Sun Gear and Shade
At the beach, you might want to rent (iznajmiti) a sunbed (ležaljka) or a parasol (suncobran). Feminine nouns like ležaljka take the accusative ending -u (ležaljku) as direct objects, while inanimate masculine nouns like suncobran remain unchanged.
| I want to rent a sunbed and a parasol for the shade. | Želim iznajmiti ležaljku i suncobran za hlad. |
To state that a beach lacks shade (hlad), use nema (there is no) with the genitive case (nema hlada).
| There is no shade on this beach. | Na ovoj plaži nema hlada. |
The Shallows, Shells, and Pebbles
The shallow water is the plićak, and many Croatian beaches are made of pebbles (šljunak). When indicating location with the prepositions u (in) and na (on), these masculine nouns take the locative ending -u: u plićaku and na šljunku.
| The children are playing in the shallows. | Djeca se igraju u plićaku. |
You might also spot a seashell (školjka) resting on the shore.
| This beautiful seashell was lying on the pebbles. | Ova lijepa školjka je ležala na šljunku. |
Diving
To talk about diving or snorkeling, use the imperfective verb roniti. You can combine it with conditional phrases like radije bih ronio (I would rather dive) to express a preference over another beach activity.
| It is hard to walk on the pebbles, I would rather dive. | Teško je hodati po šljunku, radije bih ronio. |
Marine Life and Safety
Two creatures to watch out for are the sea urchin (ježinac) and the jellyfish (meduza). To say there are urchins and jellyfish present, use ima (there is / there are) followed by the genitive plural: ježinaca i meduza.
| Watch out, there are sea urchins and jellyfish here! | Pazi, ovdje ima ježinaca i meduza! |
If you get stung or step on a creature, look for a lifeguard (spasilac). Stepping onto something implies motion, requiring the preposition na and the accusative case. Because ježinac is an animate masculine noun, its accusative form takes the -a ending (na ježinca).
| The lifeguard helped the boy because he stepped on a sea urchin. | Spasilac je pomogao dječaku jer je stao na ježinca. |