Getting By in Croatian
This is the survival kit — the dozen phrases that carry you through a full tourist interaction from hello to goodbye. It's also your first checkpoint: everything here leans on what Foundations taught you.
Where Is…?
Gdje je…? opens every search:
| Croatian | English |
|---|---|
| Gdje je hotel? | Where is the hotel? |
| Gdje je WC? | Where is the toilet? |
| Gdje je kolodvor? | Where is the (train) station? |
| Gdje je plaža? | Where is the beach? (priorities) |
kolodvor is the railway station (Zagreb's grand one is Glavni kolodvor); the bus station is autobusni kolodvor.
How Much?
Koliko košta ovo?
How much does this cost?
Note: Point politely; at the tržnica a smile is part of the price.
When You're Lost
| Croatian | English |
|---|---|
| Ne razumijem. | I don't understand. |
| Ne znam. | I don't know. |
| Govorite li engleski? | Do you speak English? (polite, with li in its slot) |
| Polako, molim. | Slowly, please. |
| Možete li ponoviti? | Could you repeat that? |
The All-Purpose može
može — literally "it can" — is the Croatian yes-to-everything: deal, sure, OK, sounds good.
💬 može in its habitat
Može kava?
Coffee?
Može!
Sure!
U pet?
At five?
Može, može.
Works, works.
Its calmer cousin: u redu — "all right / OK" (literally in order). And to decline gracefully: Hvala, ne treba — thanks, no need.
The A0 Checkpoint
Put it all together — the full lost-tourist run:
💬 The complete interaction
Dobar dan! Oprostite, gdje je kolodvor?
Good day! Excuse me, where is the station?
Ravno, pa lijevo. Pet minuta.
Straight, then left. Five minutes.
Polako, molim. Govorim malo hrvatski.
Slowly, please. I speak a little Croatian.
Ravno — pa — lijevo. Može?
Straight — then — left. OK?
Može! Hvala lijepa. Doviđenja!
Got it! Thanks so much. Goodbye!
If you followed that exchange, you've passed the A0 checkpoint: you can read Croatian aloud, greet anyone, count, name your world — and survive a whole conversation. Sljedeće poglavlje: everyday life.