Capitalization Rules in Croatian for English Speakers

Understanding Capitalization in Croatian

Capitalization in Croatian follows specific rules that differ from English. Knowing these rules helps you write correctly and understand written Croatian better.

Capitalizing the First Word of a Sentence

Just like in English, the first word of every sentence in Croatian is capitalized. This rule is straightforward and applies universally.

Capitalization of Proper Nouns

Proper nouns, such as names of people, places, and organizations, are capitalized in Croatian. For example, Marko (a person's name) and Zagreb (the capital city) start with capital letters.

Days of the Week and Months

Unlike English, days of the week and months in Croatian are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence. For example, ponedjeljak (Monday) and travanj (April) are written in lowercase.

Languages and Nationalities

Names of languages and nationalities are written in lowercase in Croatian, except when they start a sentence. For example, hrvatski (Croatian language) and hrvat (Croat) are lowercase.

Titles and Headings

In Croatian titles and headings, only the first word and any proper nouns are capitalized. This differs from English title case. For example, Putovanje u Hrvatsku (A Journey to Croatia) capitalizes only the first word and the proper noun.

Capitalization in Abbreviations

Abbreviations of proper nouns are capitalized, such as RH for Republika Hrvatska (Republic of Croatia). However, common abbreviations may be lowercase depending on context.

Summary of Key Capitalization Rules in Croatian

• First word of a sentence: Capitalized
• Proper nouns (names, places): Capitalized
• Days of the week and months: Lowercase unless at sentence start
• Languages and nationalities: Lowercase unless at sentence start
• Titles and headings: Only first word and proper nouns capitalized
• Formal pronoun 'Vi': Often capitalized in formal writing