Word lists › Serbo-Croatian
The most common Serbo-Croatian words, in frequency order
This is a frequency-based Serbo-Croatian word list: words ranked by how often they actually occur in everyday text, with translations and pronunciation. Frequency-based learning means studying words in this order, so every hour goes to the words you will meet most. Learn the first 500 and you will recognise about 56% of the words in everyday Serbo-Croatian. That is Zipf's law, and it is why this list is in this order. The first 250 are below; Zipf teaches all 5,000.
56%of everyday Serbo-Croatian text is the first 500 words
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The 250 most common Serbo-Croatian words
| # | Word | IPA | Part of speech | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | biti | /bîti/ | verb | to be |
| 2 | u | /u/ | preposition | in, at |
| 3 | i | /î/ | conjunction | and |
| 4 | da | conjunction | that | |
| 5 | sebe | /sêbe/ | pronoun | oneself |
| 6 | na | /na/ | preposition | on |
| 7 | koji | /kǒjiː/ | pronoun | which, who |
| 8 | taj | /tâːj/ | pronoun | that one |
| 9 | od | /ôd/ | preposition | from |
| 10 | za | /za/ | preposition | for |
| 11 | sa | preposition | with | |
| 12 | a | /a/ | conjunction | and, but, while |
| 13 | što | /ʃtô/ | pronoun | what; that, which |
| 14 | ne | /ne/ | particle | not |
| 15 | godina | /ɡôdina/ | noun · feminine | year |
| 16 | on | /ôːn/ | pronoun | he |
| 17 | iz | /îz/ | preposition | from, out of |
| 18 | ovaj | /ǒʋaːj/ | pronoun | this one |
| 19 | kao | /kâo/ | conjunction | as, like |
| 20 | o | /o/ | preposition | about |
| 21 | moći | /môt͡ɕi/ | verb | to be able |
| 22 | hteti | /xtêti/ | verb | to want |
| 23 | imati | /ǐmati/ | verb | to have |
| 24 | ja | /jâː/ | pronoun | I |
| 25 | oni | /ǒni/ | pronoun | they |
| 26 | jedan | /jědan/ | numeral | one |
| 27 | svoj | pronoun | one's own | |
| 28 | kako | /kâko/ | adverb | how |
| 29 | ali | /âli/ | conjunction | but |
| 30 | još | /jôʂ/ | adverb | still |
| 31 | po | /pôː/ | preposition | along, by |
| 32 | do | /dô/ | preposition | to, until, up to |
| 33 | svako | /sʋâko/ | pronoun | everyone |
| 34 | sad | /sâd/ | adverb | now |
| 35 | kada | /kǎda/ | adverb | when |
| 36 | velik | /ʋělik/ | adjective | big |
| 37 | drugi | /drûɡiː/ | adjective | other; second |
| 38 | ili | /îli/ | conjunction | or |
| 39 | samo | /sâmo/ | particle | only |
| 40 | neki | /nêkiː/ | pronoun | some |
| 41 | ti | /tîː/ | pronoun | you (singular) |
| 42 | prvi | /př̩ʋiː/ | adjective | first |
| 43 | vi | /ʋîː/ | pronoun | you (plural) |
| 44 | više | /ʋîʃe/ | adverb | more |
| 45 | mi | /mîː/ | pronoun | we |
| 46 | videti | /ʋîdeti/ | verb | to see |
| 47 | gdje | /ɡdjê/ | adverb | where |
| 48 | vrijeme | /ʋrjěːme/ | noun · neuter | time; weather |
| 49 | njegov | /ɲěɡoʋ/ | pronoun | his |
| 50 | ako | /âko/ | conjunction | if |
| 51 | tako | /tǎkoː/ | adverb | so |
| 52 | naš | /nâʃ/ | pronoun | our |
| 53 | trebati | /trêbati/ | verb | to need; should |
| 54 | sav | /sâʋ/ | pronoun | all |
| 55 | dan | /dâːn/ | noun · masculine | day |
| 56 | reći | /rêt͡ɕi/ | verb | to say |
| 57 | nov | /nôʋ/ | adjective | new |
| 58 | grad | /ɡrâːd/ | noun · masculine | city |
