English idioms that are a little different in Croatian

Every language has its own sayings, cliches, parables, and idioms. Some overlap between languages and some are unique to a specific culture that stretches over generations. Croatian is no exception.

In my time living here, I’ve heard a handful of idioms that are really close to the ones I use in English, but are just a little… different. They were a bit startling to hear the first time because they sound ridiculous. But when you think about it, all idioms sound ridiculous no matter the language.

Idioms are a group of unrelated words whose meaning is unrelated to the individual words. It’s a “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” kind of situation. Most people use idioms when speaking, regardless of whether they know they are or not. As part of your assimilation to life in Croatia, using these idioms can give you a new avenue for communicating in Croatian.

Give some of these a try at your next opportunity.

5 English idioms that are a little different in Croatian

#1 When in a difficult situation

English: in a pickle

Croatian: u banani (in a banana)

#2 When someone breaks stuff or causes damage in situations that require delicacy

English: bull in a china shop

Croatian: slon u staklarni (elephant in a glass house)

#3 When a situation is made to sound worse than it is

English: mountain out of a molehill

Croatian: od muhe radiš slona (you are making an elephant out of a fly)

#4 When something is really easy

English: a piece of cake

Croatian: mačji kašalj (a cat’s cough)

#5 When something is impossible

English: when pigs fly

Croatian: kad na vrbi rodi grožđe (when the willow bears grapes)

View our other Croatian language learning lessons here.

View our other vocabulary posts

• 14 Croatian words that change around the country
• All the ways to say “Hi” and “Bye“ in Croatian
• Basic Croatian words and phrases to get through life in Croatia
• Croatian places with the suffix “-ica”
• Croatian vocabulary you might need at a restaurant or cafe in Croatia
• Exclamations for when you need to shout
• Holiday words and phrases
• How to ask how someone is doing
• How to ask where the toilet is in Croatian (and how to find public toilets throughout Croatia)
• How to tell time (in Zagreb, Split, Istria, and Dubrovnik)
• Immigration words and phrases
• Sledding and winter vocabulary