Ways to say it
| Croatian | Note |
|---|---|
| kruh | Latin, masculine |
| hleb | Latin, masculine |
| hljeb | Latin, masculine |
| kruv | Latin, masculine |
The word refers to baked dough made from cereals. While the noun refers to the food, the related verb pohovati is used specifically in a culinary context to mean the process of coating food in breadcrumbs.
Is it said differently in some regions?
kruh is the standard term used in standard Croatian. The form hleb is used in certain dialects, particularly in parts of Slavonia or in areas influenced by Serbian. The variation hljeb is a dialectal form often found in certain regions of Croatia or Bosnia. The form kruv is a dialectal variation used in some parts of Croatia, such as Dalmatia or parts of the interior.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing an indefinite amount of bread, such as 'some bread', the genitive case form kruha is used instead of the nominative form kruh.
Did you know?
- The word hleb shares a common ancestor with the English word 'loaf', both tracing back to the Proto-Germanic word *hlaibaz.
- While kruh is the standard term, the choice between it and hleb can act as a social shibboleth, revealing a person's regional background or political leaning.
- In Croatian culture, the phrase kruh i sol, meaning 'bread and salt', is a traditional way to welcome honored guests as a symbol of hospitality.
Examples in context
- Jesi li kupio kruha?Did you buy some bread?This sentence shows how to use the genitive form kruha to express an indefinite amount.Tatoeba #6004709 by kkupus, translation #6004175 by Adelpa
- Tom je otišao kupiti kruh.Tom went out to buy bread.This sentence uses the nominative form kruh to describe the object of the action.Tatoeba #6078309 by kkupus, translation #6077843 by carlosalberto
- Hoćeš li kruha?Do you want bread?Tatoeba #5356834 by kkupus, translation #5356850 by kkupus
- Možete li mi, molim vas, donijeti kruh s pekare?Could you please bring me some bread from the bakery?
- Na doručku poslužujemo ukusne pekarske proizvode, uključujući kruh.We serve delicious bakery products, including bread, for breakfast.
- Hoćeš li pojesti još jednu kiflu? Odlične su!Would you like to eat another bread roll? They are delicious!
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Petra and Marko are preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
- PetraImamo li još kruh?Do we have any bread left?
- MarkoNemamo, moram kupiti novi kruh.We don't, I need to buy new bread.
- PetraMožeš li kupiti svjež kruh?Can you buy fresh bread?
- MarkoNaravno, idem u pekaru sada.Of course, I am going to the bakery now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bread” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hleb, kruh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
