Croatian phrases | Most common phrases for everyday life

Croatian phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in Croatian with translation. | Free & useful

Croatian phrases are short expressions or idioms often used in speech to be polite, express gratitude, greet or say goodbye or simply to have a pleasant conversation.

They are an important part of Croatian culture and can be useful in different situations, both in private and business life.

Croatian phrases you should know

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Greet someone in Croatian

If you want to greet someone in Croatian, it’s actually quite easy:

English	Croatian	IPA
Welcome! in Croatian	Dobrodošli!	[dɔbrɔdǒʃli]
Good day to you! in Croatian	Dobar dan!	[dôbar dan]
Good morning to you! in Croatian	Dobro jutro!	[dǒbrɔ jûtrɔ]
Good evening! in Croatian	Dobra večer!	[dôbra ʋet͡ʃer]
Good to see you. in Croatian	Drago mi je da te vidim.	[drâɡɔ mi je da te ʋîdim]
I’m glad to see you. in Croatian	Drago mi je što te vidim.	[drâɡɔ mi je ʃtɔ te ʋîdim]

If you are greeted in Croatian, the best way to respond is as follows:

English	Croatian	IPA
Have a nice day too! in Croatian	I tebi želim lijep dan!	[i têbi ʒɛlǐm lîjɛp dan]
Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. in Croatian	Hvala, i meni je drago što te vidim.	[xʋǎla, i mɛ̂ni je drâɡɔ ʃtɔ te ʋîdim]

How is my dialogue partner?

As in any other country, it is polite to start by asking where the person you are talking to is located. Here’s how you do it:

English	Croatian	IPA
How are you doing? in Croatian	Kako si?	[kâkɔ si]
Are you doing well? in Croatian	Jesi li dobro?	[jěsi li dɔ̂brɔ]

If you are asked how you feel, you can answer with the following phrases:

English	Croatian	IPA
Thank you for asking, I am fine.	Hvala na pitanju, dobro sam.	[xʋǎla na pǐt͡ʃan̪u, dɔ̂brɔ sam]
Thank you, I am fine.	Hvala, dobro sam.	[xʋǎla, dɔ̂brɔ sam]
Thank you, I am not doing so well.	Hvala, nisam baš dobro.	[xʋǎla, nǐsam baʃ dɔ̂brɔ]
Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing?	Hvala, dobro sam. Kako si ti?	[xʋǎla, dɔ̂brɔ sam. kâkɔ si ti]

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More information about the Croatian Language Course.

How do I say goodbye to someone in Croatian?

Saying goodbye to a friend or stranger in Croatian is not that difficult. Just use the following phrases:

English	Croatian	IPA
Goodbye! in Croatian	Doviđenja!	[dɔʋiʒěɲa]
Take care of yourself! in Croatian	Pazi na sebe!	[pǎzi na sɛ̂bɛ]
Goodbye in Croatian	Zbogom	[zbɔ̂ɡɔm]
See you tomorrow in Croatian	Vidimo se sutra	[ʋîdimɔ sɛ sût̪ra]
See you soon in Croatian	Vidimo se uskoro	[ʋîdimɔ sɛ ǔskɔrɔ]
See you later in Croatian	Vidimo se kasnije	[ʋîdimɔ sɛ kǎsni̯ɛ]
Good night in Croatian	Laku noć	[lâku nɔt͡ɕ]
Sleep well in Croatian	Spavaj dobro	[spǎʋaj dɔ̂brɔ]
Talk to you later. in Croatian	Čujemo se kasnije.	[t͡ʃǔjɛmɔ sɛ kǎsni̯ɛ]
Nice to have met you! in Croatian	Drago mi je da smo se upoznali!	[drâɡɔ mi je da smɔ sɛ ǔpɔznali]

How do I introduce myself in Croatian?

When travelling in Croatia, sooner or later you will come into contact with local people. Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself in Croatian and know who you’re talking to.

English	Croatian	IPA
My name is Jonas.	Zovem se Jonas.	[zǒʋem sɛ jônas]
What is your name?	Kako se zoveš?	[kâkɔ sɛ zɔʋɛʃ]
What is your surname?	Kako ti je prezime?	[kâkɔ ti je prězime]
What is your first name?	Kako ti je ime?	[kâkɔ ti je ǐmɛ]
What is your surname?	Kako se prezivaš?	[kâkɔ sɛ prɛzǐʋaʃ]

If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:

English	Croatian	IPA
Where do you come from?	Odakle si?	[ɔdâklɛ si]
I am from London.	Ja sam iz Londona.	[jâ sam iz lɔndɔ̂na]
Are you from Birmingham?	Jesi li iz Birminghama?	[jěsi li iz bǐrminɡama]
No, I’m from Madrid.	Ne, ja sam iz Madrida.	[nɛ, jâ sam iz madrǐda]
Great, I’m from Madrid too.	Super, i ja sam iz Madrida.	[sûpɛr, i jâ sam iz madrǐda]
Where do you live?	Gdje živiš?	[ɡd̪jɛ ʒǐʋiʃ]
I live in Berlin.	Živim u Berlinu.	[ʒǐʋiːm u bɛrlǐnu]