| 59 | dobar | /dôbar/ | adjective | good |
| 60 | mjesto | /mjêsto/ | noun · neuter | place |
| 61 | jer | /jêr/ | conjunction | because |
| 62 | pa | /pa/ | conjunction | so |
| 63 | ljudi | /ʎûːdi/ | noun · masculine | people |
| 64 | ni | conjunction | neither, nor; not even | |
| 65 | zbog | /zbôɡ/ | preposition | because of |
| 66 | prema | /prêma/ | preposition | towards |
| 67 | put | /pûːt/ | noun · masculine | way, road; time, occasion |
| 68 | ko | /kô/ | pronoun | who |
| 69 | oko | /ôko/ | preposition | around, about; eye |
| 70 | broj | /brôːj/ | noun · masculine | number |
| 71 | dva | /dʋâː/ | numeral | two |
| 72 | kod | /kôd/ | preposition | at |
| 73 | pre | /prê/ | preposition | before |
| 74 | znati | /znâti/ | verb | to know |
| 75 | svaki | /sʋâkiː/ | pronoun | every |
| 76 | nakon | /nǎkon/ | preposition | after |
| 77 | bez | /bêz/ | preposition | without |
| 78 | li | /li/ | particle | question particle |
| 79 | život | /ʒǐʋot/ | noun · masculine | life |
| 80 | hrvatski | /xř̩ʋaːtskiː/ | adjective | Croatian |
| 81 | svet | /sʋêːt/ | adjective | holy |
| 82 | opština | /ôpʃtina/ | noun · feminine | municipality |
| 83 | zemlja | /zěmʎa/ | noun · feminine | country, land; earth |
| 84 | onaj | pronoun | that one | |
| 85 | dok | /dôk/ | conjunction | while |
| 86 | država | /dř̩ʒaʋa/ | noun · feminine | state |
| 87 | nemati | /něːmati/ | verb | to not have |
| 88 | kazati | /kǎːzati/ | verb | to say |
| 89 | pod | /pôd/ | preposition | under |
| 90 | nego | /nêɡo/ | conjunction | than |
| 91 | rat | /rât/ | noun · masculine | war |
| 92 | isti | /îstiː/ | adjective | same |
| 93 | srpski | /sr̩̂pskiː/ | adjective | Serbian |
| 94 | dio | /dîo/ | noun · masculine | part |
| 95 | raditi | /rǎːditi/ | verb | to work |
| 96 | moj | /môːj/ | pronoun | my |
| 97 | dati | /dâti/ | verb | to give |
| 98 | postojati | /pǒːstojati/ | verb | to exist |
| 99 | mnogo | /m̩nôɡo/ | adverb | much, a lot |
| 100 | želeti | /ʒěleti/ | verb | to want |
| 101 | između | /îzmed͡ʑu/ | preposition | between |
| 102 | nalaziti | /nǎlaziti/ | verb | to be located; to find |
| 103 | uvek | /ûʋeːk/ | adverb | always |
| 104 | ona | /ǒna/ | pronoun | she |
| 105 | republika | /repǔblika/ | noun · feminine | republic |
| 106 | kraj | /krâːj/ | noun · masculine | end; region, area |
| 107 | doći | /dôːt͡ɕi/ | verb | to come |
| 108 | star | /stâr/ | adjective | old |
| 109 | ime | /îme/ | noun · neuter | name |
| 110 | njen | /ɲêːn/ | pronoun | her |
| 111 | dobiti | /dǒbiti/ | verb | to get, receive |
| 112 | njihov | /ɲîxoʋ/ | pronoun | their |
| 113 | radi | /râdi/ | preposition | for the sake of |
| 114 | strana | /strǎːna/ | noun · feminine | side |
| 115 | jezik | /jězik/ | noun · masculine | language |
| 116 | mali | /mâːli/ | adjective | small |
| 117 | dobro | /dǒbro/ | adverb | well, good; OK |
| 118 | danas | /dǎnas/ | adverb | today |
| 119 | već | /ʋêt͡ɕ/ | adverb | already |
| 120 | uz | /uz/ | preposition | next to |
| 121 | crkva | /t͡sr̩̂ːkʋa/ | noun · feminine | church |
| 122 | govoriti | /ɡoʋǒriti/ | verb | to speak |
| 123 | veza | /ʋêza/ | noun · feminine | connection |
| 124 | tri | /trîː/ | numeral | three |
| 125 | morati | /mǒːrati/ | verb | to have to |
