5 (kinda Harsh) Reasons Why You Should Learn Croatian

As a second language for a native English speaker, Croatian is a rough choice. It is kind of like making the decision to take up hiking after 35 years on this planet and picking Mount Everest as your first hike. But let’s be realistic: learning Croatian is not easy for other language speakers, too.

However, every singular step forward feels SOOOO good. My chest puffs out; I grow a big smile and think about how I just accomplished something I never thought possible in a country I love living in. Learn why you should invest time, patience, sanity, and possibly money into learning this challenging language.

Jump to a reason:

• You plan to spend time in Croatia
• Not everyone in Croatia speaks English
• Croatians will reward you
• Bureaucracy wants you to speak Croatian
• It makes life easier
• You may need to take a test
• You’ll make new friends and new connections
• You can use it outside of Croatia
• It’s good for your brain
• It will make you feel good

The facts are these…

1. You plan to spend any amount of time in Croatia

This may seem like a “duh” reason, but if I had a few cents for every time I heard someone say they wouldn’t learn Croatian because “everyone in Croatia speaks English,” I could quit my job and drink coffee full time. This goes for both tourists and long-term residents. At a minimum, tourists should learn hi, goodbye, and thank you.

[Read: All the ways you can say “Hi” and “Bye“ in Croatian]

For residents, you should learn as much as you can to the best of your ability. Think about where you come from. If a foreigner moved to your native country and chose not to learn your language, how would you feel about that?

If you plan to make this place your home, not attempting to assimilate and expecting locals to speak your language instead of you speaking the national language is not cool and can be interpreted as disrespectful. You don’t need to speak perfect Croatian, but giving it a shot goes a long way, especially if you own a business.

[Read: Why business owners in Croatia should learn Croatian]

2. Not everyone in Croatia speaks English

If you are physically in the tourism hot spots, as in the dead center of cities like Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Pula, or Rijeka, then yes, many people will speak English. Croatia’s primary business is tourism, so those working in tourism (agencies, hotels, restaurants, cafe bars) most likely speak some level of English.

However, not everyone works in tourism, and not everyone speaks English fluently. Croatians do learn some level of English in primary school. However, if they don’t speak it every day, they lose it just like everybody else. If they aren’t in tourism working with foreigners or have foreign friends, they would have no reason to speak English and, therefore, no reason to know or practice it.

[Read: Croatian vocabulary you might need at a restaurant or cafe in Croatia]

You will encounter all levels of English, from near fluency to understandable to broken to understanding but not speaking to only knowing “please” and “thank you”. Generally (to which there are exceptions), younger people tend to speak English better because of the influx of Western television post-war, while older people don’t speak as much.

The location also makes a big difference. Naturally, English is going to be rare in small villages. However, I live only a 5-minute bus ride from Diocletian’s Palace in Split, and English ranges from sparse to non-existent. I like it that way because it encourages me to speak and practice my Croatian. Best not to assume the tourism hubs in city centers are representative of an entire city or country.

The idea that everyone speaks English in Croatia, so much so that you do not need to learn Croatian, is inaccurate.

[Read: Online courses for learning the Croatian language]

3. Croatians will reward you

Croatians LOVE when you speak Croatian, even if imperfectly. In my experience, they are honored that you would a) want to live here and b) take the time to learn their language.

Since this country sees so many tourists, it is assumed that all foreigners will only be around temporarily. When you first arrive, you will be labeled as a tourist. Don’t let it get you down.

When you start to learn the language, show improvement over time, and don’t leave, the locals around you will take notice. With time, they will begin to pull you into their community. They will speak with you and be patient as you stumble and be supportive and complimentary when you succeed.

[Read: How you can learn Croatian by changing how you speak English]

After some time and tenacity, they will recognize you as a local, and that is a huge milestone. In my current neighborhood, some significant things happened that made me realize my community had accepted me. The owner of my preferred caffe bar started bringing me my usual bijela kava without me having to order it. One of the produce vendors gave me the nickname hobotnica (which means octopus) because of the octopus tattoo visible on my back during summer.

