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Croatian words for work: construction, hotel, kitchen and safety (with pronunciation)
By Bok! · Checked on 19 October 2026
Native-speaker review pending (stress marks, kanta/tačke usage, and everyday Klizavo). Spellings were checked in the Hrvatski jezični portal (HJP). Safety-sign texts follow the official rulebook where cited.
Short intro
If you work in Croatia in construction, a hotel or a kitchen, a few Croatian words make every day safer and easier. Below are four short lists: tools and the building site, hotel and cleaning, kitchen and restaurant, and safety signs. Each row has Croatian, English and a simple pronunciation hint for English speakers.
How to read the hints: ch as in church, sh as in ship, zh as in measure, ts as in cats, y as in yes. Capital letters show the stronger part of the word. Stress follows the standard dictionary (HJP); everyday speech can differ. č and ć are both close to ch; ć is softer. Write h for Croatian h (like Scottish loch). The letter r can work as a vowel: krpa = KR-pa. This is a help for beginners, not a full phonetic system.
These lists are for daily work. They are not a claim about what any official language exam will ask. For the A1.1 work permit rule, see Croatian A1.1 exam for your work permit. For how A1.1 differs from B1, see A1.1 vs B1 Croatian.
1. Construction and tools
| Croatian | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| alat | tool | A-lat |
| čekić | hammer | CHEH-kich |
| čavao | nail | CHA-va-o |
| vijak | screw | VEE-yak |
| odvijač | screwdriver | od-VEE-yach |
| pila | saw | PEE-la |
| bušilica | drill | BOO-shee-lee-tsa |
| ljestve | ladder | LYEST-veh |
| skela | scaffolding (HJP sense 3; sense 1 is a river ferry) | SKEH-la |
| cigla | brick | TSEEG-la |
| cement | cement | TSEH-ment |
| beton | concrete | BEH-ton |
| žbuka | plaster / mortar | ZHBOO-ka |
| žica | wire | ZHEE-tsa |
| armatura | reinforcement (rebar) | ar-ma-TOO-ra |
| cijev | pipe | TSYEV |
| lopata | shovel | LO-pa-ta |
| kolica | trolley / cart | ko-LEE-tsa |
| tačke | wheelbarrow | TACH-keh |
| zid | wall | ZEED |
| gradilište | construction site | GRA-dee-leesh-teh |
Spellings checked in HJP. Example entries: čekić, ljestve, gradilište, skela (sense 3 = scaffolding). Školski rječnik also lists the scaffolding sense: rjecnik.hr.
2. Hotel and cleaning
| Croatian | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| hotel | hotel | HO-tel |
| recepcija | reception | reh-TSEP-tsee-ya |
| gost | guest | GOST |
| soba | room | SO-ba |
| ključ | key | KLYOOCH |
| krevet | bed | KREH-vet |
| jastuk | pillow | YAS-took |
| plahta | bed sheet | PLAH-ta |
| deka | blanket | DEH-ka |
| ručnik | towel | ROOCH-neek |
| sapun | soap | SA-poon |
| kupaonica | bathroom | koo-pa-O-nee-tsa |
| tuš | shower | TOOSH |
| usisivač | vacuum cleaner | oo-see-SEE-vach |
| metla | broom | MET-la |
| krpa | cloth / rag | KR-pa |
| kanta | bucket / bin (very common; HJP marks it regional) | KAN-ta |
| kanta za smeće | bin / rubbish bin | KAN-ta za SMEH-cheh |
| čišćenje | cleaning | CHEESH-cheh-nyeh |
| hodnik | corridor / hallway | HOD-neek |
| dizalo | lift / elevator | DEE-za-lo |
Use usisivač (HJP also lists usisač) and kupaonica. Avoid usisavač (not in HJP) and kupatilo (not in HJP). Example entries: usisivač / usisač, kupaonica. kanta is marked reg. in HJP; tačke is the usual word for a one-wheel wheelbarrow.
3. Kitchen and restaurant
| Croatian | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| kuhinja | kitchen | KOO-hee-nya |
| restoran | restaurant | res-TO-ran |
| kuhar | cook / chef | KOO-har |
| konobar | waiter | KO-no-bar |
| jelovnik | menu | yeh-LOV-neek |
| tanjur | plate | TAN-yoor |
| čaša | glass | CHA-sha |
| vilica | fork | VEE-lee-tsa |
| žlica | spoon | ZHLEE-tsa |
| nož | knife | NOZH |
| lonac | pot | LO-nats |
| tava | frying pan | TA-va |
| štednjak | stove / cooker | SHTED-nyak |
| hladnjak | fridge | HLAD-nyak |
| sudoper | sink | SOO-do-per |
| kruh | bread | KROOH |
| meso | meat | MEH-so |
| povrće | vegetables | POV-r-cheh |
| naručiti | to order | na-ROO-chee-tee |
| račun | bill / receipt | RA-choon |
4. Safety signs and short warnings
Many workplaces use the same safety signs. The long phrases below are the sign names in the official Pravilnik o sigurnosnim znakovima (NN 91/2015, Annex II). Real signs often show only the picture. Short shouts like Pazi! are everyday speech, not from that rulebook.
