Overview

Croatian is a South Slavic language spoken primarily in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Croatian diaspora worldwide. It is the official language of Croatia and one of the official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Alphabet

Croatian uses the Latin alphabet with 30 letters, including special characters with diacritics like č, ć, đ, š, and ž. The alphabet is called "gajica" after linguist Ljudevit Gaj.

Sound Features

Croatian phonology features:

• Pitch accent system with rising and falling tones
• Three distinct sounds for "ch": č, ć, and h
• Distinction between đ and dž
• Phonetic writing system

Key Grammar Highlights

Croatian grammar includes:

• Seven grammatical cases
• Three grammatical genders
• Complex verb system with aspects
• One of the longest words: "prijestolonasljednik" (heir to the throne)

Related Languages

Croatian is mutually intelligible with Serbian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin. These languages share a common origin but have developed distinct identities.

Basic Phrases

• Hello: Bok / Dobar dan
• Thank you: Hvala
• Yes: Da
• No: Ne
• Please: Molim

Resources

• Croatian language courses
• Croatian media and literature
• Language exchange programs
• Online dictionaries and grammar resources