If you imagine a cat and a box, some of the images that come to mind could be a cat in the box (u kutiji) or the cat on the box (na kutiji). So, the difference between u and na seems pretty straightforward, right? But have you ever heard some Croats saying they were na koncertu and wondered what on earth they were doing on the concert? Or have you ever wondered how to properly say in Croatian that you were at some places or events? If the answer to at least one of these two questions is positive, we have good news: this is a post just for you. So – buckle up, let’s learn some more Croatian!

So, apart from the obvious distinction:

u kutiji = in the box
na kutiji = on the box

both u and na are also used before nouns that are either places or events. So let’s get straight to the point. Broadly speaking, 

• the preposition u (in, at, or to) is used to refer to a closed space – even more generally, to the “insideness” of something, and
• the preposition na (on, at, or to) is used to refer to an open space or surface, as well as to all types of activities or events.

The Croatian language does not have a direct translation for the preposition at, so you can use the distinction above as the quick solution to how to say you are at or in (or going to) certain places or events.

For example:

Koncert je u dvorani. – The concert is in the hall. 
dvorana (hall) – closed space; physically inside
Radim u restoranu. – I work at/in a restaurant.
restoran (restaurant) – closed space; physically inside
Cvijeće raste u vrtu. – Flowers grow in the garden. 
vrt (garden) – physically inside
Sjedim u parku. – I am sitting in the park. 
park (park) – physically inside
Ja sam na koncertu. – I am at a concert. 
koncert (concert) – event/activity
Oni su na ručku. – They are at lunch.
ručak (lunch) – event/activity 
Čekam te na trgu. – I am waiting for you at the square.
trg (square) – open space / surface
Sunčam se na plaži. – I am sunbathing on the beach.
plaža (beach) – open space / surface

For more detailed information, check the table below.

U and na with places and events – the table 

(Note to the sharp-eyed who want to know more: pay attention to colors!)

And that’s pretty much all there is to know about when to use u and when to use na with places and events! However, if you don’t feel like learning every situation from the table by heart, just remember the very basic difference as explained above: u + closed spaces, na + open spaces or surfaces and activities or events. That trick should work well for most situations when in doubt.

Bonus part for the sharp-eyed

If you have noticed that the nouns after u or na in the table above are in different colors because they are in different cases – congratulations, your attention to detail is awesome! The nouns in the locative case are all about location, while the nouns in the accusative case are all about destination. We will write more about this in a separate blog post. 

Do you have any questions about using u or na with places or events? Tell us in the comment section below!

Are you ready now for some exercises?

Learning Croatian continues! Next Tuesday we’ll learn about the instrumental case in the Croatian language. If you would like us to send you an email with the next Croatian grammar lesson, put your email address here. 

If you want to learn Croatian online with a teacher one-on-one, don’t hesitate to book your free trial lesson here.