luk
Latin, masculine
The English word 'onion' is luk in Bosnian. Wiktionary also lists crni luk and crveni luk.
Meaning: bulb (noun)
Ways to say it
| Bosnian | Note |
|---|---|
| luk | Latin, masculine |
| crni luk | Latin, masculine |
| crveni luk | Latin, masculine |
The term luk refers to an onion bulb. You may also see the term glavica luka used to refer to a single onion bulb.
Which one should you use?
While luk is the general term, other forms are used to specify varieties. In colloquial speech, crni luk (literally 'black onion') is commonly used to refer to the standard white or yellow onion used in cooking. To distinguish red onions from the standard variety, use crveni luk. Additionally, ljubičasti luk means purple onion.
Did you know?
- In many Slavic languages, including Bosnian, the word luk can also refer to a 'bow' used for shooting arrows.
- The word luk is etymologically related to the concept of 'bending', coming from an ancient root meaning 'to bend'.
- The term glavica luka uses the word glavica, which literally means 'little head', to describe a single onion.
Examples in context
- Za ovaj recept trebat će vam luk.For this recipe, you will need an onion.
- Donesi mi malo crvenog luka iz dućana.Bring me some red onion from the store.
- Jela iz Hercegovine često koriste kapulu u receptu.Dishes from Herzegovina often use kapula in the recipe.
- Ovaj luk je veoma opor.This onion is very pungent.
- Treba mi jedan veliki luk.I need one large onion.
- Dodaj luk u sos.Add onion to the sauce.
Example conversation
Adnan and Selma are preparing dinner in the kitchen.
- AdnanSelma, imaš li jedan luk?Selma, do you have an onion?
- SelmaImam, ali je malo mali.I do, but it is a bit small.
- AdnanTo je u redu za nas.That is fine for us.
- SelmaNeka je, odmah ću ga isjeckati.No problem, I will chop it immediately.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “onion” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries crni luk, luk, CC BY-SA 4.0.
