palačinka
Latin, feminine
The Croatian word for pancake is palačinka.
In Croatia, the word palačinka specifically refers to the thin, crepe-like pancakes common in the Balkans, rather than thick American-style pancakes.
Meaning: thin batter cake (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Istria and Dalmatia, the term fritula refers to small, round pancakes.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of palačinka is palačinke. When the pancake is the direct object of a sentence (e.g., 'I am eating a pancake'), the ending changes to palačinku.
Did you know?
- The word palačinka is a linguistic traveler, having moved from Czech into German as 'Palatschinke' before being borrowed into Croatian.
- In Croatia, palačinke are frequently sold from street kiosks as a popular fast food, often rolled up and eaten on the go rather than on a plate.
- In some traditional Croatian recipes, a small amount of sparkling water is added to the palačinke batter to make the texture airier.
Examples in context
- Molim Vas jednu palačinku.A pancake, please.
- Obožavam palačinke!I love pancakes!
- Možete li mi dati recept za palačinke?Can you give me the pancake recipe?
- Imaš li recept za palače?Do you have a recipe for pancakes?
- Želim jednu palačinku.I want one pancake.
- Ova palačinka je jako ukusna.This pancake is very tasty.
Example conversation
Ivan and Mia are having breakfast at a cafe.
- IvanHoćeš li i ti palačinku?Do you want a pancake too?
- MiaDa, molim te.Yes, please.
- IvanOva palačinka izgleda izvrsno.This pancake looks excellent.
- MiaZvučiš kao pravi gurman, Ivane.You sound like a real gourmet, Ivan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pancake” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries palačinka, CC BY-SA 4.0.