If you have problems with your Croatian, it is good to know which languages are still spoken:

English	Croatian	IPA
Do you speak English?	Govoriš li engleski?	[ɡɔʋɔrîʃ li ěnɡlɛski]
Yes, I speak English.	Da, govorim engleski.	[da, ɡɔʋɔrǐm ěnɡlɛski]
Yes, I speak some English.	Da, govorim malo engleskog.	[da, ɡɔʋɔrǐm mâlɔ ěnɡlɛskɔɡ]
No, I do not speak any English.	Ne, ne govorim engleski.	[nɛ, nɛ ɡɔʋɔrǐm ěnɡlɛski]
I only speak English.	Govorim samo engleski.	[ɡɔʋɔrǐm sâmo ěnɡlɛski]
I understand some Croatian.	Razumijem malo hrvatskog.	[razǔmijɛm mâlɔ xrʋǎtskɔɡ]

Useful sentences with ‘I am…’

The following sentences will help you orientate yourself in Croatian and express your wishes and concerns:

English	Croatian	IPA
I am English. in Croatian	Ja sam Englez.	[jâ sam ɛnɡlɛ̂z]
I am injured. in Croatian	Ozlijedio sam se.	[ɔzliěːdiɔ sam sɛ]
I am here. in Croatian	Ovdje sam.	[ǒːʋd̪jɛ sam]
I am hungry. in Croatian	Gladan sam.	[ɡlǎdan sam]
I am thirsty. in Croatian	Žedan sam.	[ʒědan sam]
I am a single person. in Croatian	Slobodan sam.	[slɔbɔdǎn sam]
I need help! in Croatian	Trebam pomoć!	[trɛ̂bam pǒːmɔt͡ɕ]
I am tired. in Croatian	Umoran sam.	[ǔmɔran sam]
I am happy. in Croatian	Sretan sam.	[srɛ̂tan sam]
I am sad. in Croatian	Tužan sam.	[tǔʒan sam]
I am in love. in Croatian	Zaljubljen sam.	[zaljûbljɛn sam]
I am ill. in Croatian	Bolan sam.	[bɔ̂lan sam]
I am ready. in Croatian	Spreman sam.	[sprɛ̂man sam]
I am busy. in Croatian	Zauzet sam.	[zâuzɛt sam]
I am lost. in Croatian	Izgubio sam se.	[izɡǔbiɔ sam sɛ]
I am a tourist. in Croatian	Ja sam turist.	[jâ sam turǐst]
I am new here. in Croatian	Novi sam ovdje.	[nǒʋi sam ǒːʋd̪jɛ]
I am confident. in Croatian	Samouvjeren sam.	[samɔǔʋjɛrɛn sam]
I am proud. in Croatian	Ponosan sam.	[pǒnɔsan sam]
I am a teacher. in Croatian	Ja sam učitelj.	[jâ sam ǔt͡ʃitɛʎ]
I am late. in Croatian	Kasnim.	[kâsniːm]
I am 30 years old. in Croatian	Imam trideset godina.	[ǐmam trǐdɛsɛt ɡǒdina]
I am in a hurry. in Croatian	Žurim.	[ʒǔriːm]
I am happy. in Croatian	Sretan sam.	[srɛ̂tan sam]
I am surprised. in Croatian	Iznenađen sam.	[iznɛnǎdʒɛn sam]
I am angry. in Croatian	Ljut sam.	[ʎût sam]

Apologising in Croatian

Here’s how to apologise to a Croatian speaker:

English	Croatian	IPA
I apologise.	Ispričavam se.	[isprǐt͡ʃaʋam sɛ]
Sorry, that was not the intention.	Oprosti, to nije bila namjera.	[ɔprɔ̂sti tɔ nǐjɛ bǐla nâmjɛra]
Sorry, I did not do it on purpose.	Oprosti, nisam to namjerno napravio.	[ɔprɔ̂sti nǐsam tɔ nâmjɛrnɔ naprâʋiɔ]
Sorry, that was very clumsy of me.	Oprosti, to je bilo vrlo nespretno od mene.	[ɔprɔ̂sti tɔ jɛ bǐlɔ ʋr̂lɔ nɛsprɛ̂tnɔ ɔd mɛ̌nɛ]

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More information about the Croatian Intermediate Course.

Useful signs and notices in Croatian

Useful signs and messages in Croatian that you will often see.

English	Croatian	IPA
Entrance in Croatian	Ulaz	[ǔlaz]
Toilet in Croatian	Toalet	[tɔalɛ̂t]
Exit in Croatian	Izlaz	[ǐzlaz]
Attention! in Croatian	Pažnja!	[pǎʒɲa]
Police in Croatian	Policija	[pɔlǐt͡sija]
Emergency services in Croatian	Hitna pomoć	[xǐtna pǒːmɔt͡ɕ]
Fire brigade in Croatian	Vatrogasci	[ʋatrɔɡǎːst͡si]
Passage forbidden. in Croatian	Zabranjen prolaz.	[zabrǎɲɛn prǒlaz]
Caution! in Croatian	Oprez!	[ɔprɛ̂z]
This building is under video surveillance. in Croatian	Ova zgrada je pod video nadzorom.	[ǒʋa zɡrǎda jɛ pɔd ʋǐdɛɔ nǎdzɔrɔm]

Numbers to 25 in Croatian

Counting in Croatian is not that difficult. Here are the numbers in Croatian from 1 to 25.

