Ways to say it
| Serbian | Note |
|---|---|
| црн | Cyrillic |
| crn | Latin |
The primary use of this word is as an adjective to describe the color black, meaning absorbing all light. It can also function as a substantive in its neuter form to refer to the color black itself or to black clothing in general.
Which one should you use?
The forms црн (Cyrillic) and crn (Latin) are the same word written in different scripts. Related forms include the noun црна or crna to mean 'colour/color', and nouns such as црнац or crnac and црнкиња to refer to a dark-skinned person.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the noun it modifies. Use crna for feminine nouns, crno for neuter nouns and crni for masculine plural nouns. The form crnih is used specifically for the genitive plural case. The neuter form crno can also be used as a substantive to mean 'the color black' or 'black clothing' generally.
Did you know?
- The word црн comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *kr̥snós, making it a distant relative of the English word 'crimson'.
- The Serbian word for 'black' is more closely related to the Lithuanian word 'kirse' (meaning 'black') than it is to many other modern Indo-European words.
- Despite being a common color, crna is often used in Serbian idiomatic expressions to describe something as 'bad' or 'evil', much like 'black magic' in English.
Examples in context
- Sve vidiš u crnom.You see everything in black colours.This sentence demonstrates the use of the form crn in the context of colors.Tatoeba #4245999 by Lebad, translation #4223268 by PrincessJin
- Tom često nosi crno.Tom often wears black.This sentence shows how the form crn can be used to refer to wearing black clothing.Tatoeba #4784545 by Lebad, translation #4731525 by CK
- Имамо црног и белог пса.We have a black and a white dog.This sentence shows the use of the form црн when describing a dog.Tatoeba #8849235 by Lebad, translation #8763622 by deniko
- Crna haljina je elegantna.The black dress is elegant.
- Volim crnu kafu.I like black coffee.
- Noćno nebo je crno.The night sky is black.
- Ima predivnu crnu kosu.She has beautiful black hair.
- Radije koristim crne olovke.I prefer black pens.
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ana and Stefan are choosing a coffee mug at a store.
- AnaКоји шољWhich mug do you want?
- StefanЖелим овај црн шољ.I want this black mug.
- AnaТај је превише taman.That one is too dark.
- StefanЈа волим црн боја.I love the black color.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “black” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries црн, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
