idiot
/idǐot/Latin, masculine
The English word "idiot" is translated into Croatian as idiot. Wiktionary also lists idiotkinja.
Meaning: person of low general intelligence (noun)
Ways to say it
| Croatian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| idiot | /idǐot/ | Latin, masculine |
| idiotkinja | Latin, feminine |
The term is used to describe a person of low general intelligence.
Which one should you use?
The form idiot is used for a male or when the gender of the person is unknown, while the form idiotkinja is used specifically when referring to a female.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form is idiot and the feminine form is idiotkinja.
How do you pronounce it?
/idǐot/
Did you know?
- The word idiot is a direct descendant of the Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης, which originally referred to a 'private citizen' rather than someone with low intelligence.
- While 'idiot' is a common insult, Croatians also use the word budala to describe a fool, which carries a slightly softer, more old-fashioned tone.
- Croatian uses a system of grammatical cases, meaning the word idiot will change its ending to idiota or idiotu depending on its role in the sentence.
Examples in context
- Ja sam idiot, uopće ne biste trebali slušati moja mišljenja. Ja ne znam ništa o natjecanju Eurovizije.I am an idiot, you shouldn't listen to any of my opinions. I know nothing about the Eurovision Song Contest.Tatoeba #13323888 by lostmindRH, translation #13323889 by lostmindRH
- Tom je korisni idiot.Tom is a useful idiot.Tatoeba #13193053 by Adelpa, translation #7059527 by Adelpa
- Tvoj bezumnik od brata upravo je izgubio ključeve.Your imbecile of a brother just lost the keys.
- Marko je totalni debil.Marko is a total moron.
- Ne možeš vjerovati što je Goran napravio. Pravi je budala.You won't believe what Goran did. He's a real fool.
- Onaj tip ne zna praviti osnovne stvari. Baš je kreten.That guy can't do basic things. He's a real idiot.
- On se ponaša kao pravi idiot.He behaves like a real idiot.
Example conversation
Petra and Mateo are arguing about a mistake Mateo made.
- PetraZašto si to uradio, idiote?Why did you do that, you idiot?
- MateoNisam mislio o tome.I didn't think about it.
- PetraKao pravi idiot, nisi razmišljao.Like a true idiot, you didn't think.
- MateoU redu, priznajem da sam pogrešio.Fine, I admit I made a mistake.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “idiot” translations and entries idiot, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries idiot, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
