To get around a Croatian town you need two things: the names of the places, and a way to ask where the nearest one is. The vocabulary is straightforward — trg (square), ulica (street), trgovina (shop), pošta (post office), banka (bank). The grammar trap is the preposition: Croatian splits „at / in" between u and na depending on the place, and you simply have to learn which place takes which. You say u trgovini („in the shop") but na trgu („at the square") — same English „at/in," two different Croatian prepositions. This page gives you the places, the „where is the nearest…?" question, and the u/na rule that decides how you say you're there.
The places: a city vocabulary
| Croatian | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| trg | square | masculine |
| ulica | street | feminine |
| trgovina / dućan | shop, store | both common; 'dućan' is everyday |
| ljekarna | pharmacy | feminine; not „apoteka" |
| pošta | post office | feminine |
| banka | bank | feminine |
| bolnica | hospital | feminine |
| kolodvor | station (train/bus) | masculine; 'željeznički/autobusni kolodvor' |
| tržnica | (open-air) market | feminine; the produce market |
| trgovački centar | shopping centre / mall | masculine |
Idem u trgovinu, treba li ti nešto?
I'm going to the shop, do you need anything? — 'u' + accusative 'trgovinu' for direction.
Ljekarna je odmah pokraj pošte.
The pharmacy is right next to the post office. — 'pokraj' + genitive 'pošte'.
Naći ćemo se na trgu kod fontane.
Let's meet at the square by the fountain. — 'na trgu' (location) + 'kod' + genitive.
Asking where: Gdje je najbliža…?
The key question is Gdje je…? („Where is…?"). To ask for the nearest one, add najbliži / najbliža / najbliže („nearest"), agreeing in gender with the noun.
| Expression | Meaning | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Gdje je najbliža ljekarna? | Where's the nearest pharmacy? | fem. → najbliža |
| Gdje je najbliži bankomat? | Where's the nearest ATM? | masc. → najbliži |
| Gdje je najbliže parkiralište? | Where's the nearest car park? | neut. → najbliže |
| Ima li ovdje u blizini banka? | Is there a bank nearby? | 'u blizini' = in the vicinity |
Oprostite, gdje je najbliža ljekarna?
Excuse me, where's the nearest pharmacy? — 'najbliža' agrees with feminine 'ljekarna'.
Gdje je najbliži bankomat? Treba mi gotovina.
Where's the nearest ATM? I need cash. — 'najbliži' agrees with masculine 'bankomat'.
Ima li ovdje u blizini pošta?
Is there a post office nearby? — 'ima li' for 'is there', 'u blizini' for 'nearby'.
The follow-up — „turn left, go straight, it's on the right" — is on directions and travel, and getting there by tram or bus is on transport and getting around.
The u / na split: where you are
Here is the grammar that decides everything. Croatian has two words for English „at / in" with places, and which one you use is fixed per place:
- u
- locative = inside an enclosed place or institution: u trgovini (in the shop), u banci (in/at the bank), u bolnici (in/at the hospital).
- na
- locative = open areas, surfaces, and certain institutions by convention: na trgu (at the square), na tržnici (at the market), na pošti (at the post office), na kolodvoru (at the station).
| na (at / on) | u (in / at) |
|---|---|
| na trgu — at the square | u trgovini — in the shop |
| na tržnici — at the market | u dućanu — in the shop |
| na pošti — at the post office | u banci — at the bank |
| na kolodvoru — at the station | u bolnici — at the hospital |
| na ulici — on the street | u ljekarni — at the pharmacy |
Čekam te na trgu, kod sata.
I'm waiting for you at the square, by the clock. — 'na trgu' = location, locative case.
Mama je u banci, vraća se za sat vremena.
Mum's at the bank, she'll be back in an hour. — 'u banci' (note: banka → banci).
Kupila sam marke na pošti.
I bought stamps at the post office. — 'pošta' takes 'na', not 'u'.
Location vs. direction: same preposition, different case
One more layer: u and na change case depending on whether you are at a place (location → locative) or going to it (direction → accusative). The preposition stays the same; only the ending shifts.
| English | Direction (accusative) | Location (locative) |
|---|---|---|
| shop | idem u trgovinu | sam u trgovini |
| square | idem na trg | sam na trgu |
| post office | idem na poštu | sam na pošti |
| bank | idem u banku | sam u banci |
Idem u banku, pa onda na tržnicu.
I'm going to the bank, then to the market. — both accusative (direction): 'banku', 'tržnicu'.
Sad sam u banci, nazvat ću te poslije.
I'm at the bank now, I'll call you later. — locative (location): 'banci'.
The complete location-vs-direction mechanics are on u and na: location vs. direction.
Common Mistakes
❌ Idem u apoteku.
Wrong word — 'apoteka' sounds Serbian/foreign in Croatian; the word is 'ljekarna'.
✅ Idem u ljekarnu.
I'm going to the pharmacy. — Croatian 'ljekarna' → accusative 'ljekarnu'.
❌ Sam u pošti.
Wrong preposition — 'pošta' takes 'na', not 'u'.
✅ Sam na pošti.
I'm at the post office. — 'na' + locative 'pošti'.
❌ Idem na trgu.
Wrong case — going TO the square is direction → accusative 'trg'.
✅ Idem na trg.
I'm going to the square. — accusative 'trg' for direction.
❌ Gdje je najbliži ljekarna?
Wrong agreement — 'ljekarna' is feminine, so 'najbliža'.
✅ Gdje je najbliža ljekarna?
Where's the nearest pharmacy? — feminine 'najbliža'.
❌ Čekam te na kolodvoru… idem na kolodvoru.
Mixed — location is right ('na kolodvoru'), but going there needs accusative.
✅ Idem na kolodvor.
I'm going to the station. — accusative 'kolodvor' for direction.
Key Takeaways
- Core places: trg (square), ulica (street), trgovina / dućan (shop), ljekarna (pharmacy), pošta (post office), banka (bank), bolnica (hospital), kolodvor (station). Use Croatian ljekarna and kolodvor, not „apoteka"/„stanica."
- Ask Gdje je najbliža/najbliži/najbliže…? — „nearest" agrees in gender with the place.
- „At/in" splits between u (enclosed buildings/institutions: u trgovini, u banci, u bolnici, u ljekarni) and na (open areas + the exceptions pošta, kolodvor: na trgu, na ulici, na pošti, na kolodvoru).
- Same preposition, two cases: location → locative (sam u banci, na trgu), direction → accusative (idem u banku, na trg).
Now practice Croatian
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