A seven-year-old girl stands in front of the mirror, and her mother says the four words every Croatian child hears: what will people say. No one ever explains who these people are, but everyone knows they exist.
This episode of Ćakula Café follows that question from a house painted only at the front, through the old word obraz, and small towns where a good name was once a matter of life, all the way to Croatian clubs in Melbourne and Toronto, where the same eyes still watch today.
And to one place where that same sentence still keeps you silent now: when you want to speak Croatian out loud.
Slower, clearer Croatian for A2 learners — a look at Croatian shame culture and Croatian village life for heritage speakers and diaspora Croatians who grew up with the same watching eyes.
Key vocabulary:
ljudi (LYOO-dee) people; in this sentence, everyone and no one in particular
sramota (srah-MOH-ta) shame, disgrace; a heavier and more social word than the English one
obraz (OH-braz) cheek, and also honour. To be bez obraza is close to unforgivable
dobar glas (DOH-bar GLAS) a good name, literally a good voice; what a family had to keep
susjeda (soos-YEH-da) the woman next door; in a small place, an institution
šutjeti (SHOO-tyeh-tee) to stay silent; what people do so that nobody hears
briga (BREE-ga) care, worry; the warm side of the same watching
mišljenje (MEESH-lyeh-nyeh) opinion; the thing your mother still weighs
pogriješiti (poh-GREE-yeh-shee-tee) to make a mistake; the fear that keeps a mouth closed
naglasak (NA-gla-sak) accent; yours will be heard, and that is fine
How to use this episode: Listen on Spotify with subtitles on. Find your key words. Look those up. Not every word. Just the key ones. Then listen again. Each time you will understand a little more.
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Learn Croatian With a Cultural Twist.
