kći
Latin, feminine
The English word daughter is translated into Croatian as kći. Wiktionary also lists ćerka and kćerka.
Meaning: female offspring (noun)
Ways to say it
| Croatian | Note |
|---|---|
| kći | Latin, feminine |
| ćerka | Latin, feminine |
| kćerka | Latin, feminine |
The words used to describe a female offspring are kći, kćerka and ćerka.
Which one should you use?
The form kći is the most common standard form used in formal or written Croatian. In contrast, kćerka is more common in everyday spoken language.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form ćerka is characteristic of certain dialects and is more commonly associated with Serbian or Bosnian than with standard Croatian.
How does it change in a sentence?
The short form kći changes to kćeri when used in the dative, locative or genitive singular cases.
Did you know?
- The Croatian word kći shares an ancient root with the English word 'daughter' through a Proto-Indo-European ancestor *dʰugh₂tḗr.
- The variation between the forms kćerka and ćerka serves as a subtle social cue that can identify a speaker's specific regional origin.
- The letter ć in kći is a distinct character in the Croatian alphabet that represents a softer sound than the 'ch' in 'church'.
Examples in context
- Dobro je što imam kći.It's good that I have a daughter.This sentence shows the use of the form kći to express having a daughter.Tatoeba #7423753 by antuntonc, translation #7423470 by AlanF_US
- Njegova kći živi u Novom Zelandu.His daughter lives in New Zealand.This sentence demonstrates the use of the form kći to state where a daughter lives.Tatoeba #13778298 by lostmindRH, translation #13778299 by lostmindRH
- Njegova kćerka je prelasla svu svoju staru odjeću.His daughter has grown out of all her old clothes.This sentence shows the use of the form kćerka to describe a daughter outgrowing clothes.Tatoeba #5247609 by Coella, translation #1902877 by blay_paul
- Marta je divna kći.Marta is a wonderful daughter.
- Ana je moja draga kćer.Ana is my dear daughter.
- Naša najmlađa kći se zove Sara.Our youngest daughter is named Sara.
- Molim te, čuvaj moju kćer dok se ne vratim.Please, take care of my daughter until I come back.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Petra and Luka are talking about their children at a park.
- PetraMoja kći se igra tamo.My daughter is playing over there.
- LukaJeste li vidjeli moju kći?Have you seen my daughter?
- PetraVidjela sam tvoju kćerku blizu fontane.I saw your daughter near the fountain.
- LukaHvala ti, Petra.Thank you, Petra.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “daughter” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kćerka, kći, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
