Learning a new language opens up a world of opportunities and experiences, and understanding how to discuss environmental matters can be incredibly beneficial. If you’re exploring the beautiful Croatian language and want to converse about environmental issues, here’s some essential vocabulary that you should know, complete with definitions and illustrative sentences.

Priroda means “nature” in Croatian and represents the natural world, including plants, animals, and landscapes that are not significantly altered by human activity.
Djeca su se igrala vani i uživala u čarima prirode.

Okoliš translates to “environment” and refers to the natural world as a whole or the specific surroundings in which a person, animal, or plant lives.
Moramo poduzeti akcije kako bismo zaštitili naš okoliš.

Održivost is the Croatian term for “sustainability,” which relates to maintaining ecological balance by avoiding the depletion of natural resources.
Održivost bi trebala biti ključni aspekt poslovanja svake kompanije.

Recikliranje stands for “recycling,” the action or process of converting waste into reusable material.
Naš grad je uveo nove kontejnere za recikliranje plastike.

Zagađenje refers to “pollution” in Croatian and denotes the presence in or introduction into the environment of substances that are harmful or poisonous.
Industrijsko zagađenje zraka postaje sve veći problem u našem gradu.

Obnovljivi izvori translates to “renewable resources,” which are natural resources that can be replenished naturally over time.
Tvrtka investira u proizvodnju energije iz obnovljivih izvora poput sunca i vjetra.

Energija vjetra means “wind energy,” which refers to the process of creating electricity using the wind, or air flows that occur naturally in the earth’s atmosphere.
Energija vjetra je ključna za smanjenje ovisnosti o fosilnim gorivima.

Solarna energija is “solar energy,” power obtained by harnessing the energy of the sun’s rays.
Solarna energija se koristi za grijanje vode u našoj kući.

Zeleni translates to “green” and is often used in the context of environmental sustainability to represent practices and products that are environmentally friendly.
Trgovina u mom kvartu prodaje samo zelene proizvode.

Zaštita okoliša refers to “environmental protection,” which is the practice of protecting the natural environment for the benefit of humans and the ecosystem.
Zaštita okoliša je važna za očuvanje biodiverziteta naše planete.

Ugrožene vrste means “endangered species,” which are species that are at risk of extinction.
U nacionalnom parku provode se programi zaštite ugroženih vrsta.

Otpad translates to “waste,” and it refers to material that is not needed and is discarded.
Smanjenje otpada je prvi korak prema ekološkijem načinu života.

Now that you’re armed with this Croatian environmental vocabulary, you’ll not only enhance your language skills but also be prepared to engage in meaningful conversations about our planet’s health and future. Sretno (good luck) with your language learning journey and remember to practice sustaining our priroda as much as you practice your Croatian!