| 126 | nešto | /nêʃto/ | pronoun | something |
| 127 | ono | /ǒno/ | pronoun | that |
| 128 | član | /t͡ʃlâːn/ | noun · masculine | member |
| 129 | voda | /ʋǒda/ | noun · feminine | water |
| 130 | problem | /prǒbleːm/ | noun · masculine | problem |
| 131 | pitanje | /pǐːtaːɲe/ | noun · neuter | question |
| 132 | vaš | /ʋâʃ/ | pronoun | your |
| 133 | nekoliko | /nêkoliko/ | adverb | several |
| 134 | onda | /ôndaː/ | adverb | then |
| 135 | tokom | /tôːkom/ | preposition | during |
| 136 | sam | adjective | alone; (one)self | |
| 137 | bog | /bôːɡ/ | noun · masculine | god |
| 138 | more | /môːre/ | noun · neuter | sea |
| 139 | grupa | /ɡrûpa/ | noun · feminine | group |
| 140 | žena | /ʒěna/ | noun · feminine | woman; wife |
| 141 | takav | /tǎkaːʋ/ | adjective | such |
| 142 | zato | /zǎtoː/ | adverb | therefore |
| 143 | glavni | /ɡlǎʋniː/ | adjective | main |
| 144 | poslednji | /pǒsledɲiː/ | adjective | last |
| 145 | kuća | /kût͡ɕa/ | noun · feminine | house |
| 146 | ovde | /ǒːʋde/ | adverb | here |
| 147 | protiv | /prôtiʋ/ | preposition | against |
| 148 | knjiga | /kɲîɡa/ | noun · feminine | book |
| 149 | deca | noun · neuter | children | |
| 150 | odnosno | /ǒdnosno/ | conjunction | that is |
| 151 | postati | /pǒstati/ | verb | to become |
| 152 | stvar | /stʋâːr/ | noun · feminine | thing |
| 153 | ceo | /t͡sêo/ | adjective | whole, entire |
| 154 | sistem | /sǐsteːm/ | noun · masculine | system |
| 155 | rad | /râd/ | noun · masculine | work, labor |
| 156 | početi | /pǒt͡ʃeːti/ | verb | to begin |
| 157 | poznat | /pôznaːt/ | adjective | well-known |
| 158 | malo | /mâlo/ | adverb | a little |
| 159 | važan | /ʋǎːʒan/ | adjective | important |
| 160 | ostali | /ǒstaːliː/ | adjective | remaining |
| 161 | posao | /pǒsao/ | noun · masculine | job |
| 162 | škola | /ʃkôːla/ | noun · feminine | school |
| 163 | ići | /ǐt͡ɕi/ | verb | to go |
| 164 | koliko | /kolǐko/ | adverb | how much |
| 165 | područje | /pǒdruːt͡ʃje/ | noun · neuter | area |
| 166 | podatak | /podǎːtak/ | noun · masculine | piece of information; data |
| 167 | mnogi | /mnôɡiː/ | adjective | many |
| 168 | preko | /prêko/ | preposition | over |
| 169 | pomoć | /pômoːt͡ɕ/ | noun · feminine | help |
| 170 | selo | /sělo/ | noun · neuter | village |
| 171 | koristiti | /kǒristiti/ | verb | to use |
| 172 | čiji | /t͡ʃǐjiː/ | pronoun | whose |
| 173 | živ | /ʒîːʋ/ | adjective | alive |
| 174 | sat | /sâːt/ | noun · masculine | hour; clock, watch |
| 175 | smatrati | /smǎːtrati/ | verb | to consider |
| 176 | američki | /aměrit͡ʃkiː/ | adjective | American |
| 177 | vratiti | /ʋrǎːtiti/ | verb | to return |
| 178 | tada | /tǎdaː/ | adverb | then |
| 179 | odnos | /ǒdnos/ | noun · masculine | relationship |
| 180 | posle | adverb | later, afterwards | |
| 181 | sin | /sîːn/ | noun · masculine | son |
| 182 | kakav | /kǎkaːʋ/ | adjective | what kind of |
| 183 | vlast | /ʋlâːst/ | noun · feminine | power |
| 184 | dalje | /dâʎeː/ | adverb | further, farther; on |
| 185 | kroz | /krôz/ | preposition | through |
| 186 | među | /mêd͡ʑu/ | preposition | among |
| 187 | veoma | /ʋěoma/ | adverb | very |
| 188 | vek | noun · masculine | century | |
| 189 | činiti | /t͡ʃǐniti/ | verb | to do |