English	Croatian	IPA
One in Croatian	Jedan	[jědan]
Two in Croatian	Dva	[d̪ʋâ]
Three in Croatian	Tri	[trî]
Four in Croatian	Četiri	[t͡ʃětiri]
Five in Croatian	Pet	[pêt]
Six in Croatian	Šest	[ʃêst]
Seven in Croatian	Sedam	[sědam]
Eight in Croatian	Osam	[ǒsam]
Nine in Croatian	Devet	[děʋet]
Ten in Croatian	Deset	[dêset]
Eleven in Croatian	Jedanaest	[jɛdanǎɛst]
Twelve in Croatian	Dvanaest	[d̪ʋǎnaɛst]
Thirteen in Croatian	Trinaest	[trǐnaɛst]
Fourteen in Croatian	Četrnaest	[t͡ʃɛtr̩nǎɛst]
Fifteen in Croatian	Petnaest	[pětnaɛst]
Sixteen in Croatian	Šesnaest	[ʃěsnaɛst]
Seventeen in Croatian	Sedamnaest	[sɛdǎmnaɛst]
Eighteen in Croatian	Osamnaest	[ɔsǎmnaɛst]
Nineteen in Croatian	Devetnaest	[dɛʋɛtnaɛst]
Twenty in Croatian	Dvadeset	[d̪ʋǎdɛsɛt]
Twenty-one in Croatian	Dvadeset jedan	[d̪ʋǎdɛsɛt jědan]
Twenty-two in Croatian	Dvadeset dva	[d̪ʋǎdɛsɛt d̪ʋâ]
Twenty-three in Croatian	Dvadeset tri	[d̪ʋǎdɛsɛt trî]
Twenty-four in Croatian	Dvadeset četiri	[d̪ʋǎdɛsɛt t͡ʃětiri]
Twenty-five in Croatian	Dvadeset pet	[d̪ʋǎdɛsɛt pêt]

The colours in Croatian

The most common colours in Croatian with phonetic transcription for pronunciation.

English	Croatian	IPA
Red in Croatian	Crvena	[tsrʋěna]
Blue in Croatian	Plava	[plǎːʋa]
Yellow in Croatian	Žuta	[ʒûːta]
Green in Croatian	Zelena	[zɛlɛ̌na]
Orange in Croatian	Narančasta	[nǎrant͡ʃasta]
Purple in Croatian	Ljubičasta	[ʎubǐ̞t͡ʃasta]
Pink in Croatian	Ružičasta	[rûʒit͡ʃasta]
Brown in Croatian	Smeđa	[smɛ̂d͡ʑa]
Black in Croatian	Crna	[tsr̂na]
White in Croatian	Bijela	[bîjɛla]

Days of the week, months and seasons in Croatian

Of course, you will also need the days of the week in Croatian and the pronunciation of the months and seasons in dialogues and daily communication in Croatian.

English	Croatian	IPA
Monday in Croatian	Ponedjeljak	[pɔnɛ̌d͡jɛʎak]
Tuesday in Croatian	Utorak	[ǔtɔrak]
Wednesday in Croatian	Srijeda	[srjěda]
Thursday in Croatian	Četvrtak	[t͡ʃɛ̂tʋrtak]
Friday in Croatian	Petak	[pětak]
Saturday in Croatian	Subota	[sǔbɔta]
Sunday in Croatian	Nedjelja	[nɛ̌d͡jɛʎa]
January in Croatian	Siječanj	[sîɛt͡ʃaɲ]
February in Croatian	Veljača	[ʋɛ̂ʎat͡ʃa]
March in Croatian	Ožujak	[ǒʒujak]
April in Croatian	Travanj	[trǎʋaɲ]
May in Croatian	Svibanj	[sʋîbaɲ]
June in Croatian	Lipanj	[lǐpaɲ]
July in Croatian	Srpanj	[sr̩̂paɲ]
August in Croatian	Kolovoz	[kɔ̂lɔʋɔz]
September in Croatian	Rujan	[rûjan]
October in Croatian	Listopad	[lǐstɔpad]
November in Croatian	Studeni	[stǔdɛni]
December in Croatian	Prosinac	[prǒsinat͡s]
Spring in Croatian	Proljeće	[prɔʎět͡ʃɛ]
Summer in Croatian	Ljeto	[ʎětɔ]
Autumn in Croatian	Jesen	[jɛ̌sɛn]
Winter in Croatian	Zima	[zǐma]

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More information about the Croatian Business Course.

Additional links

• Learn Croatian with Mondly
• The different ways of learning languages
• Learning vocabulary successfully
• Motivated language learning
• It is so easy to train your understanding of a language at the same time
• Learning languages quickly? – Is it possible?
• The different types of learners when learning languages

More information about the Croatian Course for Children.