As you already know, Serbian is best learnt while singing and not thinking about all the grammar behind it. That 's why I am so happy whenever I come across a good song with lyrics, as well as its karaoke version.
Learning Serbian with Songs - Karaoke Razbole se lisica
Serbian with Songs - Išli smo u Afriku
What karaoke does that listening does not
Listening to a song teaches you to recognise words. Singing it teaches you to produce them — at native speed, with the right vowel length, and without stopping to think. That is why the karaoke version matters as much as the original: it forces you to keep up.
Start with the original and the lyrics in front of you, no singing. On the second pass, hum along and speak only the words you are sure of. On the third, use the karaoke track. Do not aim for a good performance — aim for finishing the line at the same moment the music does.
Words from the songs, in both scripts
| Latinica | Ћирилица | English |
|---|---|---|
| Razbolela se lisica u šumi. | Разболела се лисица у шуми. | The fox fell ill in the forest. |
| Išli smo u Afriku daleko. | Ишли смо у Африку далеко. | We went far away to Africa. |
| Pevam ovu pesmu bez teksta. | Певам ову песму без текста. | I sing this song without the lyrics. |
| Melodija mi pomaže da zapamtim reči. | Мелодија ми помаже да запамтим речи. | The melody helps me remember the words. |
| Karaoke verzija je brža nego što mislim. | Караоке верзија је бржа него што мислим. | The karaoke version is faster than I think. |
Three passes, one song
Choose one song and stay with it for a week rather than sampling five. A song you know by heart becomes a permanent store of vocabulary, grammar and rhythm that you can replay in your head while walking, cooking or waiting for the bus.
Sing it in Serbian
Translate these lines as if you were about to sing them, then read your Serbian aloud in rhythm. Latin and Cyrillic.
- The song is about a fox.
- I know these words by heart.
- Let us sing together.
- The lyrics are simple and clear.
- Sing along without reading.
Answers for the karaoke lesson
| English | Latinica | Ћирилица |
|---|---|---|
| The song is about a fox. | Pesma je o lisici. | Песма је о лисици. |
| I know these words by heart. | Znam ove reči napamet. | Знам ове речи напамет. |
| Let us sing together. | Hajde da pevamo zajedno. | Хајде да певамо заједно. |
| The lyrics are simple and clear. | Tekst je jednostavan i jasan. | Текст је једноставан и јасан. |
| Sing along without reading. | Pevaj bez čitanja. | Певај без читања. |