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Showing posts with label phrases in Serbian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label phrases in Serbian. Show all posts

Friday, September 30, 2022

Question Words - Many Faces of Who

Are the words "koga, kome & kim" the same as who?

In the previous post about Question words in Serbian, I covered just the main bunch of questions, such as ko, šta, gde, kada, zašto, kako, čiji, koliko. Today we are focusing only on WHO and its many forms. To understand and start using them correctly, you'll need to practice them in context first.

Serbian WHO through cases

  1. KO  - who
  2. KOGA - of whom
  3. KOME - to whom
  4. KOGA - whom
  5. SA KIM - with whom
  6. O KOME - about whom
The question words in Serbian take the case endings similar to adjectives, so once you learn how adjectives change through cases, this would come natural. Also, you can learn the question forms first  they will help you when start learning about how adjectives change through cases. However, when learning Serbian, always start from drilling, playing language games and having fun, and only later try to dwell on grammar, when drilling through Quizlet games helps you achieve  fluency :) 

Translation of Various Who Forms

Explanation


  • KO UČI SRPSKI? - Who is learning Serbian?
  • KO JE UČIO SRPSKI? - Who was learning Serbian?
  • KO ĆE UČITI SRPSKI? - Who will learn Serbian?
  • KOGA SE PLAŠIŠ? - Who are you afraid of?
  • KOGA SMO SE PLAŠILI? - Who were we afraid of?
  • KOGA ĆEMO SE PLAŠITI? - Who will we be afraid of?
  • KOME ODGOVARATE? - Who are you answering to?
  • KOME SMO ODGOVORILI? - Who did we answer to?
  • KOME ĆEMO ODGOVORITI? - Who will we answer?
  • KOGA VIDIŠ? -Who do you see?
  • KOGA STE VIDELI? - Who did you see?
  • KOGA ĆETE VIDETI? - Who will you see?
  • SA KIM IDEŠ NA MORE? - Who are you going to the seaside with?
  • SA KIM SI IŠAO NA MORE? - Who did you go / were you going to the seaside?
  • SA KIM ĆEŠ IĆI NA MORE? - Who will you go / will you be going to the seaside with?
  • O KOME PRIČAŠ? - Who are you talking about?
  • O KOME SI PRIČALA? - Who did you talk / were you talking about?
  • O KOME ĆEŠ PRIČATI?  - Who will you talk about?

Exercises with Who: ko - koga - kome - sa kim - o kome

MATCH igrica

FLASHCARDS

TEST

Video Lesson with Who in Serbian 


Additional Exercises with All the Question words as well as Who Forms

MATCH igrica

FLASHCARDS

TEST

Friday, June 09, 2017

Common Phrases in Serbian - Destinacija broj jedan

Today we are learning two simple phrases in Serbian:


For the pronunciation and additional exercises, check out my Patreon blog :)

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Idioms and Common Phrases in Serbian

After publishing yesterday's post it struck me that you might not  be aware of the  meaning of the phrase "ravno mi je sve".That's why I chose the word RAVAN = flat / even / equal as the topic of today's post:








  • nekome je sve ravno ( do Kosova )= it's all the same ; it makes no difference
example: Uradi kako ti je drago - meni je sve ravno (do Kosova) ! 
translation: Do as you please - it makes no difference to me !

example from the song: Ravno mi je sve : because of the word "mi" this phrase means that he is indifferent, while the sentence before he means literally "ravno, nigde brda" = flat, no hill around 
  • ravan kao dlan = as flat as a pancake 
example: Vojvodina je ravna kao dlan. (Vojvodina is as flat as a pancake.)
  • na ravnoj nozi = on an equal footing; on equal terms
example: Razgovarali smo o svemu na ravnoj nozi (We talked about everything on equal terms)
  • na ravne časti = share and share alike; even Stephen 
example: Sve što zaradimo delimo na ravne časti (Everything we earn we share and share alike)
  • nema mu ravna = without a peer; second to none
example: Kao lekaru nema mu ravna (As a doctor he is second to none.) 

