Learning Croatian can be a rewarding and enriching experience, especially when you reach the B1 level. At this stage, you’re expected to have a basic understanding of the language and can communicate in a variety of situations. To help you expand your vocabulary and improve your fluency, here is a comprehensive guide to some essential Croatian words and phrases that you should know at the B1 level.

Everyday Vocabulary

At the B1 level, it’s important to be able to talk about your daily life and routines. Here are some common words and phrases that you should know:

– **Jutro** (morning)
– **Dan** (day)
– **Večer** (evening)
– **Noć** (night)
– **Tjedan** (week)
– **Mjesec** (month)
– **Godina** (year)
– **Danas** (today)
– **Sutra** (tomorrow)
– **Juče** (yesterday)

You’ll also want to know words related to family and relationships:

– **Obitelj** (family)
– **Majka** (mother)
– **Otac** (father)
– **Brat** (brother)
– **Sestra** (sister)
– **Prijatelj** (friend, male)
– **Prijateljica** (friend, female)
– **Suprug** (husband)
– **Supruga** (wife)

Describing People and Things

Being able to describe people and things is a crucial skill at the B1 level. Here are some adjectives and phrases to help you with that:

– **Visok** (tall)
– **Nizak** (short)
– **Mršav** (thin)
– **Debeo** (fat)
– **Lijep** (beautiful)
– **Ružan** (ugly)
– **Mladi** (young)
– **Stari** (old)
– **Pametan** (smart)
– **Glup** (stupid)

You can combine these adjectives with the verb **”biti”** (to be) to make sentences. For example:
– **On je visok.** (He is tall.)
– **Ona je lijepa.** (She is beautiful.)

Common Activities and Hobbies

Talking about your hobbies and activities is a great way to practice your Croatian. Here are some useful words and phrases:

– **Čitati** (to read)
– **Pisati** (to write)
– **Gledati** (to watch)
– **Slušati** (to listen)
– **Pjevati** (to sing)
– **Plesati** (to dance)
– **Kuhati** (to cook)
– **Plivati** (to swim)
– **Vježbati** (to exercise)
– **Putovati** (to travel)

For example:
– **Volim čitati knjige.** (I love reading books.)
– **On voli gledati filmove.** (He loves watching movies.)

Food and Drink

Discussing food and drink is an essential part of learning any language. Here are some common words and phrases:

– **Hrana** (food)
– **Piće** (drink)
– **Doručak** (breakfast)
– **Ručak** (lunch)
– **Večera** (dinner)
– **Kruh** (bread)
– **Mlijeko** (milk)
– **Voda** (water)
– **Vino** (wine)
– **Pivo** (beer)
– **Meso** (meat)
– **Riba** (fish)
– **Voće** (fruit)
– **Povrće** (vegetables)

For example:
– **Molim vas, jedan kruh.** (One bread, please.)
– **Želim čašu vode.** (I want a glass of water.)

Shopping and Money

Shopping is a common activity, and knowing how to talk about money and prices is crucial. Here are some essential words:

– **Trgovina** (store)
– **Tržište** (market)
– **Cijena** (price)
– **Novac** (money)
– **Račun** (bill)
– **Popust** (discount)
– **Kupiti** (to buy)
– **Prodati** (to sell)

Phrases you might use:
– **Koliko košta ovo?** (How much does this cost?)
– **Imate li popust?** (Do you have a discount?)

Travel and Transportation

If you’re traveling in a Croatian-speaking area, these words and phrases will be particularly useful:

– **Vlak** (train)
– **Autobus** (bus)
– **Avion** (airplane)
– **Automobil** (car)
– **Taxi** (taxi)
– **Luka** (port)
– **Zračna luka** (airport)
– **Stanica** (station)

For example:
– **Gdje je najbliža autobusna stanica?** (Where is the nearest bus station?)
– **Trebam taksi.** (I need a taxi.)

Health and Emergencies

Knowing how to talk about health and handle emergencies is essential. Here are some useful words and phrases:

– **Liječnik** (doctor)
– **Bolnica** (hospital)
– **Ljekarna** (pharmacy)
– **Bol** (pain)
– **Hitna pomoć** (emergency)
– **Tablete** (pills)
– **Temperatura** (fever)

For example:
– **Trebam liječnika.** (I need a doctor.)
– **Imam temperaturu.** (I have a fever.)

Work and Professions

Being able to discuss your job and professions is important at the B1 level. Here are some common words:

– **Posao** (job)
– **Ured** (office)
– **Učitelj** (teacher)
– **Liječnik** (doctor)
– **Inženjer** (engineer)
– **Prodavač** (salesperson)
– **Kuhar** (chef)
– **Policajac** (police officer)
– **Vatrogasac** (firefighter)

For example:
– **Radim kao učitelj.** (I work as a teacher.)
– **Ona je liječnik.** (She is a doctor.)

Practical Phrases for Work

Here are some phrases you might use in a work setting:
– **Imam sastanak.** (I have a meeting.)
– **Trebam pomoć.** (I need help.)
– **Možete li mi poslati e-mail?** (Can you send me an email?)

Grammar and Sentence Structure

Understanding grammar and sentence structure is crucial at the B1 level. Here are some key points:

– **Present Tense:** Used for actions happening now or regularly. For example, **”Ja radim”** (I work).
– **Past Tense:** Used for actions that happened in the past. For example, **”Ja sam radio”** (I worked).
– **Future Tense:** Used for actions that will happen. For example, **”Ja ću raditi”** (I will work).
– **Nouns and Gender:** Croatian nouns have genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter). For example, **”stol”** (table) is masculine, **”knjiga”** (book) is feminine, and **”pismo”** (letter) is neuter.
– **Adjective Agreement:** Adjectives must agree with the gender and number of the nouns they describe. For example, **”lijep stol”** (beautiful table), **”lijepa knjiga”** (beautiful book).

Common Sentence Structures

Here are some common sentence structures you should know:
– **Subject-Verb-Object:** This is the most common sentence structure. For example, **”Ja čitam knjigu”** (I read a book).
– **Questions:** Questions often start with question words like **”što”** (what), **”gdje”** (where), **”kako”** (how), **”zašto”** (why). For example, **”Što radiš?”** (What are you doing?).
– **Negation:** To make a sentence negative, you usually add **”ne”** before the verb. For example, **”Ja ne radim”** (I am not working).

Practice Makes Perfect

The best way to improve your Croatian at the B1 level is through consistent practice. Here are some tips:

– **Conversation:** Try to speak with native speakers as much as possible. This will help you improve your fluency and understanding.
– **Reading:** Read books, newspapers, and online articles in Croatian. This will help you expand your vocabulary and understand sentence structure.
– **Writing:** Practice writing essays, journal entries, or even social media posts in Croatian. This will help you improve your grammar and sentence structure.
– **Listening:** Listen to Croatian music, watch Croatian movies and TV shows, and try to understand the lyrics and dialogues. This will improve your listening skills.

Final Thoughts

Reaching the B1 level in Croatian is a significant achievement. It means you have a good grasp of the basics and are ready to tackle more complex topics. By learning and practicing these words and phrases, you’ll be well on your way to becoming more fluent and confident in your Croatian language skills. Remember, consistency is key, so make sure to practice regularly and immerse yourself in the language as much as possible. Sretno! (Good luck!)