Ways to say it
| Serbian | Note |
|---|---|
| хлеб | Cyrillic, masculine |
| хљеб | Cyrillic, masculine |
| крух | Cyrillic, masculine |
| крув | Cyrillic, masculine |
| hleb | Latin, masculine |
| hljeb | Latin, masculine |
| kruh | Latin, masculine |
| kruv | Latin, masculine |
The term refers to baked dough made from cereals. It is a masculine noun.
Which one should you use?
The forms in the pack differ by dialect and script. The forms хлеб and hleb are the standard Ekavian forms. The forms хљеб and hljeb are Ijekavian forms. The forms крух and kruh are regional variations, while крув and kruv are also listed variations.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form хлеб (hleb) is the standard used in the Ekavian dialect, which is predominant in Serbia. The form хљеб (hljeb) is used in the Ijekavian dialect, common in Montenegro and parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The form крух (kruh) is a regional variation found in certain parts of the Balkans, though it is less common in standard Serbian than хлеб.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing an indefinite amount of bread, such as 'a lot of bread' or 'some bread', the word changes to the genitive form хлеба (hlebа).
Did you know?
- The Serbian word хлеб descends from the Proto-Germanic word *hlaibaz, meaning it was borrowed from early Germanic tribes into Proto-Slavic.
- In many Serbian homes, it is considered bad luck or impolite to place a piece of bread upside down on the table.
- The word хлеб can be used figuratively to mean 'sustenance' or a person's 'basic livelihood', much like in English.
Examples in context
- Да ли једеш пуно хлеба?Do you eat a lot of bread?This sentence is useful for asking about the quantity of хлеб consumed.Tatoeba #8823228 by Lebad, translation #8811458 by CK
- Наведи три врсте хлеба.Name three kinds of bread.This sentence is useful for practicing the genitive form of хлеб when asking to name types.Tatoeba #12394228 by Lebad, translation #12381043 by CK
- Колико кошта векна хлеба?How much does a loaf of bread cost?This sentence is useful for asking about the price of a loaf of хлеб.Tatoeba #12395608 by Lebad, translation #8990961 by CK
- U prodavnici kupujem hleb svakog jutra.I buy bread at the store every morning.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Marko and Marija are preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
- MarkoДа ли имамо још свежег хлеба?Do we have any more fresh bread?
- MarijaНе, понео сам последњи комад јуче.No, I took the last piece yesterday.
- MarkoОнда ћу купити нови хлеб у пекари.Then I will buy new bread at the bakery.
- MarijaМолим те, купи и мало семења.Please, buy some seeds too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bread” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries крух, хлеб, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
