Convenience Store

1. Jednu kutiju cigareta, molim

   A pack of cigarettes, please

   Usage

   Croatian street kiosks - mostly the Tisak and iNovine chains - sell cigarettes, newspapers, water and transport tickets. You do not step inside; you name the item through the window

   Grammar Note

   A noun of quantity governs the genitive, hence "kutija cigareta" - a box OF cigarettes. The accusative stands alone with the verb "dajte" (give me) omitted, and "molim" is enough to make it polite

2. Bocu vode i upaljač, molim

   A bottle of water and a lighter, please

   Usage

   Kiosk goods sit behind the glass out of reach, so you have to name them. "Boca" covers both glass bottles and PET. Add "negazirana voda" if you want still rather than sparkling water

   Grammar Note

   The contents of a container go in the genitive: "boca vode" (a bottle of water). The same pattern gives "salica kave" (a cup of coffee) and "casa vina" (a glass of wine)

3. Prodajete li ovdje karte za tramvaj?

   Do you sell tram tickets here?

   Usage

   Zagreb ZET tram and bus tickets are normally bought at a kiosk - buying on board from the driver costs more. Split and Rijeka bus tickets work the same way. Some kiosks shut at night or on Sundays, so buying a few in advance pays off

   Grammar Note

   The clitic "li" sits right after the verb to form a yes-no question. "Karta" stretches across ticket, map, playing card and payment card - context decides

4. Trebam bon za mobitel od deset eura

   I need a ten-euro top-up voucher for my mobile

   Usage

   Prepaid A1, Hrvatski Telekom and Telemach SIMs are topped up with a "bon" voucher bought at a kiosk: name the amount, get a slip with a code, key it in yourself. It is the fastest fix when a tourist SIM runs dry

   Grammar Note

   Croatian "trebati" takes a personal subject - "trebam" (I need) - while the impersonal "treba mi" (it is needed to me) is also used in Croatian (cf. "treba li vam" in this file), Serbian uses almost only "treba mi". "Mobitel" is likewise distinctly Croatian; Serbian says "mobilni"

5. Mogu li platiti karticom za ovako mali iznos?

   Can I pay by card for such a small amount?

   Usage

   Card use is widespread in Croatia, yet kiosks and small shops sometimes set a minimum spend. Since the euro changeover coins circulate heavily again, and many customers simply pay small sums in cash

   Grammar Note

   Means is expressed with the instrumental, turning "kartica" into "karticom". Croatian favours the infinitive, "mogu platiti", where Serbian prefers "mogu da platim"

6. Kartica ide od pet eura naviše

   Cards are taken from five euros up

   Usage

   Said by staff. Card fees weigh heavily on tiny sums, so shops impose their own floor. If you hear this, pay cash or add an item to clear the limit

   Grammar Note

   "Ići" (to go) stretches colloquially to "works / is accepted". The preposition "od" takes the genitive, giving "eura", and "od ... navise" frames a lower limit

7. Nemam sitno, imate li nešto sitnije?

   I have no change - do you have anything smaller?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Kiosks keep little float, so a fifty first thing in the morning almost always gets this reply. ATMs here often dispense fifties, so locals break them at a supermarket before hitting the kiosk

   Grammar Note

   "Nemam" fuses the negative into "imam" and is written as one word. "Sitnije" is the neuter comparative of "sitan" (fine, small) used substantively

8. Oprostite, imam samo novčanicu od pedeset eura

   Sorry, I only have a fifty-euro note

   Usage

   Declaring it first keeps things friendly: the owner may go next door for change or suggest "uzmite jos nesto" (add something to your order). In tourist areas, silently pushing a big note across goes down badly

   Grammar Note

   Denominations use "novčanica od + number". "Novčanica" derives from "novac" (money); the word for a coin is "kovanica", and the two are easy to mix up

9. Koliko košta vrećica?

   How much is a bag?

