Learn Croatian: Types of roads

Hrvatski (Croatian) is a challenging language. It has an unreasonable amount of conjugations and grammatical variations plus a vast vocabulary with very few cognates.
As an expat and a native English speaker, learning Croatian is a constant uphill battle. The best way to learn is to take it in baby steps. We have many lessons with a spoonful of new words, just enough to be swallowed, which you can check out here.
This article covers the different types of roads in Croatia. Whether you’re driving or taking public transit, the ability to decipher street names when navigating Croatia can be a powerful tool. Speak, rinse and repeat until you’ve got them down.
In addition, view our guide on driving in Croatia including tips on highways, tolls, gas stations, car washes, and parking here.
Let’s learn Croatian…
Learn Croatian: Types of roads
Croatian vocabulary for types of roads
ulica | oo-lits-a | street |
---|---|---|
put | poot | way |
cesta | sest-a | road (similar to a boulevard) |
obala | o-ball-a | coast (denotes that the road runs along the coast) |
šetalište | shet-a-lisht-ay | promenade |
autocesta | ow-toe-sest-a | highway |
kružni tok | kroo-sz-ni toe-k "ž" sounds like "s" in "pleasure" | traffic circle |
tunel | too-nel | tunnel |
most | most | bridge |
How to use road-words in Croatian
#1 Cesta
Croatian: Scion me skoro udario na Poljičkoj cesti.
English: A Scion almost hit me on Poljička cesta.
#2 Ulica
Croatian: Pošta ne misli da je ime moje ulice stvarno.
English: The post office does not think the name of my street is real.

#3 Kružni tok
Croatian: Kružni tok u Zagrebu je smrtonosna zamka.
English: The traffic circle in Zagreb is a death trap.
#4 Obala
Croatian: Na Obali kneza Domagoja pregazila sam više od tri backpackers.
English: I ran over 3 backpackers on the Obala kneza Domagoja.

#5 Autocesta
Croatian: Autocesta prema Rijeci košta ruku, nogu i dva bubrega.
English: The highway to Rijeka costs an arm, a leg, and two kidneys.
#6 Put
Croatian: Pala sam u rupu na cesti na Putu Žnjana.
English: I fell into a pothole on Put Žnjana.

#7 Tunel
Croatian: Zadržao sam dah u tunelu Učka i onesvijestio se.
English: I held my breath in the Učka tunnel and then passed out.
#8 Most
Croatian: Bura me bacila sa Paškog mosta.
English: The bura threw me off the Pag bridge.

[Read: 5 reasons why you should learn Croatian]
View our other vocabulary posts
- 10 Croatian clichés to drop into conversation with a Croat
- 10 ways to use može
- All the ways to say Hi and Bye in Croatian
- Exclamations for when you need to shout
- Holiday words and phrases
- How to ask how someone is doing
- How to use veze and express connection in Croatian
- Immigration words and phrases
- Sledding and winter vocabulary
- Yet another 10 Croatian clichés to drop into conversation
Please note: Information provided by Expat in Croatia is only for the purposes of guidance. It does not constitute legal or financial advice in any form. Croatian laws and bureaucratic rules often change, and each personal case is individual, so different rules may apply. For legal advice, contact us to consult with a licensed Croatian lawyer. For financial advice, contact us to consult with a licensed Croatian tax advisor or accountant.