The longest and shortest Croatian words 

Month of the Croatian Language is celebrated every year from 21 February to 17 March.

The Croatian language has loads of quirks and curiosities, from its melodic rhythms to its knack for producing tongue-twisting words.

One of those tongue-twisters is “prijestolonasljednikovičičinima”—officially the longest word in the language.

Try saying “prijestolonasljednikovičičinima” three times fast—or even once, for that matter. Clocking in at 30 letters (31 characters, since “lj” counts as one letter in the Croatian alphabet), this beast of a word holds the crown as the longest in Croatian.

It translates to “of little heiress apparent to the throne” in the plural dative case—a grammatical form that shows something is being given to or associated with multiple heiresses. Not exactly a phrase you’d drop into casual conversation over a coffee in Zagreb.

The word breaks down into parts: “prijestolonasljednik” means “crown prince” or “heir to the throne,” “-ovič” adds a sense of belonging or relation, “-ičin” is a diminutive suffix (think “little” or “cute”), and “-ima” marks the plural dative case. Put it all together, and you’ve got a highly specific term that’s more likely to pop up in a linguistics textbook than a chat at the local market.

Its history isn’t tied to a single moment but reflects the Croatian language’s love for compounding and inflection. Croatian has a tradition of building complex words by stacking morphemes—small units of meaning—onto a root.

This flexibility allows for creations like “prijestolonasljednikovičičinima,” though it’s worth noting that such long words are rare in everyday use. It’s still a long way off the world’s longest word—a 195-character Sanskrit monster describing a region in India.

Pronouncing it is a workout for the tongue. Here’s a rough guide: pree-yes-toh-lah-nah-slyed-nee-koh-vee-chee-chi-nee-mah. Break it into chunks—prije-stolo-nasljednik-ovič-ičin-ima—and take it slow. The “j” sounds like a “y,” and the “č” is a sharp “ch” as in “church.” Native speakers might chuckle at your attempt, but they’ll applaud the effort.

The Shortest Words: A, U, I, S, K

At the other end of the spectrum, Croatian boasts some of the shortest words imaginable: “a,” “u,” “i,” “s,” and “k.” Each is just one letter, yet they pack a punch in meaning and utility. These little gems are conjunctions and prepositions, the glue that holds sentences together.

A (pronounced “ah”) means “but” or “and,” depending on context—a simple connector with big responsibilities.

U (oo) translates to “in,” as in “u kući” (in the house).

I (ee) is “and,” a staple for linking ideas, like “kava i čaj” (coffee and tea).

S (suh) means “with” or “from,” as in “s prijateljima” (with friends).

K (kuh) is “to” or “towards,” like “idemo k moru” (we’re going to the sea).

Their simplicity is a hallmark of Croatian’s phonetic spelling—every letter is pronounced, no exceptions—which makes them easy to learn but tricky to master in context.