Ways to say it
| Croatian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| rujan | /rûːjan/ | Croatia, Latin, masculine |
| septembar | /sěpteːmbar/ | Latin, masculine |
rujan is the standard, native Croatian name for the ninth month of the year.
Which one should you use?
septembar is the loanword form from Latin that is used in Serbian, while rujan is the form used in Croatia. In informal speech, people can also refer to September as deveti mjesec, the ninth month.
Is it said differently in some regions?
rujan is the form used in Croatia, while septembar is the form you hear in Serbian.
How does it change in a sentence?
rujan is a masculine noun and changes with the case. In September is u rujnu, in the locative. For dates you use the genitive rujna, as in prvog rujna, the first of September. The vowel before the final consonant drops out in these forms.
How do you pronounce it?
rujan is pronounced /rûːjan/, with a long falling stress on the first syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use the base form after a preposition. In September is u rujnu.
Did you know?
- Some linguists connect rujan to rujanje, the specific sound made by deer during their mating season. This suggests the month was named after the period of nature's seasonal activity.
- The Croatian name rujan is linked to the color 'purple' or 'redness', likely describing the changing colors of autumn leaves. It stems from the root ruj, which refers to a reddish hue.
- The word rujan shares a common linguistic ancestor with the Czech word for October, říjen. Despite being different months, the names are related through their Slavic roots.
Examples in context
- u rujnuIn Septemberu rujnu is the locative form used to say in September.
- prvog rujnaOn the first of Septemberrujna is the genitive form used when you give a date.
- Rujan je deveti mjesec u godini.September is the ninth month of the year.
- Koje planove imaš za deveti mjesec?What plans do you have for September?
- Rujan je moj omiljeni mjesec.September is my favorite month.
Example conversation
Mateo and Ivana are discussing their upcoming travel plans.
- MateoIdemo na more u rujnu?Are we going to the sea in September?
- IvanaRujan je odličan za putovanje.September is great for traveling.
- MateoVrijeme je tada još toplo.The weather is still warm then.
- IvanaTako je, planirajmo to odmah.That's right, let's plan it immediately.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “September” translations and entries rujan, septembar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries rujan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
