The Croatian Language

Croatian is the official language over the whole of the country. However, while standard Croatian is used generally for all everyday and official purposes, almost every place has its own dialect, which local people use when talking to each other. On Hvar the town and village dialects differ considerably from each other: some, like Jelsa’s, owe much to Italian or Venetian influences, whereas the inland villages tend to use words with less obvious origins, and Hvar Town has pronunciation quirks of its very own.

Dalmatians are known as good linguists, and the influence of foreign soap operas on TV has extended their knowledge of a surprising number of unusual languages. Of course the biggest influence is the internet, so some knowledge of English is widespread among the younger generations, which was not the case forty years ago. Fortunately, essential and useful information is increasingly publicized in English as well as Croatian. By law, restaurants and other hospitality operations have to publish their menus or instructions in at least one foreign language – although sometimes the translations are a little quirky!

Foreigners can usually find help if there is something they don’t understand. Croatian is not an easy language for foreigners to learn from scratch, but taking the trouble to learn some basic words and phrases is much appreciated by the locals. It certainly helps to break the ice.

This is a little list of words and expressions which might come in useful: (the capital letters show where the emphasis goes)

Do you speak English? – Govorite li engleski? (goh-VOH-ree-teh lee EN-gless-kee)

I don’t speak Croatian [well]. – Ne govorim (dobro) hrvatski. (neh GOH-voh-reem DOH-broh HUHR-vahts-kee)

Hello, hi – Bok (informal) (bohk).

Good morning – Dobro jutro. (DOH-broh YOO-troh)
Good day, good afternoon – Dobar dan. (DOH-bahr dahn)
Good evening – Dobra večer. (DOH-brah VEH-cher)
Good night – Laku noć. (LAH-koo nawch)

What is your name? – Kako se zovete? (KAH-koh seh ZOH-veh-teh)
My name is ______ . Zovem se ______ . (ZOH-vehm seh____.)

Nice to meet you – Drago mi je. (DRAH-goh mee yeh)

Mrs. – Gospođa (GOS-poh-jah)
Mr. – Gospodin (gos-POH-deen)
Miss – Gospođica (GOS-poh-JEE-tsah)

Goodbye – Doviđenja (doh-vee-JEH-nyah) or Zbogom (ZBOH-gohm).
Goodbye – Doviđenja (doh-vee-JEH-nyah) or Bok. (bok)

Yes – Da. (dah)
No – Ne. (neh)

Please – Molim. (MOH-leem)
Thank you – Hvala. (HVAH-lah)
Thank you very much – Hvala lijepa. (HVAh-lah LYEH-pah)

You’re welcome – Nema na čemu. (NEH-mah na CHEH-moo) or Molim. (MO-leem)

How are you? – Kako ste? (formal) (KAH-koh steh?)
How are you? – Kako si? (informal) (KAH-koh see?)
Fine, thank you. – Dobro sam, hvala. (DOH-broh sahm, HVAH-lah)

Excuse me – Oprostite. (oh-PROHS-tee-teh)
I’m sorry. Žao mi je. (zhow mee yeh)

I understand – Razumijem. (rah-ZOO-meeyem)
I don’t understand – Ne razumijem. (neh rah-ZOO-meeyehm)

Help! Upomoć! (OO-poh-mohch)

I need your help – Trebam vašu pomoć. (TREH-bahm VAH-shoo POH-mohtch)
It’s an emergency – Hitno je. (HEET-noh yeh)
I’m lost – Izgubio sam se (eez-GOO-bee-yoh sahm seh) (for a man)

izgubila sam se. (eez-GOO-bee-lah sahm seh) (for a woman)
I’m sick – Bolestan sam [m] (BOH-lehs-tahn sahm) / bolesna sam [f] ((BOH-lehs-nah sahm)
I’ve been injured – Povrijedio sam se [m] (poh-vree-YEH-dyoh sahm seh) / povrijedila sam se [f] (poh-vree-YEH-dee-lah sahm seh)

I need a doctor – Treba mi doktor. (TREH-bah mee DOHK-tohr)

Police! – Policija! – (poh-LEE-tsyah!)

Where is the toilet? – Gdje se nalazi nužnik?

Look out! – Pazite! (formal) (PAH-zee-teh); Pazi! – (informal) (PAH-zee)

Numbers/Brojevi
0 nula (NOO-lah)
1 jedan (YEH-dahn)
2 dva (dvah)
3 tri (tree)
4 četiri (CHEH-tee-ree)
5 pet (peht)
6 šest (shehst)
7 sedam (SEH-dahm)
8 osam (OH-sahm)
9 devet (DEH-veht)
10 deset (DEH-seht)