French words used in Croatian

Since moving to Croatia, I’ve been trying to increase my Croatian vocabulary. I have never studied Croatian, so it is not a language I master.

Because of my circumstances, I speak three languages on a daily basis: French with my Belgian husband, English with my father and Croatian with everyone else. (And sometimes a few words of Kannada to the South Indian cat!)

To be more accurate, I speak mostly the Istrian dialect because that’s the language which is spoken around here, and the one we had spoken at home in Canada during my childhood. So proper, formal Croatian is like a foreign language to me.

By keeping my eyes and ears open, I have come across many French words which are used in contemporary Croatian. Since I’m a language buff, I’ve come up with a list of the words I’ve heard or read which come from French. Of course these words are not spelled the French way, but have been transliterated using the Croatian alphabet. Since Croatian is a phonetic language, words are written exactly as they’re pronounced, with each letter pronounced and no silent letters.

Of course, the fact that Croatian is peppered with some French vocabulary does not mean that Croatian is similar to French, or that French is understood here. Pas du tout! Croatian is a Slavic language, while French is one of the 'Romance' or Latin languages. Are these French words the legacy of Napolean’s short rule over parts of Croatia? Not sure. But most languages have borrowed words here and there from many different languages.

I’m including my list below. It’s not exhaustive, so if you know of others, feel free to let me know!

Croatian word - French word - Meaning

Ambalaža – Emballage – Packaging

Trikotaža – Tricotage – Knitting

Etaža – Etage – Floor / Storey

Ormar – Armoire –  Cupboard

Plafon – Plafond – Ceiling

Teren – Terrain – Terrain / Ground / Field

Ekran – Ecran – Screen

Šansona – Chanson – Song

Šansa – Chance                  

Ekipa – Equipe – Team

Fotilja – Fauteuil – Armchair

Bordura – Bordure – Border (decorative)

Feljton – Feuilleton – Newspaper supplement (In contemporary French: soap opera)

Atelje – Atelier – Studio

Gaf – Gaffe

Garaž – Garage

Degutantan – Dégoutant – Disgusting

Avion – Avion – Airplane

Trotoar – Trottoir – Sidewalk / Pavement

Klošar – Clochard – Tramp / Vagabond

Plaža – Plage – Beach

Matineja – Matinée

Klišej – Cliché

Dekolte – Décolleté – Cleavage

Balon – Ballon – Balloon

Garsonjera – Garçonière – Studio / Bachelor Apartment

Dežuran – De jour – On duty

Šofer  – Chauffeur

Rešo – Réchaud – Hot plate

Bombon – Bonbon – Candy

Bife – Buffet                         

Angažman – Engagement                        

Šarm – Charme – Charm

Krupje – Croupier                    

Žeton – Jeton – Chip / Token

Tref – Treffle – Club

Karo – Carreau – Diamond

Pik – Pique – Spade

Žanr – Genre

Žongler – Jongleur – Juggler

Žargon – Jargon                       

Šampinjon – Champignon – Mushroom

Debil – Débile – Moron

Kamion – Camion – Truck

Lavabo – Lavabo – Sink

Retrovizor – Rétroviseur – Rearview mirror

Far – Phare – Headlight

Tiraž – Tirage – Circulation (of a publication)

Divan – Divan – Sofa

Plakar – Placard – Closet

Balkon – Balcon – Balcony

Šik – Chic

Sifon – Siphon

Broš – Broche – Brooch 

Fotomontaž – Photomontage         

Reportaž – Reportage – Documentary / Coverage

Šokantno – Choquant – Shocking

Terasa – Terasse – Terrace

Šef – Chef – Boss

Asamblaž – Assemblage – Assembly

Pejorativ – Péjoratif – Pejorative

Vandalizam – Vandalisme – Vandalism

Portret – Portrait

Režiser – Régisseur – Director / Steward

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