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Accidents and Emergencies - Vocabulary and Phrases in Serbian

I've recently received a very practical question : how to call for help in Serbian and  what to say in case of  an accident / theft and similar. So, let me give you a few ideas for three different topics, which hopefully you won't need at all:

  • Policija / milicija (police)
  1. Policajac (police officer)
  2. Advokat (lawyer)
  3. Prestup (violation)
  4. Prekršaj (offence)
  5. Zovite policiju ! (call the police)
  • Prolbemi
  1. Novčanik (wallet)
  2. Lopov (thief)
  3. Provalnik (burglar)
  4. Izgubljene stvari (lost property)
  5. Ukrasti (to steal)
  6. Izgubiti (to lose)
  7. Zaboraviti (to forget)
  8. Zaboravio sam ključ (I forgot my key)
  9. Izgubio sam ključ (I lost my key)
  10. Neko mi je ukrao pare / novac (Somebody stole my money)
  11. Upomoć ! (Help)
  • Nesrećan slučaj (accident)
  1. Kvar (breakdown)
  2. Služba za hitnu popravku (emergency breakdown service)
  3. Sudar (accident, collision)
  4. Osiguranje (insurance)
  5. Automobil mi se pokvario (my car has broken down)
  6. Vaše osiguranje (Your insurance documents)
  7. Prijaviti sudar (to report an accident)
  8. To je vaša krivica (it's your fault )

Sunday, August 04, 2013

Serbian Idioms with "Videti"

I'm sure you've thoroughly practised the verb "videti" with the video lesson with gadgets and appliances and the "conjugator video". Now it's time to learn to recognize different parts of speech with this verb through the list of common phrases and idioms in Serbian :

Verb form: VIDETI
  • Ooo, koga to vidim ! = expressing surprise when you see someone (As I leve and breathe!; Well, what do you know; Lo and behold)
  • Imaš šta da vidiš! = something worth seeing ( A sight for sore eyes, Something to look at; A million-dollar look)
  • Sad GA vidiš, sad GA ne vidiš = a fly-by-night (an unreliable, dishonest person) / now you see it, now you don't (a magician's trick) 
  • Što video, ne video = to turn a blind eye on sth.; mum's the word (to pretend not to have seen anything)
Noun form: VID (sight), VIDelo (sight / light), VIDik (view/perspective)
  • Izneti (nešto) na videlo = to bring something to light (to reveal); to bring soemthing into the open
  • Izgubiti (nešto) iz vida = to lose sight of something 
  • Imati (nešto) u vidu = to bear in mind, to take into account, to keep sight of something
  • Nestati sa vidika =  to recede from view / to vanish into thin air / to fade away
Gerund or "glagolska imenica"  : VIĐENJE (ending in -nje, which corresponds with English -ing)
  • Do (skorog) viđenja = so long (a farewell) 
  • Poznavati nekog iz viđenja = to know someone by sight / to have a nodding acquaintance with someone
Past Participle or Trpni glagolski pridev (adjective): VIĐEN (ending in -n or -t, which corresponds with English -ed or PP form of the verb)
  • Rado viđen = popular, in high favour 
Notice the use of this phrase "rado viđen" + "gost" at the very beginning of the famous song "Jabuke i Vino":


Friday, August 27, 2010

Public Signs in Serbian

Let's start from the most common ones:

улаз, ULAZ = entrance
излаз, IZLAZ = exit
улаз је слободан, ULAZ JE SLOBODAN = free admission
заузето, ZAUZETO = occupied
затворено, ZATVORENO = closed
отворено, OTVORENO = opened
дозвољено, DOZVOLJENO = allowed
забрањено,ZABRANJENO = forbidden
пушачи, PUŠAČI =  smokers
непушачи, NEPUŠAČI = non-smokers
мушки, MUŠKI (toalet) = gentlemen (toilet)
женски, ŽENSKI (toalet)= ladies
на продају, NA PRODAJU = for sale
соба за издавање, SOBA ZA IZDAVANJE = a room for rent
звонити, ZVONITI! = ring!
затварај врата, ZATVARAJ VRATA = close the door
не узнемиравај, NE UZNEMIRAVAJ = do not disturb
пази, PAZI! OPASNOST! = watch out! danger!
чувај се, ČUVAJ SE PSA = beware  of the dog!
стој, STOJ! = stand still!
тишина, TIŠINA = be silent
вуци, VUCI = pull
гурај, GURAJ = push
затвори врата, ZATVORI VRATA = close the door
не дирај, NE DIRAJ = do not touch! If you are never sure how to pronounce these words, you can hear the slow pronunciation in some of my videos on Youtube or Serbian Phrases Cyrillic version of the course.

Advanced Serbian - Srpski kao drugi jezik

Gde je ključ? Где је кључ? - Učimo srpski sa Marinom
Gde je ključ? ...
Where is the Key?-...
By Marina Petrović
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