As an added bonus, there are restaurants in tourism-heavy areas that will give discounts to locals. If you speak Croatian in those places, they will assume you are a local, and you’ll get a nice little popust (discount) deducted from your bill. The same goes for buying touristy stuff. Maybe you want to buy a magnet for a friend back home or a pair of sunglasses at one of the pazar stalls; speaking Croatian will most likely earn you a discount here as well.

You may also get free stuff. Free rakija at a konoba. Free produce at the pazar. A button sewn back on for free by the tailor. A jacket dry cleaned for free. All things that happen to me on the regular due to speaking Croatian combined with not leaving and being nice.

[Read: Biggest discount and loyalty programs in Croatia]

4. Bureaucracies want you to speak Croatian

If you’re serious about staying in Croatia long-term, you definitely need to learn hrvatski (Croatian). For starters, it can be rare to find someone at the police station in immigration that will speak English to you. I’m not saying there aren’t exceptions, but the majority of the time, you will be required to bring a native Croatian speaker with you to translate.

In addition, most government agencies and medical facilities, which you’ll inevitably run into if you have lived here for a long time, will require that you speak Croatian. Here are just a few possible situations, both government and otherwise, where you’ll deal with a person or persons that most likely are not going to speak English to you:

• Getting a driver’s license – view a guide here
• Opening and running a business – view a guide here
• Getting a personal tax card (if you are employed) – view a guide here
• Getting an OIB – view a guide here
• Getting health insurance – view a guide here
• Applying for unemployment (common for teachers who are off in August)
• Dealing with the tax authority – view a guide here
• Getting something notarized – view a guide here
• Going to the hospital
• Getting laboratory tests such as having blood drawn

You might be thinking, why is this a reason to learn Croatian? Can’t I just bring a Croatian with me to translate each time I go to XYZ?

Sure, you can. However, the longer you are in Croatia, the less acceptable this becomes, especially when it comes to your residency. The police want to know that you are learning Croatian as it is an essential part of your assimilation. Respect for the culture and the legal order of the Republic of Croatia is a requirement for a long-term stay as well as citizenship.

Also, it can get cumbersome to find someone to help every time you need to get something done. There are only so many favors one can ask, and the people you are asking for help have lives, too. At a certain point, just wanting to live here is not enough. You must show that you respect the language and customs. No need to be fluent, but like I said before, trying goes a long way.

[Read: Tips for battling Croatian bureaucracy]

5. It makes life easier

Life in Croatia will get infinitely easier the more your language skills improve.

It’ll be easier to find things you could never find before. Being able to search the web in hrvatski will change your life. You’ll find so many things you didn’t know were available and just a click away, and you will be able to read Croatian online news sources. Tourism websites are usually in English, but everything else is not, so your English search is not going to reveal what you need if it’s on a site written only in hrvatski.

Aside from the web, just walking around town, you’ll come across shops and doctors you may have been looking for but never knew how to find because Google Translate is generally crap when it comes to Croatian dialect. At one point, certain words click, and you’ll see this country through a shiny new pair of glasses instead of the muddy, cracked ones you had on before.

You’ll be able to understand signs and notices. Your favorite restaurant is na godišnjem odmoru (on vacation)? Now you know what that means. Misunderstandings and the associated frustration will decrease.

[Read: Where you can get your latest Croatian news]

6. You may need to take a test

There are two tests that the police require of foreigners. If you want to apply for permanent residency, you may need to take a grammar language test. View all residence options for Croatia here. If you want to apply for citizenship, you may need to take the culture and history test, which will also examine your language skills as it will be in hrvatski.

[Read: How you can apply for Croatian citizenship]

The requirement to take these tests can vary depending on your citizenship, if you’re married to a Croatian, the laws on the books at the time of your application, what city you are in, who you speak to, the type of mood they’re in and whether or not there is a wind that day.

It’s unwise to wait until the last minute to prepare. Don’t assume you’ll be exempt at the time of application. Things change all the time, and no two situations are alike. Unless you’re a polyglot genius, it would be challenging to cram for either test at the last minute, having not seriously tried to learn Croatian previously. The point is, start learning Croatian now if you intend to stay here long term.

