ružan
/rǔːʒan/Latin
The standard word for ugly in Croatian is ružan. If unsure, use ružan. Wiktionary also lists grd and gadan.
Meaning: displeasing to the eye, not aesthetically pleasing (adj)
Ways to say it
| Croatian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ružan | /rǔːʒan/ | Latin |
| grd | /ɡr̂ːd/ | Latin |
| gadan | /ɡǎdan/ | Latin |
ružan is the most common word for ugly and is used to describe physical appearance.
Which one should you use?
gadan often means nasty or disgusting rather than just unpleasant to look at. grd is another word for ugly.
How does it change in a sentence?
ružan is the masculine form and the ending changes to match the noun. It becomes ružna with a feminine noun, ružno with a neuter noun and ružni with masculine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
ružan is pronounced /rǔːʒan/. The ž sounds like the s in the English word measure.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use ružan with every noun. Change the ending to agree with the gender of the noun, as in ružno lice.
Did you know?
- The word ružan comes from the verb rugati, which means 'to mock' or 'to ridicule'. To be 'ugly' in Croatian is etymologically linked to being something that people make fun of.
- If a Croatian speaker describes the weather as ružno vrijeme, they are not talking about how the sky looks. They are actually saying the weather is cold, rainy or generally unpleasant.
- While ružan refers to looks, using gadan to describe a person often shifts the meaning entirely. It suggests the person has a 'vile' or 'disgusting' character rather than a displeasing face.
Examples in context
- ružno liceUgly faceružno is the neuter form because lice, face, is a neuter noun.
- gadna jabukaAn ugly applegadna is the feminine form to match jabuka, apple.
- Ova slika je ružna.This picture is ugly.
- Zgrada je ružna.The building is ugly.
- Ta odjeća je ružna ko sotona.That outfit is as ugly as Satan.
- Taj stari zid je jako ružan.That old wall is very ugly.
Example conversation
Ivan and Mia are looking at a piece of modern art in a gallery.
- IvanMisliš li da je ovaj obrazac ružan?Do you think this pattern is ugly?
- MiaDa, meni se ne sviđa.Yes, I don't like it.
- IvanSlažem se, boja je previše jaka.I agree, the color is too strong.
- MiaTražimo nešto ljepše.Let's look for something more beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ugly” translations and entries ružan, grd, gadan, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries grd, ružan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
