bok
/bôːk/
bok is the Croatian way to say hello and goodbye.
bok is an informal greeting used both when arriving and when leaving.
What does it mean word for word?
The greeting is etymologically related to bokovi, which means sides.
Which one should you use?
While bok is used informally, more formal alternatives like zdravo or doviđenja should be used in professional settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
bok is an informal way to say hello or goodbye. For formal greetings, you may use Dobro jutro (Good morning), Dobar dan (Good day) or Dobra večer (Good evening). To say goodbye formally, use Doviđenja. To say goodbye informally, you can use Ćao.
How do you pronounce it?
/bôːk/
Did you know?
- The greeting bok is a shortened version of phrases like Bog s tobom, which means 'God be with you'.
- The word bok shares its form with the Croatian word for 'side' or 'hip', which is bok.
- While bok is ubiquitous, the alternative informal goodbye Ćao is a direct loan from Italian and is common in coastal regions.
Examples in context
- Bok, kako si?Hello, how are you?
- Bok, vidimo se sutra.Bye, see you tomorrow.
Example conversation
Marko and Ana meet briefly on the street.
- MarkoBok, Ana!Hello, Ana!
- AnaBok, Marko, što ima novo?Hi, Marko, what's new?
- MarkoNema ništa posebno, moram ići.Nothing special, I have to go.
- AnaU redu, bok!Alright, bye!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bok, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bok, CC BY-SA 4.0.
