The distance between zdravo and dobar dan is not measured in syllables, but in familiarity, setting and social warmth.

While conducting a survey about your needs in learning Serbian, some of you mentioned that they would appreciate videos with authentic Serbian, spoken in everyday situations by ordinary people.

This video with a brand new  Serbian presidential candidate who is meeting the editorial team of a local newspaper is an excellent example of something like that. In it, Beli gets introduced with a lot of people, and you will be able to hear how ordinary people say "pleased to meet you".



I will list all the most common introductory phrases along with some others (not heard in the video), so your task will be simple. Just tick the phrases you hear while watching the video!
  1. Zdravo!
  2. Ćao!
  3. Dobar dan!
  4. Dobro veče!
  5. Ovo je ...
  6. Dobrodošao!
  7. Radujemo se tvojoj poseti
  8. Radujem se Vašoj poseti
  9. Drago mi je!
  10. To su naše lektorke.
  11. Bolje vas našao!
  12. Kako ste Vi?
  13. Kako si ti?
  14. Hvala.
  15. Kako ste?
  16. Mnogo vam je lepo ovde.
  17. Baš mi je drago.
  18. Jeste dobri?
  19. Jeste dobro?
  20. Poštovanje!
  21. Izvoli, dobrodošao!
  22. Izvolte, dobrodošli!
  23. Izvolite. 
  24. Hoćete neku kafu?
  25. Želite li kafu?
  26. Šta želite da popijete?
  27. Ne hvala.

A practical route into Authentic Serbian - Greetings and Introductions

This lesson works best as a short sequence: notice the target form, connect it with meaning, and use it in a fresh sentence. In Authentic Serbian - Greetings and Introductions, the original material remains the starting point; the additions below make its language easier to retrieve in real conversation.

Ti or Vi: choosing before you greet

A greeting signals time of day, familiarity and social distance. Match the phrase to the relationship: a form that sounds warm among friends may be too casual in a first meeting or professional exchange. In this particular lesson, use that principle to interpret the examples connected with Authentic Serbian - Greetings and Introductions.

Five greetings and introductions

Latin scriptCyrillic scriptEnglish
Dobro jutro, kako ste?Добро јутро, како сте?Good morning, how are you?
Zdravo, ja sam Milena.Здраво, ја сам Милена.Hello, I am Milena.
Drago mi je što smo se upoznali.Драго ми је што смо се упознали.It is nice to meet you.
Dobro došli u Srbiju!Добро дошли у Србију!Welcome to Serbia!
Vidimo se sutra, prijatno!Видимо се сутра, пријатно!See you tomorrow, goodbye!

Move horizontally across one row, then vertically down each Serbian column. This change of direction prevents you from relying on position and strengthens independent recognition of both scripts. Apply that script strategy to the vocabulary in Authentic Serbian - Greetings and Introductions.

Greet the table out loud

Read down the Latin column, then switch to Cyrillic without returning to English. Choose two examples, turn one into a question and make the other negative. Say both versions naturally. For this post, keep your final version connected with the situation in Authentic Serbian - Greetings and Introductions.

Check your Serbian: Authentic Serbian - Greetings and Introductions

Turn each English line back into natural Serbian. After writing both scripts, read the completed Serbian sentence aloud once. Keep every answer connected with Authentic Serbian - Greetings and Introductions.

  1. Good morning, how are you?
  2. Hello, I am Milena.
  3. It is nice to meet you.
  4. Welcome to Serbia!
  5. See you tomorrow, goodbye!

Answers for the greetings task

  1. Dobro jutro, kako ste?
    Добро јутро, како сте?
  2. Zdravo, ja sam Milena.
    Здраво, ја сам Милена.
  3. Drago mi je što smo se upoznali.
    Драго ми је што смо се упознали.
  4. Dobro došli u Srbiju!
    Добро дошли у Србију!
  5. Vidimo se sutra, prijatno!
    Видимо се сутра, пријатно!