The Croatian language, like many others, has an interesting way of expressing the concepts of “short” and “long.” Understanding how to use these terms can greatly improve your comprehension and communication skills. In this article, we’ll dive into the Croatian words for short and long, kratak and dug, and explore their usage in different contexts. Along the way, we’ll introduce some useful vocabulary to help you get a better grasp of these concepts.

Kratak – Short

The word kratak means “short” in Croatian. It is used to describe things that are short in length, duration, or extent. Let’s break down some contexts where kratak might be used, and some related vocabulary.

kratak – short
Film je bio vrlo kratak.

kratak – short (in terms of height or length)
Olovka je previše kratka za pisanje.

kratki rukavi – short sleeves
Volim nositi majice s kratkim rukavima.

kratak put – short trip
Imali smo kratak put do obale.

kratka priča – short story
Pročitao sam zanimljivu kratku priču.

kratak spoj – short circuit
Uređaj je prestao raditi zbog kratkog spoja.

As you can see, kratak can be adapted to various situations by changing its form to match the gender and number of the noun it describes.

Dug – Long

The word dug means “long” in Croatian. It is used to describe things that have a great length, duration, or extent. Here are some contexts where dug is commonly used, along with related vocabulary.

dug – long
Film je bio vrlo dug.

dugačak – long (in terms of length)
Olovka je previše dugačka za ovu kutiju.

dugi rukavi – long sleeves
Volim nositi majice s dugim rukavima.

dug put – long trip
Imali smo dug put do obale.

duga priča – long story
Pročitao sam zanimljivu dugu priču.

dugoročno – long-term
To je dugoročno ulaganje.

Just like kratak, dug can also be adapted to match the gender and number of the noun it describes.

Comparing Kratak and Dug

Now that we have the basic understanding of kratak and dug, let’s compare their usage in various contexts to highlight the differences between short and long in Croatian.

Length and Distance

When talking about the length of objects or distances, you can use kratak or dug.

kratak – short (length)
Ovaj stol je kratak.

dug – long (length)
Ovaj stol je dug.

kratka udaljenost – short distance
Trčali smo kratku udaljenost.

duga udaljenost – long distance
Trčali smo dugu udaljenost.

Time and Duration

When discussing the duration of events or time periods, kratak and dug are also used.

kratko vrijeme – short time
Bio sam tamo kratko vrijeme.

dugo vrijeme – long time
Bio sam tamo dugo vrijeme.

kratak odmor – short break
Uzeo sam kratak odmor na poslu.

dug odmor – long break
Uzeo sam dug odmor na poslu.

Stories and Narratives

When describing stories or narratives, kratak and dug can be used to indicate their length.

kratka priča – short story
Čitao sam kratku priču.

duga priča – long story
Čitao sam dugu priču.

Other Contexts

Here are some other contexts where kratak and dug can be used:

kratka kosa – short hair
Imam kratku kosu.

duga kosa – long hair
Imam dugu kosu.

kratak period – short period
Ovo je bio kratak period.

dug period – long period
Ovo je bio dug period.

kratki ljudi – short people
Moj brat i ja smo kratki ljudi.

dugi ljudi – tall people
Moj brat i ja smo dugi ljudi.

Adapting the Words

In Croatian, adjectives like kratak and dug change their form to match the gender, number, and case of the nouns they describe. Here’s a quick overview of how these words adapt:

kratak (masculine singular), kratka (feminine singular), kratko (neuter singular), kratki (masculine plural), kratke (feminine plural), kratka (neuter plural)

dug (masculine singular), duga (feminine singular), dugo (neuter singular), dugi (masculine plural), duge (feminine plural), duga (neuter plural)

Understanding these forms is crucial for proper usage in sentences.

Examples

kratak (masculine singular)
Ovaj film je kratak.

kratka (feminine singular)
Ova priča je kratka.

kratko (neuter singular)
Ovo putovanje je kratko.

kratki (masculine plural)
Ovi putevi su kratki.

kratke (feminine plural)
Ove priče su kratke.

kratka (neuter plural)
Ova putovanja su kratka.

dug (masculine singular)
Ovaj film je dug.

duga (feminine singular)
Ova priča je duga.

dugo (neuter singular)
Ovo putovanje je dugo.

dugi (masculine plural)
Ovi putevi su dugi.

duge (feminine plural)
Ove priče su duge.

duga (neuter plural)
Ova putovanja su duga.

By learning and practicing these forms, you can accurately describe a variety of situations using the concepts of short and long.

Conclusion

The words kratak and dug are essential in Croatian for describing length, duration, and extent. By understanding their meanings, forms, and contexts, you can enhance your language skills and communicate more effectively. Remember to practice using these words in different sentences to become more comfortable with their application. Happy learning!