択問題

Ovo je za ___ (prijatelj).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
Animate nouns take -a.
Fill in the blank.

Prolazim kroz ___ (park).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Inanimate masculine remains same.
Change to negative. Sentence Transformation

Idem u školu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Negative goes before verb.

Score: /8

よくある質問 (8)

Feminine nouns ending in -a change to -u in the Accusative. Masculine and neuter nouns usually stay the same.

Mostly, but it's used for destinations like 'u grad' (to the city).

Only for specific ones like 'na poštu' (to the post office).

Use the -a ending for animate masculine nouns.

Yes, for movement through spaces like parks or tunnels.

Accusative is for motion (where to?), Locative is for location (where at?).

Forgetting the -u ending for feminine nouns.

No, it's one of the most consistent rules in Croatian.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

German high

in/auf + Akkusativ

German uses different articles.

Spanish moderate

a/en

Croatian changes noun endings.

French moderate

à/dans

Croatian uses cases.

Japanese low

ni/e

Particles follow the noun.

Arabic low

ila/fi

Arabic is VSO/SVO.

Chinese low

dao/zai

No case system.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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