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Why learn Croatian?
Croatian is one of the 67 languages you can learn on Lingocard with frequency-ranked flashcards, spaced repetition, and live speaking partners. Build vocabulary and pronunciation at your own pace, on web and mobile.
Croatian is written in the Latin script. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Croatian is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers. Croatian belongs to the Indo-European (Slavic) family - if you enjoy it, a natural next step is Serbian or Slovenian.
The 50 most common Croatian words
Start with the words you will actually meet: learn these and you will recognize something in almost every Croatian sentence.
| # | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | i | ee | and |
| 2 | u | oo | in |
| 3 | ne | neh | no |
| 4 | na | nah | on |
| 5 | ja | yah | I |
| 6 | biti | BEE-tee | be |
| 7 | on | ohn | he |
| 8 | s | s | with |
| 9 | što | shtoh | what |
| 10 | a | ah | but |
| 11 | po | poh | by |
| 12 | to | toh | it |
| 13 | ona | OH-nah | she |
| 14 | taj | tahy | that |
| 15 | do | doh | to |
| 16 | ali | AH-lee | but |
| 17 | oni | OH-nee | they |
| 18 | mi | mee | we |
| 19 | kako | KAH-koh | how |
| 20 | iz | eez | from |
| 21 | koji | KOH-yee | which |
| 22 | za | zah | for |
| 23 | svoj | svoy | own |
| 24 | sav | sahv | all |
| 25 | godina | GOH-dee-nah | year |
| 26 | od | ohd | from |
| 27 | tako | TAH-koh | so |
| 28 | o | oh | about |
| 29 | ti | tee | you |
| 30 | već | vech | already |
| 31 | moći | MOH-chee | can |
| 32 | vi | vee | you |
| 33 | čovjek | CHOH-vyek | man |
| 34 | takav | TAH-kahv | such |
| 35 | reći | REH-chee | say |
| 36 | samo | SAH-moh | only |
| 37 | ili | EE-lee | or |
| 38 | još | yohsh | still |
| 39 | sebe | SEH-beh | self |
| 40 | jedan | YEH-dahn | one |
| 41 | vrijeme | VREE-yeh-meh | time |
| 42 | ako | AH-koh | if |
| 43 | naš | nahsh | our |
| 44 | vrlo | VUR-loh | very |
| 45 | kada | KAH-dah | when |
| 46 | znati | ZNAH-tee | know |
| 47 | dan | dahn | day |
| 48 | imati | EE-mah-tee | have |
| 49 | dobro | DOH-broh | good |
| 50 | nov | nohv | new |
Useful phrases in Croatian
- Dobar dan · DOH-bahr dahn · Hello / Good day
- Kako si? · KAH-koh see · How are you?
- Hvala · HVAH-lah · Thank you
- Molim · MOH-leem · Please
- Zovem se... · ZOH-vem seh · My name is...
- Gdje je...? · gdyeh yeh · Where is...?
- Doviđenja · do-vee-JEN-yah · Goodbye
- Oprostite · o-pros-TEE-teh · Excuse me
- Ne razumijem · neh rah-ZOO-mee-yem · I don't understand
- Možete li mi pomoći? · MO-zhe-teh lee mee PO-mo-chee · Can you help me?
- Koliko košta? · KO-lee-ko KOSH-tah · How much is it?
- Vidimo se sutra! · VEE-dee-mo seh SOO-trah · See you tomorrow!
Learn Croatian with comprehensive language resources
- Pronunciation
- Numbers
- Verbs and adjectives
- Frequency dictionaries
- Basic sentences
- Thematic dictionaries
- Politeness
- Idioms
Learn Croatian, wherever you are
- AI-powered spaced repetition learning system on the go
- Audio processing for pronunciation
- Creation of visual language flash cards with images
- Search for speaking practice partners
- Frequency and thematic dictionaries for any language
- Alert system with exercise reminders
- Live video and messaging to facilitate learning
Join our global Croatian learning community
Collaborate with native Croatian speakers and fellow learners: exchange messages, correct each other's cards, and practice real conversation.
Send friend requests to the speakers you click with and build your own friends list - many practice partners become real friends.
Are you an educator? Teach Croatian online · Create an online Croatian school · Build a Croatian curriculum
Frequently asked questions about learning Croatian
How difficult is it to learn Croatian?
How difficult Croatian is depends on your background, but every language becomes manageable with consistent daily practice. Focusing on the most frequent words first means you can understand and say a lot early on. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Croatian is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers.
What should I learn first to reach a basic level in Croatian?
Start with the 100-500 most frequent words (free in our apps) and the thematic dictionaries most relevant to your daily life. Set clear goals and practise a few minutes every day - consistency is what produces results. Then connect with other learners to build confidence at your new basic level.
How long does it take to learn Croatian?
Most learners reach a comfortable conversational level in Croatian within 8-18 months of consistent daily study. Practising vocabulary with spaced repetition and speaking regularly speeds this up considerably. About 6 million people across 1 countries speak Croatian, so you will never run short of practice partners.
How do I improve my Croatian vocabulary?
Use the spaced-repetition and flashcard systems in the app. You can set daily, weekly, or yearly goals in our mobile apps and steadily reach the vocabulary size you’re aiming for.
Is Croatian pronunciation hard?
Every language has a few sounds that take practice, but Croatian pronunciation becomes consistent with regular listening and speaking. Hearing the language often matters more than memorising rules.
How do I get Free Croatian speaking practice?
Open the Practice or Friends page in the app, send practice requests, and start real conversations with other learners - don’t be shy! You can also mention that you want speaking practice when you create your account, and the platform will help match you with suitable partners.
Do I need to learn the Croatian alphabet first?
If Croatian uses a different script, learning it early unlocks reading - and it's usually faster than people expect. On Lingocard you'll find every alphabet, with example words, free.