selo
Latin, neuter
The Croatian word for village is selo. Wiktionary also lists vas and ves.
Meaning: a rural habitation of size between a hamlet and a town (noun)
Ways to say it
| Croatian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| selo | Latin, neuter | |
| vas | Chakavian, Kajkavian, Latin, feminine | |
| ves | /ˈʋɛːs/ | Chakavian, Kajkavian, Latin, feminine |
The word refers to a rural habitation of size between a hamlet and a town.
Which one should you use?
While selo is the standard word used in the Shtokavian dialect (the basis for standard Croatian), vas and ves are dialectal variants used in Chakavian and Kajkavian regions.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The forms vas and ves are used in the Chakavian and Kajkavian dialect groups.
How does it change in a sentence?
The standard form selo is a neuter noun. The dialectal forms vas and ves are feminine nouns.
Did you know?
- The word selo shares a deep linguistic ancestry with the English word 'sit', as both trace back to an ancient root meaning 'to sit down'.
- In traditional Croatian rural culture, the selo often served as the center for a 'zadruga', which was a large joint-family collective that lived and worked together for generations.
- While selo is standard, using the variant vas in a formal setting in Zagreb may sound strikingly rural or regional to a local listener.
Examples in context
- Ovo selo je dosadno.This village is boring.This sentence is useful for describing the quality of a specific selo.Tatoeba #6064146 by kkupus, translation #6063901 by mailohilohi
- Selo u Hrvatskoj je prekrasan primjer tradicionalnog naselja.The village in Croatia is a beautiful example of a traditional settlement.
- Ovo maleno selo ima samo nekoliko kuća.This small village has only a few houses.
- Uh, dosta mi je ovog grada! Idem na selo, u tu malu vukojebinu odakle potječem.I've had enough of this city! I'm going to the vukojebina, that small village where I come from.
- Moje rodno selo je vrlo lijepo.My native village is very beautiful.
Example conversation
Ivan and Petra are talking about where Ivan grew up.
- IvanOdrasao sam u jednom mirnom selu.I grew up in a quiet village.
- PetraGdje se nalazi to selo?Where is that village located?
- IvanBlizu je planine i rijeke.It is near a mountain and a river.
- PetraZvuči kao jako lijepo mjesto.It sounds like a very beautiful place.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “village” translations and entries vas, ves, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries selo, vas, ves, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
