Fun Serbian Language Exercises

Can Serbian Language Exercises be Fun?

Kako da ne! For sure!

Let's watch the following video which should remind you of the famous "Night Watch" painting by Rembrandt:


After enjoying watching it, let's tell a story in the Serbian language. I'll try to help you with the list of the following verbs in Serbian and English:

• šetati = to walk
• sedeti = to sit
• piti kafu = to drink coffee
• čuti alarm = to hear
• baciti konopac = to throw  a rope
• trčati = to run
• istrčati iz = to run out of
• strčati niz = to run down
• bežati (od) = to run away
• probijati se kroz = to elbow one's way through 
• preskočiti = to jump over
• hvatati = to be catching
• jahati = to ride
• marširati = to march
• penjati se = to climb
• nišaniti = to aim at
• uhvatiti = to catch
• stati mirno = to stand still
• stajati mirno = to be standing still
• slikati = to take photos

Can you tell your version of The Night Watch story in Serbian while watching the video? If it is too difficult, let's write it first :)

Happy Easter in Serbian

Hristos voskrese!

Lyrics:

Ljudi likujte, narodi čujte:
Hristos voskrse, radost donese!
Zvezde igrajte, gore pevajte,
Hristos voskrese, radost donese!
Šume šumite, vetri brujite,
Hristos voskrse, radost donese!
Mora gudite, zveri ričite,
Hristos voskrse, radost donese!
Pčele se rojte, a ptice pojte,
Hristos voskrse, radost donese!
Anđeli stojte, pesmu utrojte,
Hristos voskrse, radost donese!
Nebo se snizi, zemlju uzvisi,
Hristos voskrse, radost donese!
Zvona zvonite, svima javite,
Hristos voskrse, radost donese!
Slava ti Bože, sve ti se može,
Hristos voskrse, radost donese!

Sv. vladika Nikolaj Žički

Easter Day in Serbia

Easter Day in Serbia

On Easter day people in Serbia crack their Easter eggs with one another, in search for the strongest egg :) We start from the early morning! At first, during breakfast we start cracking eggs and each of us keeps the strongest one. Then we meet with our relatives at Sunday lunch where we continue with this never-ending fight. There is usually one egg which beats all the rest and we keep it until the next year. 

In this video you can see what it looks like:



Here comes an exercise where you can practice the Genitive case together with the possessive form and comparatives (bolji / gori = better / worse; jači / slabiji = stronger / weaker; lepši / ružniji = nicer / uglier; manje / veće =smaller/bigger etc.). Watch the video first and then decide whose egg is stronger/better/weaker/worse! Have fun and a Happy Easter!

Ready for Orthodox Easter?

Ready for Orthodox Easter?

This year Orthodox Easter is on 12th April. In order to prepare for it in time, let me share with you a few useful posts about it:

• About Easter in Serbia via Church calendar
• Serbian Easter greetings 
• Easter morning song 
• Pronunciation - your questions answered

How to Say April Fool in Serbian?

How to Say April Fool in Serbian?

The most common way to celebrate April Fool's day in Serbia is to play a joke on someone and then, if they fall for it, say "Aprililili". Yes, after "April" you will add "i-li-li" :)

I guess that the most ambitious learners will enjoy watching an episode of "Državni posao" dedicated to this day:



I am aware that it is quite difficult to understand, but do try to persevere with it and answer these three general questions:

1. Da li je Boškić naseo na šalu? (nasesti na šalu = to fall for the joke / to be taken in)
2. Da li je Čvarkov stigao da prevari Torbicu ? (prevariti = to play a joke/trick/prank on someone)
3. Kako je Torbica uspeo da se našali sa Čvarkovim*?

*Jedno pitanje iz gramatike, samo za moje učenike: zašto je "sa Čvarkovim" tačno, a ne "sa Čvarkovom"?