[Read: Why wind is important – bura vs jugo]

7. You’ll make new friends and new connections

When you don’t speak a common language with someone, it is nearly impossible to forge any kind of real connection with that person. Sure, you can just hang out with other English-speaking foreigners, but doing so will severely limit your experience.

The more you use the local language and dialect, the more often you’ll meet new people who will show you new things. This will open up your worldview while also helping you to immerse yourself in the culture. When you isolate yourself, you will inevitably miss out on an opportunity or experience that could prove valuable.

On top of that, we all need friends. Friends are there for us when we are having a hard time; they are also there for us when we’re experiencing great joy or success. It’s important to have friends on-the-ground, where you live, that you can speak to in person.

An extra perk of meeting locals is that Croatian friends usually will help you practice your language skills. Croatia is filled with extremely kind, generous people, and we should all feel lucky even if we only know one.

[Read: The kindness of strangers]

8. You can use it outside of Croatia

Croatian is not a one-country language. Some version of Serbo-Croatian is spoken in 6 countries: Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia, North Macedonia, and Kosovo. That is the same number of countries that speak German, to put it in perspective.

Of course, there is nuance and heavy dialect that shape the language into something unique depending on the city, region, and country, but there is a common language thread that runs through the Balkans. If you travel to any of these countries and understand some Croatian, you will have an easier time getting around, exploring, eating, and drinking than someone who doesn’t know any of the language at all.

[Read: The 3 Croatian dialects: Što, Kaj and Ča]

9. It’s good for your brain

There is a super long list of mental health benefits associated with learning a new language, no matter which one it is. You will:

• Achieve higher intelligence
• Improve cognition
• Improve ability to plan, prioritize, and make decisions
• Be more perceptive
• Improve ability to focus and concentrate
• Be more creative
• Have good listening skills
• Delay the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s
• Increase blood flow to your brain
• Increase the number of neural pathways in your brain

[Read: Biggest Croatian language schools in Croatia]

10. It will make you feel good

Nothing makes me float on cloud nine like Croatian thinking I’m Croatian as a direct result of my speaking Croatian. It gives me a high that lasts all day.

On the other side, attempting to accomplish something and being stifled because my Croatian is not perfect can be tough. It is stressful and scary, but it drives me to get better. Every mistake leads to another success. Success makes you feel more confident, which means you’ll speak more, which means you’ll get more practice, which leads to more success, which leads to more fluency.

[Read: Croatian phrases and words you might encounter when immigrating to Croatia]

What’s next?

If you aren’t already learning the language, start immediately. Find a class, get a tutor, download an app, and quit making excuses. Figure out how you learn best and apply it to learning this language. If you go with a tutor, don’t be afraid to tell them what you need to achieve the greatest success. We all learn differently.

Next, start speaking. If you wait until you’re perfect, you’ll never progress. You’ve got to make mistakes, develop a reflex, and feel the words in your mouth to improve.

Finally, be patient. Gaining understanding and fluency will not happen overnight. If your native language isn’t Slavic, the road will be bumpy. Don’t let it discourage you. The hardest challenges always have the biggest payoff.

View our other learning Croatian posts

• A local’s guide to buying food at Croatia’s farmer’s market
• All the ways to say “Hi” and “Bye“ in Croatian
• Croatian phrases and words you might encounter when immigrating to Croatia
• How to learn Croatian by changing how you speak English
• How to tell time (in Zagreb, Split, Istria, and Dubrovnik)
• Learn Croatian: Types of Roads
• Online courses for learning the Croatian language (free and paid)
• The 3 Croatian dialects: Što, Kaj, and Ča

Please note: Information provided by Expat in Croatia is only for the purposes of guidance. It does not constitute legal or financial advice in any form. Croatian laws and bureaucratic rules often change, and each personal case is individual, so different rules may apply. For legal advice, contact us to consult with a licensed Croatian lawyer. For financial advice, contact us to consult with a licensed Croatian tax advisor or accountant.

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