What It’s Like to Be Friends with a Croatian

What Are Croatian People Like?

Croatian people are known for being warm, welcoming, and friendly. When meeting someone for the first time, Croatians usually shake hands and look each other in the eyes. It’s a polite way to show respect and kindness.

Once you become friends, greetings get more relaxed and friendly. Girls often kiss each other once on both cheeks, and boys usually hug or pat each other on the back.

Spending Time Together

Croatians love spending time with family and friends. They often visit each other’s homes for dinner, where they eat, talk, and laugh together. Mealtimes are full of stories and jokes, and everyone talks—sometimes loudly!

Playing cards is also a favorite way to spend time together. Some popular Croatian card games include briškula, trešet, and bela. Sometimes, they even sing old traditional songs while playing.

Talking to People Politely

Croatians use polite words when speaking to someone they don’t know well. They say “Gospođice” for Miss, “Gospođo” for Mrs., and “Gospodine” for Mr., followed by the person’s last name.

When saying goodbye, they might say “Zbogom”, which means farewell, or “Doviđenja”, which means see you later. Some people also say “Ciao”, just like in Italian!

Want to learn more friendly Croatian words? You can try Dinolingo, where learning Croatian is fun, easy, and made just for kids.