How to learn Croatian in your everyday life

You live in Croatia and you want to learn Croatian? You have a Croatian relative, boyfriend or girlfriend and you want to impress them with your Croatian skills? Here are some ideas that can help you learn Croatian in and out of the classroom.

# Have a conversation with the locals!

If you go to a supermarket or you have to buy a tram ticket, try not to use English. We know it’s much easier to rely on the global language, but try using Croatian in everyday situations like buying groceries or asking for directions in the city. You are definitely going to master many simple expressions like: ‘’Hvala.’’ and: ‘’Nema na čemu!’’, but it’s also a great way to test your understanding of other simple phrases that you hear daily.

# Listen to the radio or find a playlist of top Croatian songs!

Everybody likes music, but have you ever listened to some of the Croatian music jewels? Explore the Croatian radio stations or just discover Croatian musicians online – you can even try to make a playlist of your favorites! It’s not only helpful for testing your listening skills, but it’s also a great way to acquire new vocabulary and expand your music taste.

# Read what you like – in Croatian!

You don’t have to start with the novels or books that seem too long and boring. You can start by reading the news, portals or some other texts in your area of interest. If you plan a one-day trip to some destination in Croatia, test yourself by reading about it in Croatian first. If you want to visit a certain restaurant, read the reviews in Croatian instead of reading them in English. Croatian words are all around you – all you have to do is give them a chance to help you in expanding your vocabulary.

# Write something in Croatian every day!

Try to make time to write something in Croatian every day. It’s not important whether it’s a diary entry or just a list of Croatian words. Try to find something that works for you and prevent your Croatian from getting rusty! If you are lucky enough to have a Croatian friend to check your writing skills, that’s great! If you don’t, don’t worry – you can always check the spelling in dictionaries and with the help of other language tools. 

# Have a coffee in Croatian!

Locals never turn down the coffee dates! When you drink ‘’kava’’, try to engage in a conversation in Croatian! Ask Croatians to speak more slowly or to repeat the words that you find difficult! You can even try to write down the unfamiliar expressions and ask them if you had done it correctly. If you hear a word that is new for you, repeat in order to practice the correct pronunciation. If you are used to speaking English with your Croatian friends, don’t worry! Just start a tradition of coffee dates in Croatian only every once in a while! We are sure they’ll be up for it!

# Enroll in a language course to learn Croatian!

If you are serious about improving your Croatian skills, a language course is definitely the right choice for you! These days there’s even a chance of learning Croatian online no matter where you are. Don’t postpone it, it’s time! Start learning our beautiful Croatian language in Intellecta and become proud of your impressive Croatian language skills or follow us on Facebook for more info! We are waiting for you! Vidimo se! 🙂