← All phrase lists

A2 · Elementary

🏖️ Croatian Free time وقت الفراغ

Hobbies, the sea and things you love doing. In Croatian this topic is called Slobodno vrijeme. Below are 17 words and phrases with pronunciation, English and Arabic meanings, and a real example sentence for each. Tap ▶ to hear them.

Hobbies make conversations personal. With volim (I like / love) and the verbs on this page you can talk about what you do after work and at weekends.

čitati
Pronunciation: CHEE-tah-tee
to read
verb
يقرأ
Volim čitati knjige.
I like to read books.
أحب قراءة الكتب.
pisati
Pronunciation: PEE-sah-tee
to write
verb
يكتب
Učim pisati hrvatski.
I am learning to write Croatian.
أتعلم كتابة الكرواتية.
plivati
Pronunciation: PLEE-vah-tee
to swim
verb
يسبح
Ljeti volim plivati u moru.
In summer I like to swim in the sea.
في الصيف أحب السباحة في البحر.
putovati
Pronunciation: poo-TOH-vah-tee
to travel
verb
يسافر
Želim putovati po Hrvatskoj.
I want to travel around Croatia.
أريد أن أسافر في أنحاء كرواتيا.
glazba
Pronunciation: GLAHZ-bah
music
noun
موسيقى
Glazba je moja strast.
Music is my passion.
الموسيقى شغفي.
nogomet
Pronunciation: NOH-goh-meht
football
noun
كرة القدم
Nogomet je popularan u Hrvatskoj.
Football is popular in Croatia.
كرة القدم شائعة في كرواتيا.
knjiga
Pronunciation: KNYEE-gah
book
noun
كتاب
Ova knjiga je zanimljiva.
This book is interesting.
هذا الكتاب مثير للاهتمام.
film
Pronunciation: feelm
film
noun
فيلم
Film počinje u osam.
The film starts at eight.
يبدأ الفيلم في الثامنة.
more
Pronunciation: MOH-reh
sea
noun
بحر
More je plavo.
The sea is blue.
البحر أزرق.
plaža
Pronunciation: PLAH-zhah
beach
noun
شاطئ
Plaža je prekrasna.
The beach is beautiful.
الشاطئ رائع.
kuhati
Pronunciation: KOO-hah-tee
to cook
verb
يطبخ
Volim kuhati vikendom.
I like to cook at the weekend.
أحب الطبخ في عطلة نهاية الأسبوع.
šetati
Pronunciation: SHEH-tah-tee
to walk
verb
يتمشى
Volim šetati uz more.
I like to walk by the sea.
أحب التمشي بجانب البحر.
trčati
Pronunciation: TRR-chah-tee
to run
verb
يركض
Volim trčati u parku.
I like to run in the park.
أحب الركض في الحديقة.
košarka
Pronunciation: KOH-shahr-kah
basketball
noun
كرة السلة
Košarka je popularna u Hrvatskoj.
Basketball is popular in Croatia.
كرة السلة مشهورة في كرواتيا.
teretana
Pronunciation: TEH-reh-tah-nah
gym
noun
صالة رياضية
Teretana je blizu.
The gym is close.
الصالة الرياضية قريبة.
slikati
Pronunciation: SLEE-kah-tee
to paint
verb
يرسم
Moja sestra voli slikati.
My sister likes to paint.
أختي تحب الرسم.
planinariti
Pronunciation: PLAH-nee-nah-ree-tee
to go hiking
verb
يتنزه في الجبال
Vikendom volimo planinariti.
At weekends we like to go hiking.
نحب المشي في الجبال في عطلة نهاية الأسبوع.

How to use these words

  • Put the infinitive after volim: Volim plivati, Volim čitati, Ne volim trčati.
  • Sports are “played” with igrati: igrati nogomet, igrati košarku.
  • Ići na more literally means “to go to the sea”, and it is how Croatians say they are going to the seaside on holiday.

A little culture

Sport is huge in Croatia: football, basketball, handball and water polo (vaterpolo) all have passionate fans. In summer, much of the country goes na more, and hiking (planinarenje) is popular in the mountains all year.

Common mistakes

  • Using igrati for instruments. You “play” a guitar with svirati: sviram gitaru.
  • Conjugating the second verb: “Volim plivam” is wrong; keep it in the infinitive, Volim plivati.

Quick quiz: free time

“I like swimming” is…

“To play the guitar” is…

“Ići na more” means…

Practise these 17 phrases

Reading a list is a start. To remember these words you need to use them: Malingo turns this topic into 4 short lessons with listening, speaking, matching and translation exercises, and reminds you to review words before you forget them.

Learn free time in Croatian for free

Create an account in a minute and start the “Free time” unit right away, in English or Arabic.

Start learning