Learn how to greet people in Croatian at different times of day.
💡 Napomena / Note: In Croatian, greetings change depending on the time of day.
Bok is informal and used with friends and family at any time.
🌅Dobro jutro!Good morning!6:00 – 11:00
☀️Dobar dan!Good day / Hello!11:00 – 18:00
🌆Dobra večer!Good evening!18:00 – 22:00
🌙Laku noć!Good night!Goodnight / goodbye
😊Bok!Hi! / Bye!informal, any time
👋Doviđenja!Goodbye!formal farewell
🤝Hvala!Thank you!universal
🙏Molim!Please / You’re welcome!universal
Quick Practice
Koji pozdrav? — Which greeting?
Look at the clock and type the correct Croatian greeting.
Tab 2 · Grammar
Glagol BITI — The Verb “To Be”
Three tables: affirmative, negative, and questions. Study each one carefully.
💡 Tip: BITI is one of the most important verbs in Croatian. It changes form for each person — just like “am / is / are” in English.
✅ Potvrdno — Affirmative
ja
sam
I am
ti
si
you are
on/ona/ono
je
he/she/it is
mi
smo
we are
vi
ste
you (pl.) are
oni/one
su
they are
❌ Negativno — Negative
ja
nisam
I am not
ti
nisi
you are not
on/ona/ono
nije
he/she/it is not
mi
nismo
we are not
vi
niste
you (pl.) are not
oni/one
nisu
they are not
❓ Upitno — Questions
ja
Jesam li?
Am I?
ti
Jesi li?
Are you?
on/ona/ono
Je li?
Is he/she?
mi
Jesmo li?
Are we?
vi
Jeste li?
Are you (pl.)?
oni/one
Jesu li?
Are they?
📝 Primjeri / Examples:
Ja sam student. — I am a student.
Ana je iz Zagreba. — Ana is from Zagreb.
Mi smo prijatelji. — We are friends.
On nije učitelj. — He is not a teacher.
Tab 3 · Exercise
Popuni praznine — Fill in the Blanks
Use the correct form of BITI. Type your answer and click Check.
Rezultat / Score:0 / 0
Tab 4 · Exercise
Spoji — Match
Match the Croatian greeting or phrase with its English meaning. Click one from each column.
Tab 5 · Exercise
Složi rečenicu — Build the Sentence
Click the words in the correct order to build the Croatian sentence.
Pitanje / Question:1 / 6
Tab 6 · Dialogue
Dijalog — Read the Dialogue
👩
Ana:
Dobar dan! Ja sam Ana. A ti, kako se zoveš?
Good day! I am Ana. And you, what’s your name?
Marko:
Dobar dan! Ja sam Marko. Drago mi je!
Good day! I am Marko. Nice to meet you!
👨
👩
Ana:
I meni! Jesi li student?
Likewise! Are you a student?
Marko:
Da, jesam. Ja sam student. A ti?
Yes, I am. I am a student. And you?
👨
👩
Ana:
Nisam student. Ja sam učiteljica.
I am not a student. I am a teacher (f.).
🗣️ Practice: Read the dialogue aloud with a partner. Take turns being Ana and Marko.
Try replacing student/učiteljica with your own profession!
Tab 7 · Phrases
Komunikacija — Useful Phrases
Essential phrases for everyday communication in Croatian.
Kako si?How are you? (informal)use with friends
Kako ste?How are you? (formal)use with adults/strangers
Dobro, hvala!Fine, thank you!response
Odlično!Excellent! / Great!positive response
Nije loše.Not bad.neutral response
Drago mi je!Nice to meet you!introduction
Oprostite!Excuse me! / Sorry!formal
Izvolite!Here you are! / Please! (serving)in shops/restaurants
Tab 8 · Scenarios
Situacije — Real-life Situations
How would you greet or respond in these everyday Croatian situations?
📍 Situacija 1: It’s 8:30 AM. You meet your neighbour in the hallway.
What do you say?
✅ Dobro jutro! — Good morning!
📍 Situacija 2: It’s 2 PM. You enter a shop in Zagreb.
How do you greet the staff?
✅ Dobar dan! — Good day!
📍 Situacija 3: You meet someone new at a Croatian class. They say: “Drago mi je, ja sam Petra.”
How do you respond?
✅ I meni! Ja sam [your name]. — Likewise! I am [your name].
📍 Situacija 4: Your Croatian friend asks: “Kako si?”
How do you answer?
✅ Dobro, hvala! A ti? — Fine, thanks! And you?
📍 Situacija 5: It’s 9 PM. You say goodbye to your host family in Croatia.
What do you say?
✅ Dobra večer! / Laku noć! — Good evening! / Good night!
Tab 9 · Culture
Hrvatska kultura — Croatian Culture
Understanding greetings through Croatian cultural context.
🤝 Formal vs. Informal
In Croatia, the difference between formal and informal address is important.
Use vi (you, formal/plural) and Kako ste? with people older than you,
your boss, or strangers. Use ti (you, informal) and Kako si? with
friends, family, and children. When in doubt, start formal — Croatians appreciate the respect.
💋 Physical Greetings
Croatians typically greet close friends and family with a kiss on both cheeks (right cheek first).
A firm handshake with eye contact is standard in business and with strangers.
Between close male friends, a handshake or a pat on the back is common.
☕ “Kava” Culture
Greeting someone in Croatia often leads to an invitation: “Hoćeš kavu?” (Do you want a coffee?).
This is a genuine social gesture — Croatians value slowing down to connect over coffee.
A typical café greeting: Dobar dan, izvolite? (Good day, what can I get you?)
🏖️ Regional Variations
On the Dalmatian coast, you might hear Bok used very freely — even with people
you’ve just met in a relaxed setting. In Zagreb and inland Croatia, Dobar dan
tends to be more common in everyday interactions. Both are correct — context and relationship matter.
Tab 10 · Speaking
Roleplay — Govorne vježbe
Practise speaking Croatian in these short scenarios with a partner or your teacher.
🎭 Scenario A — Upoznavanje / Meeting someone new
Student A: Greet Student B (it’s morning). Introduce yourself. Ask their name and where they are from.
Student B: Respond. Say your name. Say you are from [your country]. Ask if they are a student.
Korisne fraze: Dobro jutro! · Ja sam… · Kako se zoveš? · Otkud si? · Jesam / Nisam student/ica.
🎭 Scenario B — U kafiću / In a café
Student A: You are a waiter/waitress. Greet the customer. Ask how they are.
Student B: You are a customer. It’s afternoon. Greet back. Say you are fine.
Korisne fraze: Dobar dan! · Izvolite! · Kako ste? · Dobro, hvala. · Molim…
🎭 Scenario C — Telefonski razgovor / Phone call
Student A: Call your Croatian friend. Greet them. Ask how they are.
Student B: Answer. Greet back. Say you are great. Ask how Student A is.
Korisne fraze: Bok! · Kako si? · Odlično! · A ti? · Super, hvala!
Tab 11 · Quiz
Kviz — Final Quiz
Test everything you’ve learned. Choose the best answer for each question.
