Ways to say it
| Bosnian | Note |
|---|---|
| policija | Latin, feminine |
| milicija | Latin, feminine |
policija is a feminine noun that can refer to the entire police force as a whole or to the institution itself. If you wish to refer to a specific person, you should use policajac for a male officer or policajka for a female officer.
Which one should you use?
While policija refers to modern law enforcement, the term milicija is associated with socialist-era security forces and carries a different political connotation. Additionally, Panduri is a slang term for the police.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term milicija is an outdated term from the Yugoslav era that you may still encounter among older generations.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form policije is the genitive singular of policija and is used to indicate possession or the phrase 'of the police'.
Did you know?
- The slang term panduri comes from the 'Pandours', an irregular military force in the 18th century Habsburg Empire and later the Austrian Empire.
- The word milicija is derived from the Latin 'militia', which originally meant 'military service' rather than civilian law enforcement.
- Calling a police officer a pandur in a formal setting is considered highly disrespectful and could be seen as an insult.
Examples in context
- Obavijestili su policiju o krađi.They informed the police about the theft.
- Policija je došla vrlo brzo.The police arrived very quickly.
Example conversation
Amar and Jasmina are standing on a street corner after a minor car accident.
- AmarJasmina, jesi li zvala policiju?Jasmina, did you call the police?
- JasminaDa, policija dolazi sada.Yes, the police are coming now.
- AmarDobro, sačekajmo ih ovdje.Good, let's wait for them here.
- JasminaSlažem se, Amar.I agree, Amar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “police” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