| 190 | nemački | /němat͡ʃkiː/ | adjective | German |
| 191 | snaga | /snǎːɡa/ | noun · feminine | strength |
| 192 | pravi | /prâːʋiː/ | adjective | real |
| 193 | politički | /polǐtit͡ʃkiː/ | adjective | political |
| 194 | iako | /îako/ | conjunction | although |
| 195 | pravo | /prâʋo/ | noun · neuter | right; law |
| 196 | napraviti | /nǎpraʋiti/ | verb | to make |
| 197 | misliti | /mîsliti/ | verb | to think |
| 198 | ostati | /ǒstati/ | verb | to remain |
| 199 | mesec | /mêseːt͡s/ | noun · masculine | month |
| 200 | tražiti | /trǎːʒiti/ | verb | to look for |
| 201 | ništa | /nîʃta/ | pronoun | nothing |
| 202 | ruka | /rǔːka/ | noun · feminine | hand; arm |
| 203 | takođe | /takǒːd͡ʑe/ | adverb | also, too |
| 204 | centar | /t͡sêntar/ | noun · masculine | center |
| 205 | vrsta | /ʋř̩ːsta/ | noun · feminine | kind |
| 206 | vojska | /ʋǒːjska/ | noun · feminine | army |
| 207 | jedini | /jědiːniː/ | adjective | only |
| 208 | međutim | /med͡ʑǔtiːm/ | adverb | however |
| 209 | otac | /ǒtat͡s/ | noun · masculine | father |
| 210 | često | /t͡ʃêːsto/ | adverb | often |
| 211 | delo | /dêlo/ | noun · neuter | work |
| 212 | predsjednik | /prěːdsjedniːk/ | noun · masculine | president |
| 213 | nikada | /nîkada/ | adverb | never |
| 214 | porodica | /pǒrodit͡sa/ | noun · feminine | family |
| 215 | dolaziti | /dǒlaziti/ | verb | to come, arrive |
| 216 | osoba | /ôsoba/ | noun · feminine | person |
| 217 | visok | /ʋǐsok/ | adjective | tall |
| 218 | crn | /t͡sr̩̂ːn/ | adjective | black |
| 219 | možda | /mǒʒda/ | adverb | maybe |
| 220 | pri | /prî/ | preposition | near |
| 221 | vrlo | /ʋr̂lo/ | adverb | very |
| 222 | film | noun · masculine | film | |
| 223 | potreban | /pôtreban/ | adjective | necessary |
| 224 | vlada | noun · feminine | government | |
| 225 | lep | /lêːp/ | adjective | beautiful |
| 226 | naći | /nǎːt͡ɕi/ | verb | to find |
| 227 | oblik | /ôbliːk/ | noun · masculine | shape |
| 228 | period | /perǐod/ | noun · masculine | period |
| 229 | poseban | /pǒːseban/ | adjective | special |
| 230 | objaviti | /objǎːʋiti/ | verb | to publish |
| 231 | igrati | /ǐɡrati/ | verb | to play |
| 232 | voleti | /ʋǒleti/ | verb | to love |
| 233 | mlad | /mlâːd/ | adjective | young |
| 234 | organizacija | /orɡanizǎːt͡sija/ | noun · feminine | organization |
| 235 | pisati | /pǐːsati/ | verb | to write |
| 236 | značiti | /znǎːt͡ʃiti/ | verb | to mean |
| 237 | francuski | /frǎnt͡suːskiː/ | adjective | French |
| 238 | uspeti | /ǔspeti/ | verb | to succeed |
| 239 | živjeti | /ʒǐːʋjeti/ | verb | to live |
| 240 | način | /nǎːt͡ʃin/ | noun · masculine | way |
| 241 | vojni | /ʋôːjniː/ | adjective | military |
| 242 | zajedno | /zâjedno/ | adverb | together |
| 243 | izbor | /ǐzbor/ | noun · masculine | choice; election |
| 244 | verovati | /ʋêroʋati/ | verb | to believe |
| 245 | predstavljati | /prědstaʋʎati/ | verb | to represent |
| 246 | nagrada | /nâːɡrada/ | noun · feminine | prize |
| 247 | različit | /rǎːzlit͡ʃit/ | adjective | different |
| 248 | no | /no/ | conjunction | but |
| 249 | tijelo | /tjêːlo/ | noun · neuter | body |
| 250 | narodni | /nǎːrodniː/ | adjective | folk, national |
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