What are the most common Serbian phrases you should keep using when learning Serbian?
From the very first lesson try to use the most common phrases in Serbian to ask for the meaning of the word, or to simply respond "I don't know". Let me list a few useful phrases:
- da - yes
- ne - no
- kako se kaže - how do you say
- znači - means
- šta znači "pica"? - what does "pizza" mean?
- hamburger znači "hamburger" - hamburger means "hamburger"
- ne razumem - I don't understand
- ne znam - I don't know
- znam - I know
- razumem - I understand
- levo - left
- desno - right
- baš - really
- nema problema - no problem
Serbian Phrases with Pronunciation
Here comes a super easy and fun video lesson with these phrases:
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Exercises which follow these Serbian Phrases
Let me share with you the exercise which I was doing while making this video.
The phrases that earn their place from lesson one
There is a small group of phrases worth learning before any grammar at all, because they are what allow a conversation to continue when your Serbian runs out. Šta znači…? and Kako se kaže…? are the two that do the most work: one gets you a meaning, the other gets you a word.
Notice how znači behaves. It is a verb — to mean — but Serbs also use it constantly as a filler, roughly like the English so or I mean: Znači, sutra se vidimo? You will hear it far more often as a filler than as a real verb, and recognising both uses saves a lot of confusion.
Everyday phrases in use
| Latinica | Ћирилица | English |
|---|---|---|
| Šta znači ova reč na engleskom? | Шта значи ова реч на енглеском? | What does this word mean in English? |
| Kako se kaže „hvala“ na srpskom? | Како се каже &бдqуо;хвала&лдqуо; на српском? | How do you say thank you in Serbian? |
| Skreni levo pa onda desno. | Скрени лево па онда десно. | Turn left and then right. |
| Nema problema, imamo vremena. | Нема проблема, имамо времена. | No problem, we have time. |
| Baš mi je drago što smo se videli. | Баш ми је драго што смо се видели. | I am really glad we met. |
Ten phrases, one week
Choose ten of these and use each one at least once in a real exchange during the week — with a teacher, a friend, or out loud to yourself while describing your day. A phrase used once in context beats a phrase read ten times on a page.
Use the common phrases
Put these into Serbian as complete phrases rather than word for word. Write each answer twice, in both alphabets.
- I do not understand, sorry.
- What does this sign mean?
- The pharmacy is on the right.
- Yes, of course, no problem.
- How do you say this in Serbian?
Answers for the most common phrases
| English | Latinica | Ћирилица |
|---|---|---|
| I do not understand, sorry. | Ne razumem, izvinite. | Не разумем, извините. |
| What does this sign mean? | Šta znači ovaj znak? | Шта значи овај знак? |
| The pharmacy is on the right. | Apoteka je desno. | Апотека је десно. |
| Yes, of course, no problem. | Da, naravno, nema problema. | Да, наравно, нема проблема. |
| How do you say this in Serbian? | Kako se ovo kaže na srpskom? | Како се ово каже на српском? |