slika

Slika is a common feminine noun in Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Montenegrin, and Slovenian that means "picture" or "image." It covers a wide range of visual representations, including photographs, drawings, paintings, and illustrations. In everyday speech it refers to the depiction seen or shown, regardless of medium.

Grammatical notes: Slika is feminine; plural slike. The word is used across these languages with similar forms but slightly different grammar. Example: Croatian: "Ova slika visi na zidu." Slovenian: "Ta slika je lepa." In many contexts "fotografija" is more formal for a photograph, while "slika" remains the general term for an image.

Usage and idioms: A common phrase is "slika govori sama za sebe" meaning "the picture speaks for itself." The term also appears in media and art contexts to describe visual content.

Origin: The term is common throughout South Slavic languages and stems from a root related to likeness or representation in Proto-Slavic. It has cognates in related languages and reflects the shared linguistic heritage of the region.