Meaning
Feeling joy or satisfaction.
Cultural Background
In Dalmatia, happiness is often linked to 'fjaka'—a state of mind where one is perfectly content doing nothing, usually during the heat of the day. The 'kava' culture is essential. Being happy often means having enough time to sit for two hours over a single espresso with a friend. There is a strong emphasis on family. A 'happy' person is often defined by the health and success of their children and relatives. The concept of 'Sreća' was personified in some myths as a beautiful girl spinning a golden thread, representing a person's good fortune.
Gender Agreement
Always check if you are talking to a man or a woman. It's the most common mistake for beginners!
Don't use 'imati'
Never say 'Ja imam sretan'. It sounds like you own a person named Sretan.
Meaning
Feeling joy or satisfaction.
Gender Agreement
Always check if you are talking to a man or a woman. It's the most common mistake for beginners!
Don't use 'imati'
Never say 'Ja imam sretan'. It sounds like you own a person named Sretan.
Sretan rođendan
This is the most common use of the word. Memorize it as a single block!
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct form of 'sretan' (sretan, sretna, or sretni).
Marija je jako ______ jer ide na odmor.
Marija is female, so the adjective must be feminine: 'sretna'.
Choose the correct translation for 'I was happy'.
Kako se kaže 'I was happy' (male speaker)?
'Bio sam' is the masculine past tense of 'biti'.
Match the Croatian phrase with its English meaning.
Match the following:
These are common collocations with 'sretan'.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Dobio sam posao! B: Čestitam! Jesi li ______?
The speaker is likely male or the gender is neutral/masculine in general address.
Which phrase fits a wedding best?
At a wedding, you say to the couple:
'Budite sretni' means 'Be happy (you two)'.
🎉 Score: /5
Visual Learning Aids
When to use 'Sretan'
Events
- • Birthdays
- • Weddings
- • Holidays
Feelings
- • Joy
- • Contentment
- • Relief
Practice Bank
5 exercisesMarija je jako ______ jer ide na odmor.
Marija is female, so the adjective must be feminine: 'sretna'.
Kako se kaže 'I was happy' (male speaker)?
'Bio sam' is the masculine past tense of 'biti'.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
These are common collocations with 'sretan'.
A: Dobio sam posao! B: Čestitam! Jesi li ______?
The speaker is likely male or the gender is neutral/masculine in general address.
At a wedding, you say to the couple:
'Budite sretni' means 'Be happy (you two)'.
🎉 Score: /5
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYou can say 'Jako sam sretan' or 'Presretan sam'.
Yes, but 'imati sreće' is more common for specific lucky events like winning a game.
The feminine form is 'sretna'.
Usually no, but you can say 'sretan završetak' (happy ending) for a movie.
The opposite is 'nesretan' (unhappy/unlucky).
Sretna Nova godina!
'Sretno' is an adverb (happily) or a neuter adjective. It's also used to say 'Good luck!'.
It is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
No, that's grammatically incorrect for a person. Use 'sretan' or 'sretna'.
'Radostan' is more about 'joyful' and is slightly more formal or poetic.
Related Phrases
biti zadovoljan
similarto be satisfied
biti veseo
similarto be cheerful
imati sreće
relatedto be lucky
biti nesretan
contrastto be unhappy
usrećiti nekoga
builds onto make someone happy
sretna okolnost
specialized formfortunate circumstance