   Usage

   Lightweight carrier bags are charged for in Croatia, typically a few dozen cents, and never given free. "Vrećica" is the Croatian word - Serbian uses the unrelated "kesa"

   Grammar Note

   "Vrećica" is the diminutive of "vreća" (sack). Croatian uses the -ica diminutive constantly: "kava" to "kavica", "boca" to "bočica"

10. Vrećica se naplaćuje, treba li vam?

    The bag is charged for - do you need one?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Answer "Ne, hvala" (no thanks) or "Da, molim" (yes please). Since bags became chargeable, staff always ask instead of assuming

    Grammar Note

    The reflexive "se" does the work of an English passive: "naplaćuje se" means "is charged". Here "treba" is impersonal and pairs with the dative "vam" to mean "you need it"

11. Primate li povratne boce?

    Do you take back returnable bottles?

    Usage

    Croatia runs a container deposit scheme: PET bottles, cans and glass bottles carry a few cents of "povratna naknada" on top of the price. Returns are handled by reverse vending machines in larger supermarkets - kiosks and small shops usually cannot take them

    Grammar Note

    Adjectives agree in gender, number and case, so "povratne" matches the feminine plural accusative "boce". "Povratna naknada" is the scheme's official name and appears under exactly that label on receipts

12. Povratnu naknadu možete podići samo na aparatu u velikoj trgovini

    You can only claim the deposit at the machine in a large store

    Usage

    Said by staff. You feed containers into the machine one by one and it prints a slip you cash in or spend at that store's till. Since travellers end up carrying empties around, on a short trip most simply write the deposit off

    Grammar Note

    "Podići" is the verb for withdrawing money, the same one used for an ATM. Location takes "na / u + locative", which turns "aparat" into "aparatu" and "trgovina" into "trgovini"

13. Do koliko sati smijete prodavati pivo?

    Until what time are you allowed to sell beer?

    Usage

    Croatian shops may not sell alcohol overnight - broadly from 23:00 to 06:00. Even a 24-hour outlet cannot ring up a beer in that window, and the exact hours vary a little by local rules, so it is worth asking late at night

    Grammar Note

    "Smjeti" is the modal of permission while "moci" covers ability; since this is about what the law allows, "smijete" is the right choice. "Prodavati" is imperfective, describing repeated selling

14. Nakon dvadeset tri sata ne smijemo prodavati alkohol

    After eleven at night we are not allowed to sell alcohol

    Usage

    Said by staff. It is the law, not shop policy, so there is nothing to negotiate. Buy earlier or head to a bar or cafe, where serving is governed separately - a contrast with Greece, which has no such curfew

    Grammar Note

    "Nakon" governs the genitive, turning "sat" into "sata". The negated "ne smijemo" expresses prohibition, which is not the same as "ne mozemo" (we are unable)

15. Radite li nedjeljom?

    Are you open on Sundays?

    Usage

    Croatian law restricts Sunday trading and most supermarkets close. Kiosks, petrol stations, bakeries and shops at ports and airports are exempt, which makes the kiosk the Sunday lifeline. Retailers may also opt to open on a limited number of Sundays each year

    Grammar Note

    The instrumental of a weekday means "on Sundays" as a habit: nedjeljom, ponedjeljkom, subotom. For one specific day you would use the accusative "u nedjelju"

16. Još nešto? Sve zajedno sedam eura i dvadeset centi

    Anything else? Seven euros twenty altogether

    Usage

    Said by staff. When you are finished, reply "To je sve" - that's all. The euro is still recent here, so you may occasionally hear the old kuna equivalent mentioned alongside it

    Grammar Note

    Numerals of five and above take the genitive plural, hence "dvadeset centi". After two to four you get "dva eura" instead - a genitive singular form inherited from the old dual

17. Na polici je pisala druga cijena

    The shelf showed a different price

    Usage

    Small shops do not always keep shelf labels current, so the till price can differ from the tag. A calm mention gets it checked, and the same sentence works if you only notice on the receipt (racun)

    Grammar Note

    The past tense pairs the auxiliary "je" with a participle agreeing with the subject, so feminine "cijena" gives "pisala". Croatian is ijekavian and keeps the -ije-, writing "cijena" where Serbian has "cena"

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