A1 Expression Informell

Budi dobar

Be good

Phrase in 30 Seconds

A versatile Croatian phrase used to tell someone to behave or to wish them well as they leave.

  • Means: 'Be good' or 'Behave yourself' depending on the context.
  • Used in: Parenting, saying goodbye to friends, or giving moral advice.
  • Don't confuse: With 'Budi dobro', which means 'Be well' (health-wise).
Person + Good behavior = Budi dobar 😇

Explanation at your level:

At this level, 'Budi dobar' is a simple command. 'Budi' means 'be' and 'dobar' means 'good'. Parents say it to children. Friends say it when they leave. It is very easy to use. Just remember: 'dobar' for boys, 'dobra' for girls.
You can now use 'Budi dobar' in more situations. Use it when saying goodbye to a friend to mean 'take care'. You should also learn the plural form 'Budite dobri' for more than one person. It's an informal phrase, so use it with people you know well.
At the intermediate level, you'll notice the nuance between 'Budi dobar' (behave) and 'Budi dobro' (be well). You can also start using the 'ethical dative' version: 'Budi mi dobar', which adds a touch of warmth and personal care to your farewells. It shows you understand the emotional connection in Croatian speech.
You understand that 'Budi dobar' can be used ironically or jokingly among friends. For example, if a friend is going to a party, saying 'Budi dobar' implies 'don't get too crazy'. You also recognize its role in the cultural concept of 'kućni odgoj' and how it functions as a social contract of behavior.
At this advanced stage, you can analyze the imperative mood's pragmatic functions. 'Budi dobar' serves as both a directive and an expressive speech act. You can distinguish between its use as a genuine moral injunction and its fossilized use as a phatic expression in social leave-taking, noting regional variations in prosody and emphasis.
You possess a near-native grasp of the phrase's sociolinguistic weight. You understand how 'Budi dobar' interacts with Croatian honorifics and the subtle power dynamics it can imply. You can use it to evoke specific cultural archetypes in literature or storytelling, and you understand its historical evolution from Proto-Slavic moral-social constructs to modern colloquialism.

Bedeutung

Advice or command to behave

🌍

Kultureller Hintergrund

The phrase is deeply linked to 'kućni odgoj' (home upbringing). A child who is 'dobar' reflects well on the parents' ability to raise them. In coastal regions, 'Budi dobar' is often said with a specific melodic intonation, sometimes followed by 'čuješ?' (you hear?) to add emphasis. In the capital, you might hear the more German-influenced 'Budi pofleksl' (be useful/good) in very old slang, but 'Budi dobar' remains the standard. For Croatians living abroad, 'Budi dobar' is a powerful linguistic marker of identity and shared values when saying goodbye to fellow Croats.

💡

Gender Matters

Always remember to change 'dobar' to 'dobra' if you are talking to a woman or a girl.

⚠️

Not for Bosses

Avoid saying this to people in higher positions; it sounds like you are their parent.

Bedeutung

Advice or command to behave

💡

Gender Matters

Always remember to change 'dobar' to 'dobra' if you are talking to a woman or a girl.

⚠️

Not for Bosses

Avoid saying this to people in higher positions; it sounds like you are their parent.

🎯

The 'Mi' Factor

Add 'mi' (Budi mi dobar) to sound much more like a native speaker when saying goodbye to close friends.

💬

The Wink

When saying this to an adult friend, a small wink often signals that you are using the phrase jokingly.

Teste dich selbst

Fill in the correct form of 'dobar' for a girl.

Ana, budi ______ u školi!

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: dobra

Since Ana is female, the adjective must be in the feminine form 'dobra'.

Which phrase is a common farewell to a friend?

You are saying goodbye to your friend Ivan. What do you say?

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Budi dobar!

'Budi dobar!' is a common casual farewell. 'Budi dobro!' means 'Be well' (usually said if someone is sick).

Match the Croatian phrase to its English context.

Match the following:

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Match correctly based on gender and number.

Budi dobar (M), Budi dobra (F), Budite dobri (Plural), Budi mi dobar (Affectionate).

Complete the dialogue.

Mama: 'Marko i Ivane, idete kod bake. ______ ______!'

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Budite dobri

Since she is talking to two people (Marko and Ivan), she must use the plural imperative 'Budite dobri'.

🎉 Ergebnis: /4

Visuelle Lernhilfen

Dobar vs. Dobro

Budi dobar
Behavior Be good
Budi dobro
Health Be well

Häufig gestellte Fragen

10 Fragen

No, it's very common among adults as a friendly way to say goodbye, meaning 'take care' or 'stay out of trouble'.

You should say 'Budi dobra', but yes, it's a very common and sweet thing to say when parting.

'Budi dobar' is about behavior/character. 'Budi dobro' is about health/wellness.

