In any language, adverbs are the part of speech that gives that extra ‘oomph’ to sentences. That ‘oomph’ can be described as extra emotion, beauty, and detail. The adverb’s job is to describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. This means that they bring precision and detail into sentences, making language so beautiful and worth learning!
This article focuses on Croatian adverbs, or ‘prilozi’ as they are called in Croatian. English students remember adverbs because they usually end in ‘ly’ (examples: quietly, carefully, calmly, etc).
Though it’s not the same in Croatian, there are similarities in how English and Croatian adverbs are categorized. Both languages use adverbs that fall into 5 categories: time, place, frequency, manner, and degree.
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In this article, we will look at the placement and formation of Croatian adverbs, how to use them in a sentence, and give you examples of useful Croatian adverbs that native speakers use on a day-to-day basis. Let’s get started!
Five Types Of Croatian Adverbs
Croatian Adverbs Of Time
Adverbs of time tell you when something is happening. This is common in daily interactions, so pay attention because you will frequently use these words in everyday conversations!
Adverbs of time answer types of questions that use when? (kada), since? (otkada), and until when? (dokada).
Time to get learning! Let’s take a look at some adverbs of time in Croatian & example sentences.
*Notice how all of these adverbs start each sentence. It’s common in Croatian for adverbs of time to begin a sentence. In English, you can also begin sentences with adverbs of time, though it’s not necessary.
For example, in English:
Yesterday, I said goodbye.
I said goodbye yesterday.
This sentence has the same meaning. In Croatian, you put the adverb first.
| English | Croatian | Example Sentence | Translation | Pronunciation |
| Now | Sada | Sada sam tužan. | I am sad now. | |
| Never | Nikada | Nikada ne odlaze. | They never leave. | |
| Yesterday | Jučer | Jučer sam se oprostio. | I said goodbye yesterday. | |
| Today | Danas | Danas sam sretan. | I am happy today. | |
| Tomorrow | Sutra | Sutra ću plivati. | Tomorrow I will swim. | |
| This week | Ovaj | Ovaj tjedan imam nastavu. | I have class this week. | |
| Tonight | Večeras | Večeras ću izaći van. | I will go out tonight. | |
| Next week | Sljedeći tjedan | Sljedeći tjedan imam ispit. | I have an exam next week. |
Croatian Adverbs Of Place
Adverbs of place tell you where something is happening. These words are frequently used in everyday situations, so it’s essential to master them if you want to improve your speaking skills in Dutch.
Adverbs of place answer types of questions that use where? (gdje), how long? (dokle), and where to? (kamo).
Let’s take a look at some adverbs of place in Croatian & example sentences.
| English | Croatian | Example Sentence | Translation | Pronunciation |
| Here | Ovdje | Moja sestra živi ovdje. | My sister lives here. | |
| There / Over there | Tamo | Djeca su se tamo igrala. | The kids were playing there. | |
| Far | Daleko | Daleko su. | They are far away. | |
| Everywhere | Svagdje / Posvuda | Pčele su bile posvuda. | The bees were everywhere. | / |
| Outside | Vani | Jeli smo vani. | We ate outside. | |
| Inside | Unutra | Ja sam unutra. | I am inside. | |
| Somewhere | Negdje | Tamo je negdje. | It is somewhere over there. | |
| Nowhere | Nigdje | Nema ih nigdje. | They are nowhere. |
Croatian Adverbs Of Frequency
Adverbs of frequency tell you how often something happens. They add details that are useful to gauge when speaking to a person about their daily routine, likes and dislikes, and special occasions.
Adverbs of frequency answer types of questions that use how many times? (koliko puta), how much? (koliko).
Let’s look at examples of adverbs of frequency and sentences to help you.
| English | Croatian | Example Sentence | Translation | Pronunciation |
| Never | Nikada | Nikad ne jedeš sladoled. | You never eat ice cream. | |
| Rarely | Rijetko | Rijetko pijete alkohol. | Rarely do you drink alcohol. | |
| Usually | Obično | Obično se rano probudim. | Usually, I wake up early. | |
| Often | Često | Često puta jedemo zajedno. | Often times we eat together. | |
| Sometimes | Ponekad | Ponekad plačeš. | You cry sometimes. | |
| Almost | Skoro | Skoro sam otišao. | I almost left. | |
| Always | Uvijek | Uvijek ću te voljeti. | I will love you always. |
Croatian Adverbs Of Manner
Adverbs of manner are descriptor words usually ending in ‘ly’ in English. This is what we think of when we first think of adverbs. They add juice and beauty to sentences to give vivid descriptions and enlighten language.
Adverbs of manner answer types of questions that use how? (kako). How can you give detail to describe something?
Listen up to the examples for adverbs of manner and sentence structure. This will help you to make sentences sound beautiful!
| English | Croatian | Example Sentence | Translation | Pronunciation |
| Angrily | Ljutito | Ljutito je projurio kraj mene. | He stormed past me angrily. | |
| Happily | Sretno | Pizzu sam sretno pojela. | I ate the pizza happily. | |
| Beautifully | Lijepo | Lijepo je plesala. | She danced beautifully. | |
| Loudly | Glasno | Priča glasno. | He talks loudly. | |
| Easily | Lako | Dolazi lako. | It comes easily. | |
| Badly | Loše | Veza je loše završila. | The relationship ended badly. | |
| Quickly | Brzo | Brzo sam potrčao. | I ran quickly. | |
| Carefully | Pažljivo | Pažljivo je prošao pokraj. | He walked carefully past. |
Croatian Adverbs Of Degree
Adverbs of degree tell you to what extent something is happening. They are helpful when expressing strong feelings, whether they be good or bad.
Adverbs of degree answer types of questions that use why? (zašto), for what? (zbog čega).
Below are examples sentences and adverbs of degree.
| English | Croatian | Example Sentence | Translation | Pronunciation |
| Very | Vrlo | Ja sam vrlo tužan. | I am very sad. | |
| Completely | Potpuno | Potpuno ste u pravu. | You are completely right. | |
| A lot | Puno | Puno izlazim. | I go out a lot. | |
| Hardly | Jedva | Jedva da mi šalješ poruke. | You hardly text me. | |
| A bit | Malo | Malo sam umoran. | I am a bit tired. |
Wrapping Up
Adverbs are the underrated ‘part of speech’ in language. They are used in almost every sentence and are essential to know if you want to improve your conversational speaking skills.
It would be best if you felt confident in your understanding of the placement of Croatian adverbs. Start practicing using the example sentences as a guide. You got this!
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Check out Croatian idioms & how to introduce yourself in Croatian to learn more Croatian basics.