| Croatian | English | Say it like | Sign name in NN 91/2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zabranjeno pušenje | No smoking | za-BRA-nye-no POO-sheh-nyeh | Yes (Annex II) |
| Zabranjen pristup neovlaštenim osobama | No entry for unauthorised persons | za-BRA-nyen PREES-toop neh-OV-la-shteh-neem O-so-ba-ma | Yes (Annex II) |
| Ne diraj | Do not touch | neh DEE-ray | Yes (Annex II) |
| Opasnost od električne struje | Danger: electricity | o-PAS-nost od eh-LEK-treech-neh STROO-yeh | Yes (Annex II) |
| Opasnost od pada | Danger: risk of falling | o-PAS-nost od PA-da | Yes (Annex II) |
| Opasnost od požara | Danger: fire | o-PAS-nost od PO-zha-ra | Yes (Annex II) |
| Opasnost od visećeg tereta | Danger: suspended load | o-PAS-nost od VEE-seh-cheg TEH-reh-ta | Yes (Annex II) |
| Obvezno nošenje zaštitne kacige | Safety helmet must be worn | OB-vez-no NO-sheh-nyeh ZASH-teet-neh KA-tsee-geh | Yes (Annex II) |
| Obvezno nošenje zaštitnih rukavica | Protective gloves must be worn | OB-vez-no NO-sheh-nyeh ZASH-teet-neeh roo-KA-vee-tsa | Yes (Annex II) |
| Obvezno nošenje zaštitne obuće | Safety footwear must be worn | OB-vez-no NO-sheh-nyeh ZASH-teet-neh O-boo-cheh | Yes (Annex II) |
| Obvezno nošenje zaštitnih naočala | Safety glasses must be worn | OB-vez-no NO-sheh-nyeh ZASH-teet-neeh NA-o-cha-la | Yes (Annex II) |
| Put do izlaza u slučaju nužde | Emergency exit route | POOT do EEZ-la-za oo SLOO-cha-yoo NOOZH-deh | Yes (Annex II) |
| Prva pomoć | First aid | PR-va PO-moch | Yes (Annex II) |
| Aparat za gašenje požara | Fire extinguisher | a-PA-rat za GA-sheh-nyeh PO-zha-ra | Yes (Annex II) |
| Pazi! | Watch out! / Careful! | PA-zee | No — everyday |
| Oprez! | Caution! | O-prez | No — everyday |
| Klizavo | Slippery | KLEE-za-vo | No — everyday (HJP has klizavo) |
Tips for learning
- Say the word out loud when you see the object at work. Point to the hammer and say čekić.
- Learn the safety signs first. They protect you. Ask a colleague to show you the signs in your building.
- Learn short phrases, not only single words: Pazi!; Trebam pomoć / Treba mi pomoć (I need help); Upomoć! (Help!).
- Write the hard letters. Practise č, ć, š, ž and đ. They change the sound.
- Ten minutes a day is better than one long session once a week.
Trebam pomoć / Treba mi pomoć (I need help): both are correct standard Croatian (HJP, trebati sense 3). It is not a sign text. Upomoć! is a common shout for “Help!”.
ljestve, kolica, tačke and naočale are plural-only words in HJP (the safety-sign phrase uses the genitive naočala: zaštitnih naočala).
Practise with Bok! Free short Croatian lessons with audio and quizzes, in Nepali, Tagalog, Hindi or English.
FAQ
Will the A1.1 exam ask these work words?
We do not know. The official A1.1 exam format is not published yet. Learn these words for your job, not because we claim they are on the exam.
Is this dialect or standard Croatian?
Standard Croatian. We checked lemma spellings in HJP and preferred forms such as usisivač and kupaonica.
Where do the long safety phrases come from?
From the Pravilnik o sigurnosnim znakovima (NN 91/2015). Short warnings like Pazi! and Klizavo are everyday speech.
How should I pronounce č, š and ž?
Roughly: č like ch in church, š like sh in ship, ž like the s in measure. A native speaker or audio lesson helps more than text.
Where can I learn more about the work permit language rule?
Read Croatian A1.1 exam for your work permit and A1.1 vs B1 Croatian.
Sources
- Hrvatski jezični portal (HJP) — spelling checks for the word lists: hjp.znanje.hr (example entries linked under each table)
- Školski rječnik hrvatskoga jezika — scaffolding sense of skela: rjecnik.hr/search/?q=skela
- Pravilnik o sigurnosnim znakovima, NN 91/2015 (official safety-sign wording): narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2015_08_91_1765.html
- Related Bok! guides: A1.1 work permit, A1.1 vs B1
Checked on 19 October 2026.
This article is general language help, not legal advice and not an official exam syllabus. Safety rules at your workplace come from your employer and the law.