EasyCroatian_r47.an

Easy Croaan (rev. 47b) / 85 Small and Cute: Diminuves 469 / 600
vreća sack → vrećica small bag, shopping bag ®
žlica spoon → žličica teaspoon ®
For masculine nouns in a consonant, the main way is to add -ić, as if it were a case
ending (it’s, of course, not a case ending):
ključ key → ključić
kolač cake → kolačić
komad piece → komadić ®
list leaf → listić
nos nose → nosić
most bridge → mostić
nož knife → nožić
prst finger → prstić
zid wall → zidić
zub tooth → zubić
You can see how the stress for words like kolač shifts, as always when anything is
added to them. Again, for babies and small children, people prefer to call their body
parts prstić, nosić and so on.
For a few words (there’s no rule, as far as I can tell) -čić is added instead:
kamen stone → kamenčić
prozor window → prozorčić
For some nouns, consonants are shifted before -ić or -čić (e.g. c, k → č, h → š etc.):
lanac (lanc-) chain → lančić
krug circle → kružić
rak crab → račić
zec rabbit, bunny → zečić
The word lančić is always used for fine chains worn around the neck, while lanac is a
heavy thing used to close gates, to lift loads etc.
Like for feminine nouns, certain diminutives have developed specific meanings:
brat brother → bratić cousin
novac (novc-) money → novčić coin
Historically, bratić meant something like ‘brother’s small (boy)’, and this was
extended to name people after their fathers by diminutives:
Ivo → Ivić
Jure → Jurić
Mate → Matić
Tomo → Tomić
These were later used as last names – so you now understand why there are so
many last names in Croatia and neighboring countries ending in -ić.
Sometimes, you’ll see diminutives from neuter nouns, derived with -ce, with many
irregularities:
drvo tree → drvce
jezero lake → jezerce
sunce sun → sunašce