Croatian
10 Croatian swear words you'll actually hear
A traveller's shortlist of Croatian expletives, insults and exclamations — what they mean, and how strong they are.
Every language swears differently. This guide collects 10 Croatian expressions you're genuinely likely to hear — from mild exclamations to properly strong stuff — and explains what each one actually means, not just its dictionary translation.
Burn Ratings are an approximate, cross-language heuristic. Context, region, tone and who's speaking all change how a word lands. Treat these as a guide, not gospel.
- jebati 4/5 · Strong
It means 'to fuck' and can be used both literally in a sexual context and figuratively to express frustration or anger.
Full entry → - kurac 4/5 · Strong
It means 'dick' and is often used as an exclamation. In some contexts, it can also refer to someone acting foolishly or annoyingly.
Full entry → - odjebi 4/5 · Strong
This means 'fuck off' and is used to strongly dismiss someone. It's a direct way of telling someone to get lost.
Full entry → - sranje 3/5 · Vulgar
This means 'shit' and can refer to a mess or a bad situation. It's often used to express frustration or disappointment.
Full entry → - jeben 3/5 · Vulgar
This word is used to describe something as difficult, bad, or impressively good, depending on the context. Its literal translation is 'fucked.'
Full entry → - govno 3/5 · Vulgar
Literally “shit”. This is a straightforward term for feces, but it's also used as an insult. It can imply that someone is worthless or contemptible.
Full entry → - šupak 3/5 · Vulgar
Literally “arse hole”. This is a direct insult referring to someone's arsehole, used to demean or insult someone. It can also imply that someone is an idiot or worthless.
Full entry → - kvragu 2/5 · Coarse
Literally “to the devil”. It’s an exclamation used like 'damn it' to express frustration or annoyance.
Full entry → - kopile 3/5 · Vulgar
It means 'illegitimate child' and is used as an insult similar to 'bastard.'
Full entry → - guzica 2/5 · Coarse
It means 'arse' and is often used in idiomatic expressions. It's a coarse term related to the buttocks.
Full entry →