At the Tattoo Parlor
Getting a tattoo starts with choosing a skica (sketch). The artist will prepare the workspace to make sure every tool is sterilan (sterile) before they begin to tetovirati (tattoo) you.
In conversational Croatian, you will often use the phrase kao što to mean "as" or "like" in phrases such as kao što vidiš (as you can see). When you want to connect a cause to an action using "so" or "therefore," use the short conjunction pa.
To express hypothetical situations, such as "If I were getting a tattoo," use kad (when/if) combined with the conditional helper verb bih/bi and the past participle of the main verb.
| As you can see, the sketch is ready. | Kao što vidiš, skica je spremna. |
| Everything is sterile here, so I can tattoo you. | Ovdje je sve sterilno, pa te mogu tetovirati. |
| If I were getting a tattoo, I would choose this sketch. | Kad bih se tetovirao, izabrao bih ovu skicu. |
Skincare and Aftercare
Once the session is over, looking after your koža (skin) is extremely important. You must regularly namazati (apply cream to) the tattoo to keep it hydrated. During the first few days, you will notice some crvenilo (redness), and eventually, the top layer of skin might start to ljuštiti se (peel or flake off).
| The skin is dry, so you must apply cream to it. | Koža je suha, pa ju moraš namazati. |
| As you see, the redness has already disappeared. | Kao što vidiš, crvenilo je već nestalo. |
| If you applied cream to the skin, it wouldn't peel. | Kad bi namazao kožu, ne bi se ljuštila. |
Healing and Permanence
Good hygiene ensures the skin will zacijeliti (heal) quickly and safely. Because the ink is deposited deep into the skin, the art is trajan (permanent). However, remember that poor aftercare or excessive peeling can cause the colors to prematurely izblijedjeti (fade).
| As you see, the wound has healed. | Kao što vidiš, rana je zacijelila. |
| The color is permanent, so it won't fade. | Boja je trajna, pa neće izblijedjeti. |
| If the skin peeled, the tattoo would fade. | Kad bi se koža ljuštila, tetovaža bi izblijedjela. |
