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In today’s blog, we will talk about circumstances when an accusative case is accompanied by the prepositions u or na. In those situations, we find the accusative often standing next to a verb of movement (ići → to go, voziti → to drive, dolaziti → to come, putovati → to travel, etc.) and showing a direction, in which the subject is moving. For instance:
Idemo u Hrvatsku. → We are going to Croatia
Vozim se u Zagreb. → I am driving to Zagreb.
Idemo na plažu. → We are going to the beach.
The preposition u is used to describe the subject entering a concrete place: a room, a building (pošta → the post office, škola → the school, kuća → the house), a city (Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik) or a country (Hrvatska, Njemačka, Italija). Here are a few examples:
Idem u kuću. → I'm going into the house.
Idemo u hotel. → We're going into the hotel. / We're going to a hotel.
Vozimo se u Italiju. → We're driving to Italy.
Ideš li u Hrvatsku? → Are you going to Croatia?
The prepositions u and na are often standing next to the locative case as well. An important factor in the distinction of the two cases is the fact that the locative describes the place of an action. You can read about other prepositions in use with the locative case in our blog.
The preposition na is combined with verbs of movement as well, although these verbs indicate walking into an open surface or are connected to an abstract term (lunch, coffee, performance):
Idem na ručak. → I’m going to lunch.
Idemo na kavu. → We are going for a coffee.
Oni idu na otok Hvar. → They are going to the island Hvar.
Idem na Oktoberfest. → I’m going to the Oktoberfest festival.
The following table shows when the prepositions are used in accordance with a verb of movement.
| ići, doći, voziti + accusative | |
|---|---|
| ići, doći, voziti u … | ići, doći, voziti na … |
| u školu | na kavu |
| u muzej | na ručak |
| u restoran | na film |
| u Zagreb, u Split, u Berlin… | na Hvar, na Korčulu, na Krk… |
| u Njemačku, u Hrvatsku, u Englesku… | na Oktorberfest, na Špancirfest, na božićni sajam (christmas fair)… |
When forming the locative it is very helpful to ask: Where am I? (→ Gdje sam?), while for constructing the accusative you would ask the question:
Where am I going? (→ Kamo idem?).
Where are we going? → Answer Kamo idemo?
We are going to school. → Answer Idemo u školu.
I am coming to the café. → Answer Dolazim u kafić.
You are going to the park. → Answer Ideš u park.
We are going for some coffee. → Answer Idemo na kavu.
I am going to lunch. → Answer Idem na ručak.
Ivan and Marko are going to the restaurant. → Answer Ivan i Marko idu u restoran.
You are going to the post office. → Answer Idete u poštu.
We are travelling to Croatia. → Answer Putujemo u Hrvatsku.
We are driving to the island Cres. → Answer Vozimo na otok Cres.
He is going to the beach. → Answer Ide na plažu.
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