pisati
/pǐːsati/Latin, imperfective
The Croatian verb for "write" is pisati.
pisati is used to describe the ongoing process of writing or a habitual action. It is the standard term for the act of forming letters and words.
Meaning: to form letters, etc. (verb)
Which one should you use?
pisati is an imperfective verb, meaning it describes an action in progress or a regular habit. For the completed result of a specific piece of writing, the perfective counterpart napisati should be used instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present tense, the first person singular form is pišem (I write / I am writing). For the past tense, the masculine singular form is pisao and the feminine singular form is pisala. The informal singular imperative form is Piši, used when telling someone to "write!" in a casual setting.
How do you pronounce it?
/pǐːsati/
When do people say it?
If you want to wish someone "Happy writing!", you can say Sretno pisanje!
Did you know?
- The word pisati comes from the Proto-Slavic *pьsati, which descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *peyḱ-.
- In many Slavic languages, including Croatian, the word for 'writing' is also used to describe the act of 'composing' music or poetry.
- While pisati means to write, you use the word pisati to say you are 'writing' an email or a text message, even though these involve typing rather than using a pen.
Examples in context
- Molim vas da mi napišete pismo o svojem iskustvu.Please, write me a letter about your experience.
- Piši mi poruku kad stigneš kući!Write me a message when you get home!
- Ne mogu čekati, piši mi odmah!I can't wait, write to me right away!
- Pišite mi nešto o svom putovanju!Write to me something about your trip!
- Dragi prijatelji, pišite mi kad god imate vremena.Dear friends, write to me whenever you have time.
- Moram pisati pismo prijateljici.I must write a letter to a friend.
Example conversation
Ivana and Luka are at a cafe discussing hobbies.
- IvanaŠto voliš raditi u slobodno vrijeme?What do you like to do in your free time?
- LukaVolim pisati priče.I like to write stories.
- IvanaTo je jako zanimljivo!That is very interesting!
- LukaHvala, pišem već nekoliko godina.Thanks, I have been writing for a few years.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “write” translations and entries pisati, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pisati, CC BY-SA 4.0.
