medvjed
Ijekavian, Latin, masculine
The Croatian word for bear is medvjed. Wiktionary also lists medo and medved.
Meaning: large mammal of family Ursidae (noun)
Ways to say it
| Croatian | Note |
|---|---|
| medvjed | Ijekavian, Latin, masculine |
| medo | diminutive, masculine |
| medved | Ekavian, Latin, masculine |
| medvjedica | Ijekavian, Latin, feminine |
| medvedica | Ekavian, Latin, feminine |
The primary meaning of these words refers to the large mammal of the family Ursidae.
Which one should you use?
medvjed refers to the actual large mammal, whereas medo is used for a teddy bear or in a diminutive, affectionate sense.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
medo is an informal diminutive used to refer to a teddy bear or a cute, small bear.
Is it said differently in some regions?
medved is the Ekavian variant. While it is more common in Serbian than in standard Croatian, it is understood everywhere.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The standard Ijekavian noun medvjed has the plural form medvjedi. To refer specifically to a female bear, use the feminine form medvjedica.
Did you know?
- In traditional Slavic folklore, the bear was often considered so powerful or sacred that its real name was avoided to prevent attracting it. People used euphemisms like medvjed to trick the animal.
- The word medo is used as a term of endearment for partners or children, similar to calling someone 'honey' or 'sweetie' in English.
- The word medvjed contains a hidden description: it is a compound of the words for 'honey' and 'to eat'.
Examples in context
- Medvjed je velik.The bear is big.This sentence demonstrates the use of medvjed to describe the size of the animal.Tatoeba #12041847 by Adelpa, translation #3487903 by Ricardo14
- Vidjela sam medo kod jezera.I saw a bear by the lake.
- Vidio sam medvjeda u šumi.I saw a bear in the forest.
- Medvjed je tražio med.The bear was looking for honey.
Example conversation
Mateo and Ivana are talking about a wildlife documentary.
- MateoPogledaj kako ovaj medvjed lovi ribu.Look how this bear is catching fish.
- IvanaOn je stvarno nevjerojatno snažan.He is truly incredibly strong.
- MateoMisliš li da je medvjed opasan?Do you think the bear is dangerous?
- IvanaDa, zato ga gledamo na televiziji.Yes, that is why we are watching him on television.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bear” translations and entries medo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries medo, medvjed, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
