Weather, Bura & Jugo
Weather talk is small talk everywhere — but on the Adriatic, the wind report is practically a mood diagnosis. Learn the subjectless sentence, then meet the two winds every Croatian treats as family members.
Sentences Without a Subject
Weather sentences have no subject — just the state plus je:
| Croatian | English |
|---|---|
| Sunčano je. | It's sunny. |
| Vruće je. | It's hot. |
| Hladno je. | It's cold. |
| Oblačno je. | It's cloudy. |
| Vjetrovito je. | It's windy. |
And your dative states plug straight in: hladno mi je — I'm cold; the weather is cold to me.
Falling Things
One verb covers everything that falls from the sky — padati:
Pada kiša.
It's raining. (rain is falling)
Note: Also: pada snijeg — it's snowing, with the classic ije.
bura — the Clearing Wind
The bura roars down from the mountains onto the coast: cold, dry, and strong enough to close bridges and cancel ferries. Then it scrubs the sky to a hard blue. Croatians respect it like a strict but fair relative.
Puše bura — trajekt ne ide.
The bura is blowing — the ferry isn't running.
Note: puhati → puše: the wind-blowing verb.
jugo — the Excuse Wind
The jugo blows warm and wet from the south. It brings rain, pressure, headaches — and absolution. Bad mood? Jugo. Missed deadline? Jugo. Lost the match? Jugo.
Boli me glava — jugo je.
My head aches — it's the jugo.
Note: Fully accepted as a medical and moral explanation across Dalmatia.
The Seasons
| Croatian | English |
|---|---|
| proljeće | spring |
| ljeto | summer |
| jesen | autumn |
| zima | winter |
In summer / in winter get one-word forms: ljeti, zimi.
💬 The yearly rhythm
Kakvo je vrijeme u Splitu zimi?
What's the weather like in Split in winter?
Ili bura ili jugo. Bura je hladna, ali sunčano je.
Either bura or jugo. The bura is cold, but it's sunny.
A jugo?
And the jugo?
Jugo? Pada kiša i svi su neraspoloženi.
The jugo? It rains and everyone's in a mood.