Use the plural form: 'Budite dobri'.

Yes, it's too personal and sounds like a command. Stick to 'Doviđenja'.

Literally 'Be to me good'. It's an affectionate way of saying 'Stay well for my sake'.

Only in a very informal email to a close friend. For anything else, use 'Srdačan pozdrav'.

Not exactly a slang word, but 'Budi mi dobar' is the most 'native-sounding' casual version.

It can, but 'Budi ljubazan' is more specific for 'Be kind/polite'. 'Budi dobar' is more general.

The opposite command would be 'Nemoj biti zločest' (Don't be naughty).

Verwandte Redewendungen

🔗

Budi pametan

similar

Be smart

🔗

Ponašaj se

specialized form

Behave yourself

🔗

Budi miran

similar

Be still/quiet

🔗

Budi mi dobar

builds on

Be good to me / Stay well for me

🔗

Budi dobro

contrast

Be well

Wo du es verwendest

🏫

Dropping a child at school

Parent: Sretno u školi! Budi dobar.

Child: Hoću, mama. Bok!

informal
👋

Saying goodbye to a friend

Friend A: Idem sad kući. Čujemo se!

Friend B: Može, budi dobar!

informal
🐶

Leaving a pet at home

Owner: Budi dobar, nemoj pojesti kauč!

Dog: (Wags tail)

informal
🎉

A warning before a party

Older Brother: Ideš na party? Budi dobar, nemoj raditi gluposti.

Younger Brother: Ne brini, bit ću dobar.

informal
👵

Visiting grandparents

Father: Budite dobri kod bake i djeda.

Kids: Budite bez brige, tata!

informal
🎮

Online gaming sign-off

Gamer 1: Moram ići, laku noć.

Gamer 2: Laku noć, budi dobar!

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Budi' as 'Buddy'—tell your little buddy to be good! Budi dobar!

Visual Association

Imagine a small Croatian boy in a sailor suit standing perfectly still while his grandmother pats his head. She whispers 'Budi dobar' into his ear.

Rhyme

Budi dobar, budi fin, ti si mamin sin! (Be good, be nice, you are mom's son!)

Story

A young traveler is leaving Zagreb for the coast. His mother hugs him at the station and says 'Budi dobar'. He thinks she means 'don't party too much', but his friend says it later and means 'stay safe'. He realizes it covers everything.

Word Web

bitidobardobrotadobrobuditezločestposlušanodgoj

Herausforderung

Try saying 'Budi dobar' (or 'Budi dobra') to a friend or a pet today when you leave the room.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Pórtate bien

Spanish focuses on the action of 'carrying oneself', Croatian on the state of 'being'.

French moderate

Sois sage

French 'sage' is almost exclusively for children; Croatian 'dobar' is for everyone.

German high

Sei brav

German 'brav' is more specific to obedience than Croatian 'dobar'.

Japanese moderate

いい子にしてね (Iiko ni shite ne)

Japanese is strictly age-dependent; Croatian is more flexible.

Arabic partial

كن طيباً (Kun tayyiban)

Arabic focuses more on the moral quality of kindness.

Chinese moderate

乖 (Guāi)

Chinese 'Guai' is an adjective/command used mostly for children and pets.

Korean moderate

착하게 굴어 (Chak-hage gureo)

Korean uses an adverbial form ('kindly') with the verb 'to act'.

Portuguese high

Comporte-se

Portuguese uses a specific verb for behavior, whereas Croatian uses 'to be'.

Easily Confused

Budi dobar vs. Budi dobro

Learners confuse the adjective 'dobar' (good) with the adverb 'dobro' (well).

Use 'dobar' for people's character/behavior and 'dobro' for their state of being/health.

Budi dobar vs. Budi bolji

Learners might think this is a stronger version of 'be good'.

'Budi bolji' means 'Be better' and is usually used as a challenge to improve, not a standard command for behavior.

FAQ (10)

No, it's very common among adults as a friendly way to say goodbye, meaning 'take care' or 'stay out of trouble'.

You should say 'Budi dobra', but yes, it's a very common and sweet thing to say when parting.

'Budi dobar' is about behavior/character. 'Budi dobro' is about health/wellness.

Use the plural form: 'Budite dobri'.

Yes, it's too personal and sounds like a command. Stick to 'Doviđenja'.

Literally 'Be to me good'. It's an affectionate way of saying 'Stay well for my sake'.

Only in a very informal email to a close friend. For anything else, use 'Srdačan pozdrav'.

Not exactly a slang word, but 'Budi mi dobar' is the most 'native-sounding' casual version.

It can, but 'Budi ljubazan' is more specific for 'Be kind/polite'. 'Budi dobar' is more general.

The opposite command would be 'Nemoj biti zločest' (Don't be naughty).

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