Croatian
PrintPrimary tabs
A language of Croatia
4,100,000 (2011 census). Total users in all countries: 6,670,820 (as L1: 5,410,820; as L2: 1,260,000).
1 (National). Statutory national language (1990, Constitution, Article 12.1).
Kaykavski, Chakavski, Shtokavski (Ijekavski). Shtokavski is official dialect, but others recognized as valid, with much literature. Chakavski in western and northern Croatia, Dalmatian coast, and Adriatic Islands; Kaykavski in northeastern Croatia and Zagreb; dialects in other countries, like Burgenland Croatian in Austria, less intelligible. A member of macrolanguage Serbo-Croatian [hbs].
SVO; prepositions; noun head final; gender (masculine/feminine/neuter); no articles; case-marking (7 cases); verb affixes mark person, number; passives; tense and aspect; causatives; comparatives; 25 consonants, 5 vowels, 2 diphthongs; tonal (4 tones), stress is connected with tone.
Formerly considered part of Serbo-Croatian [hbs]. Christian.