Finding the Restroom
When you are out and about, knowing how to ask for the restroom is essential. The general word for restroom or toilet is toalet. To specify which one you need, use the adjectives muški (men's) and ženski (women's).
Washroom Essentials
Inside the stall or by the sink, you will want to know the names for common supplies. Notice how Croatian uses adjectives to describe paper products: toaletni papir (toilet paper) and papirnati ručnik (paper towel).
When saying something is missing, remember to use nema (there is no) followed by the genitive case. This changes the nominative toaletni papir to the genitive toaletnog papira.
For soap, look for the dozator (dispenser). If it runs out, you might have to wait for the čistačica (cleaner) to refill it!
Fixtures and Out-of-Order Items
Public restrooms have specific fixtures like a slavina (faucet), a vodokotlić (toilet cistern), and a pisoar (urinal).
Unfortunately, things in public facilities sometimes break. To express that an action cannot be performed on an object (like fixing or cleaning it), Croatian frequently uses the reflexive pronoun se to create a passive meaning. You can use the standard se ne može (cannot be) + infinitive, or the very common phrasing se ne da (literally "doesn't give itself to") + infinitive.
