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Basic Croatian phrases and greetings for your first weeks in Croatia
By Bok! · Checked on 1 November 2026
Short answer
These are basic Croatian phrases for your first weeks in Croatia: greetings, polite words, the shop and the bank, the doctor and the pharmacy, and numbers and time. Every phrase comes from a Bok! lesson, with an English meaning. Some have audio. Words for your job are in a separate guide: Croatian words for work.
New to Croatian? Read Croatian language for beginners first. It explains the letters and the first four lessons.
Greetings: bok, dobar dan, doviđenja
Start every conversation with a greeting. These are the Croatian basics you will use every day.
| Croatian | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Dobar dan. | Good day. / Hello. | |
| Dobro jutro. | Good morning. | |
| Dobra večer. | Good evening. | – |
| Laku noć. | Good night. | – |
| Bok! | Hi! / Bye! | – |
| Doviđenja. | Goodbye. | – |
| Drago mi je. | Nice to meet you. | |
| Kako ste? | How are you? | |
| Dobro sam, hvala. | I am fine, thank you. |
A tip from our lesson 1: "Say 'Dobar dan' to your boss and to people you don't know. Use 'Bok' only with friends and colleagues."
Polite words and help when you do not understand:
| Croatian | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Hvala. | Thank you. | – |
| Molim. | Please. / You're welcome. | – |
| Oprostite. | Excuse me. / Sorry. | – |
| Ne razumijem. | I don't understand. | – |
| Možete li ponoviti, molim? | Can you repeat, please? | |
| Govorite li engleski? | Do you speak English? | – |
| Da. / Ne. | Yes. / No. | – |
Ti or Vi: talking to your boss
Croatian has two words for "you": ti and vi. With your boss, at an office and with people you do not know, use the polite form. Our lessons teach the polite form, so you can use these questions with anyone.
A tip from our lesson 1: "Polite (formal) questions end in -te / -ste: Kako se zovete? Odakle ste? Kako ste?"
| Croatian | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Kako se zovete? | What is your name? | |
| Odakle ste? | Where are you from? | |
| Kako ste? | How are you? |
In our later lessons you also learn a polite request. A tip from that lesson: "Polite requests start with Molim vas (please)".
| Croatian | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Molim vas, možete li mi pomoći? | Please, can you help me? | – |
In writing: the Croatian spelling guide says that when you write to one person with respect, you can write Vi with a capital V. When you write to a group, you write vi with a small v.
At the shop and the bank
From our free lessons 2 and 3:
| Croatian | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Gdje je trgovina? | Where is the shop? | |
| Koliko košta? | How much does it cost? | |
| Pet eura. | Five euros. | – |
From our later lessons (text only here):
| Croatian | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Kruh, molim. | Bread, please. | – |
| Otvoreno | Open | – |
| Zatvoreno | Closed | – |
| gotovina | cash | – |
| kartica | card | – |
| Plaćam karticom. | I am paying by card. | – |
| Račun, molim. | The bill, please. | – |
| Gdje je bankomat? | Where is the cash machine (ATM)? | – |
| Mogu li platiti karticom? | Can I pay by card? | – |
| Samo gotovinom. | Cash only. | – |
| Želim otvoriti račun. | I want to open an account. | – |
Watch the word račun. Our lesson tip: it can mean a bill (Račun, molim., The bill, please.) or a bank account (Želim otvoriti račun., I want to open an account.).
At the doctor and the pharmacy
From our free lesson 3:
| Croatian | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| liječnik | doctor | – |
| ljekarna | pharmacy | – |
| Bolestan sam. | I am sick. | |
| Bolesna sam. | I am sick. | – |
| Hitna pomoć | ambulance / emergency medical service | – |
A tip from our lesson 3: "Men say 'Bolestan sam', women say 'Bolesna sam' (I am sick)."
From our later lessons (text only here):
| Croatian | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Boli me glava. | I have a headache. | – |
| Trebam liječnika. | I need a doctor. | – |
| lijek | medicine | – |
| recept | prescription | – |
| Trebam li recept? | Do I need a prescription? | – |
| Gdje je ljekarna? | Where is the pharmacy? | – |
Numbers and time
Numbers 0 to 10 from our free lesson 2:
| Croatian | Number | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| nula | 0 | – |
| jedan | 1 | – |
| dva | 2 | – |
| tri | 3 | – |
| četiri | 4 | – |
| pet | 5 | – |
| šest | 6 | – |
| sedam | 7 | – |
| osam | 8 | – |
| devet | 9 | – |
| deset | 10 | – |
Time and days:
| Croatian | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Koliko je sati? | What time is it? | – |
| Sada je osam sati. | It is eight o'clock now. | |
| pola devet | half past eight | |
| u sedam sati | at seven o'clock | |
| danas | today | – |
| sutra | tomorrow | – |
| jučer | yesterday | – |
| Koji je danas dan? | What day is it today? | – |
| Danas je ponedjeljak. | Today is Monday. | – |
Watch out, a tip from lesson 2: "'Pola devet' means 8:30 (half way to nine), NOT 9:30!"
The days of the week:
| Croatian | English | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| ponedjeljak | Monday | – |
| utorak | Tuesday | – |
| srijeda | Wednesday | – |
| četvrtak | Thursday | – |
| petak | Friday | – |
| subota | Saturday | – |
| nedjelja | Sunday | – |
Quick quiz
What do these phrases mean? Say your answer out loud, then check.
- Ne razumijem.
- Možete li ponoviti, molim?
- Koliko košta?
- pola devet
- Bolestan sam.
- Doviđenja.
Show the answers
- I don't understand.
- Can you repeat, please?
- How much does it cost?
- half past eight (8:30)
- I am sick.
- Goodbye.
Want more practice with audio? Try our free A1.1 Croatian practice test (practice only, not the real exam).
Bok! explains Croatian in your language: Nepali · Tagalog · Hindi · English. Are you an employer? See Bok! for employers.
Learn these phrases with Bok! Short Croatian lessons with audio and quizzes, explained in Nepali, Tagalog, Hindi or English. Bok! is preparation only: it is not the exam and it does not replace it.
FAQ
What are the most useful Croatian phrases for beginners?
Start with greetings (Dobar dan., Doviđenja.), polite words (Hvala., Molim., Oprostite.) and help phrases (Ne razumijem., Možete li ponoviti, molim?). All are in Bok! lesson 1.
When do I say Bok and when Dobar dan?
Our lesson 1 tip: "Say 'Dobar dan' to your boss and to people you don't know. Use 'Bok' only with friends and colleagues."
How do I talk politely to my boss in Croatian?
Use the polite form. Our lesson 1 tip: "Polite (formal) questions end in -te / -ste: Kako se zovete? Odakle ste? Kako ste?"
Are these phrases on the A1.1 exam?
We do not know. The A1.1 exam format is not published yet. These phrases are for daily life, not a claim about the exam. Bok! is preparation only.
Sources
- Hrvatski pravopis (Institute of Croatian Language and Linguistics), capital letters for words of respect (Ti, Vi): pravopis.hr/pravilo/rijeci-iz-postovanja-i-pocasti/21/
- Croatian phrases, English meanings and tips: Bok! lessons 1 to 3, 7, 9, 16 and 17 (native-speaker review pending).
Checked on 1 November 2026.
This guide is general language help, not an exam syllabus. Bok! is preparation only.