The Croatian (S)language: What you need to know

At our September meeting, we took a closer look at the Croatian language with Anja, a Croatian tutor from Split. She has been teaching since 2013 and now works intensively with foreigners who are trying to navigate everything from grammar to Splitski slang.

Anja walked us through the real challenges: declensions that change every word, cases like akuzativ and genitiv, and the constant need to “think ahead” when speaking. She explained genders, conjugations, and those tricky vocal changes that turn knjiga into knjizi.

But it was not all grammar drills. The fun part was hearing how locals actually speak. From “Oćemo pi’ kavu?” to the classic Dalmatian pomalo, she showed how everyday Croatian bends, shortens, and borrows from Italian, creating the unique rhythm of Splitski.

Some favorites from the night:

• Može: the all-purpose yes, okay, let’s do it

• A ono: the shrug in word form, somewhere between “meh” and “not bad”

• Ubit oko: literally “kill an eye,” meaning to take a nap

• Numbers gone wild: how četiri becomes četri and osam sounds like osan

The session proved what every expat in Split already knows. Croatian is tough, but learning it is also a gateway into daily life, humor, and connection. With Anja’s humor and clarity, the language felt less intimidating and a lot more fun.

A big thank you to Anja for guiding us through, and to everyone who joined us for this lively session.

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