velik
/ʋělik/Latin
The Croatian word for big is velik.
velik is used to describe something of a great size. In more formal contexts, if you are using 'big' to describe something significant or important rather than physical size, the word važan may be a more appropriate translation.
Meaning: of a great size (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, velik must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. The feminine form is velika, the neuter form is veliko and the masculine plural form is veliki. To compare sizes, use the comparative form veći (bigger/larger) and the superlative form najveći (biggest/largest).
How do you pronounce it?
/ʋělik/
Did you know?
- While 'big' in English is often used to describe a 'big sister', in Croatian you would use the word starija (older) rather than describing her physical size.
- The phrase veliko srce literally means 'big heart' and is the standard way to describe someone who is exceptionally generous or kind.
- The comparative form veći is a shortened version of the original word, which is a common pattern in Slavic languages for many adjectives.
Examples in context
- Ovaj grad nije dovoljno velik za nas dvoje.This town ain't big enough for the two of us.This sentence shows the use of velik regarding the size of a town.Tatoeba #6024196 by kkupus, translation #6024026 by Hybrid
- Vaša kuća je velika.Your house is big.This sentence uses the feminine form velika to describe a house.Tatoeba #2156822 by akvo, translation #602534 by CK
- velika kućaBig house
- veliki autoBig car
- velika odlukaBig decision
- velika tvrtkaBig company
- ogromna tjesteninaBig pasta
- ogroman uspjehBig success
- to je problem velik kao kućaIt's a problem as big as a house
- Velika knjigaBig book
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ana and Luka are looking at a dog in a park.
- AnaPogledaj onog psa, on je stvarno velik!Look at that dog, he is really big!
- LukaDa, izgleda kao mali medvjed.Yes, he looks like a small bear.
- AnaJe li on uvijek bio tako velik?Has he always been that big?
- LukaNe, brzo je rastao dok je bio štenak.No, he grew quickly when he was a puppy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “big” translations and entries velik, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
