Cjelina 1: Dobro došli!
🧩 1 | 1 | Lekcija 4: Kako ste? – Vokabular
Formal communication
TI and VI: Formal and Informal forms of addressing
Deciding which of these forms you need depends on context and the relationship of the people involved, and it may take you some time to get used to making this distinction. When talking to one person, which form to use: ti or Vi?
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Generally, use ti:
- with a family member
- with a close friend or peer (like another student)
- with a child
-
Generally, use Vi:
- with a person in authority
- with a stranger (adult)
- with a person you don’t know well
- with the elderly
❗ Note: As you can see, in writing, when referring to someone in a formal way, you need to use the pronoun [you all] with the capital “V” – Vi.
What if you are addressing more than one person?
If you are talking with more than one person, always use vi (lowercase ‘v’). In this instance ‘vi’ would be the equivalent of «you all» — or «y’all» in parts of the US .
To summarize:
When addressing one person, you will need to choose between the formal Vi or informal ti. When speaking to an adult, it is better to start off with the formal Vi. Since you will not offend anyone by being overly polite, it is always better to start your conversation by using Vi. If formality seems unnecessary, the native speaker may suggest switching to ti. They may say, Prijeđimo na ti. This is one of the phrases that Croats will say when they want to switch to informal language with you.
1.1.4 Zadatak 1. Formalni i neformalni govor
Read the following set of short dialogues and indicate whether they are examples of formal, informal, or neutral speech (used in both informal and formal situations).
1.1.4 Zadatak 2. Pozdravi
Listen to the following dialogues and choose if they represent formal or informal communication.
1.1.4 Zadatak 3. Kako se zovu?
Look at the pictures and write the appropriate form of the pronoun you.
1.1.4 Zadatak 4. Upoznajmo se!
Look at the following pictures and read the dialogue components carefully. Complete the dialogue with the most appropriate missing information.
1.1.4 Zadatak 5. Kako se kaže?
Look at the pictures and choose the most appropriate corresponding question(s) to it. More than one answer might be possible.
🧩 Vocabulary list
| Hrvatski | English |
|---|---|
| doviđenja | goodbye (formal) |
| hej | hey |
| hvala na pitanju | thanks for asking |
| i ja | take it as: “me too / I as well” |
| izvrsno! |
great! / excellent! (standalone reaction)
|
| kako ste? | how are you? (formal / plural) |
| drago mi je | I’m glad |
| također | also / as well |
| ugodan dan | have a nice day |
| vidimo se | see you |
| žao mi je | I’m sorry |
Media Attributions
- David and Ana: Textbook characters © Tako Lako is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
- Ines and Danijel: Textbook characters © Tako Lako is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
