Learn Serbian

Learning Serbian with exercises, video lessons and online courses

Google Tag Head

Showing posts sorted by relevance for query advanced serbian. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query advanced serbian. Sort by date Show all posts

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Conjugations in Serbian - to Shave

Conjugations , serbian conjugations
Conjugations in Serbian - to Shave

Why Conjugations of Brijati - To Shave

While I was watching RTS1 today I saw a very interesting and insightful story about a very old "brica", a barber who works in  "berbernica". I looked it up on Youtube, but couldn't find it on RTS1 Channel. However, there was a similar story which can be turned in another interesting lesson at an upper-intermediate or advanced level.



How to use this video and introduce relevant verb conjugations?


  • As usual, it's always great to elicit the vocabulary based on watching the video, without the audio:
  1. BRICA - barber
  2. BRIJATI Present (brijem / brijes/ brije // brijemo / brijete/ briju) -to shave (impf)
  3. BRIJATI Past (brijao / brijala / brijalo // brijali/ brijale/ brijala) - shaved (past)
  4. BRIJANJE - shaving
  5. OBRIJAN - shaved
  6. OBRIJATI - to shave (perf)
  7. IZBRIJATI/IZBRIJVATI/IZBRIJAVANJE - to clean shave
  8. BERBERNICA
  9. Collocations: brijati + bradu/glavu, savladati brijanje, brijanje glave/brade, ucenje brijanja, vezbanje brijanja, oblikovanje brade
  • Now, let's watch the video with audio this time and simply encircle the words, conjugations and collocations as you hear them. 
  • The last step is vocabulary practice, which is soon to be uploaded onto Serbian School website with videos and exercises.



Read more »
By at
Labels: ,

Wednesday, October 09, 2013

Serbian Idioms and Phrases with Verb "nositi" - Part 2

common phrases , Serbian idioms
Serbian Idioms and Phrases with Verb "nositi" - Part 2
Here come the second part of the idioms and phrases with the verb "nositi":

  • Koja kokoš mnogo kokodače, malo jaja nosi = he who talks much, does little; the ass that brays most, eats least
Example 1: Niko nema prava da gradira vaš (ili bilo čiji) patriotizam. Oni što najviše kokodaču o patriotizmu i trube na sva zvona o veri i tradiciji koje smo mi (kao) napustili, ne znaju ni šta je patriotizam po definiciji. Ima jedna stara izreka (srpska) koja kaže: Koja kokoš mnogo kokodače, malo jaja nosi. Želim vam od srca sve najbolje, gde god da ste, i drago mi je što ste uspeli da se operišete.( a reader's comment on Plus site)
Example 2: .Znači dolazeće izbore gubiš. Nikaj konkretnoga od ove vlasti ne očekujem, vrijedi ona stara:koja krava jako muče, malo mlijeka daje. Za aktualne bi se to karikirano:koja kokoš jako kokodače, malo jaja nosi. Pozdrav... (an interesting reader's comment from a Croatian site - za naprednije pratioce bloga: da li ste razumeli slični izraz u kojem se pominje druga domaća životinja, ali sa istim značenjem ? )
  • Nositi svoj krst = to bear one's own share of suffering; to bear one's cross
Example 3: Ivan Ivanović: “Svako nosi svoj krst!” (from WannaBeMagazine)
Example 4: An explanation with a fun example sentence in context, from Vukajlija : ... ал' шта сад да радим... свако носи свој крст!"
  • Nositi se mišlju = to intend to do something; to toy with an idea
Example 5: Pošto moja naknada za održavanje trudnoće i dalje kasni (5 meseci), ja se nosim mišlju da u sledećoj trudnoći žešće zloupotrebim sistem, jer ovo zaista nema smisla. Idući put ću da otvaram i zatvaram bolovanje do 30 dana sve do 28 dana pred porođaj -- onda niko neće moći da me vuče za nos kao sada.  (from BeBac forum)
Example 6: "Ne nosim se mišlju da su gradjani Krusevca rasisti.Nasim gradom slobodno se krecu prpadnici svih manjna pa i oni koji se razlikuju po boji..." (from a FaceBook page)
  • Ne zna se šta nosi dan, a šta noć = don't make hasty judgments;  one never knows what the future may bring

Example 7: Srbija je velika tajna by Desanka Maksimović:
Srbija je velika tajna:
Ne zna dan šta noć kuva,
Niti noć šta zora rađa... 

Zadatak za naprednije učenike: Pokušajte da nađete u ovoj pesmi aluziju na još jedan idiom koji smo pominjali u prvom delu. 
Example 8: Ne zna dan, noć šta nosi ( a theatre review from Politika)
Example 9: ...Neka svako ide svojim putem. To treba postovati. Ja, recimo, da sam zensko, nikada ne bih isao sa kriminalcima, ali se nikad ne zna sta nosi dan, a sta noc. (the first reader's comment from Plus)
For more advanced learners of Serbian: One of the idioms quoted in the examples 1 to 9 is inappropriately used. Which one ? 
Read more »
By at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Practising Phrases in Serbian - I need

Serbian phrases , Serbian verbs
Practising Phrases in Serbian - I need
If you were happy with my short video lesson about the very simple form of the phrase "I need something" yesterday, I am sure you are now ready for a few exercises. Let me start with the easier ones and then I'll add some for more advanced students:

  • For Beginners: Practising only "Treba mi +  different international words"

  • For Intermediate students: Practising "Treba + mi/  ti / Vam / mu / joj / nam / im + international words"
d. Test



  • For Advanced students: Practising the past tense form "I needed + something", which is more complicated because here the past tense form of the word has to agree with the direct object (something): "TrebalE su mi jabukE // TrebalI su joj prijateljI // TrebalA nam je vodA" (+ word order with 3rd person Sg of the direct object).


Read more »
By at
Labels: ,

Saturday, March 09, 2013

Learn Serbian 365 Days with Songs and Poems - Branko Miljković

Serbian language 365 , Serbian poems
Learn Serbian 365 Days with Songs and Poems - Branko Miljković
If you are at upper-intermediate or advanced level of Serbian, I'm sure you'll fall in love with this poem at first sight/hearing :) Zaljubićete se u ovu pesmu Branka Miljkovića na prvi pogled / prvo slušanje :)



If you are not sure about the words and the meanings, you'll  find it on this lyricstranslation.com page.
For all those who'd like to practise the Genitive case after the preposition "zbog" = because of, here is the exercise based on this magnificient poem.

Read more »
By at No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Week Days in Serbian

Situations , vocabulary
Week Days in Serbian
By at No comments:
Labels: ,

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Learning Montenegrin?

listening comprehension skills , Montenegrin language
Learning Montenegrin?
Regardless of the fact that if you learn Serbian, you will be able easily understand Croatian, Bosnian and recently Montenegrin, (so called BCS language) spoken in the region of ex Yugoslavia, I'm sure you'll appreciate to hear the different accents. Today, I chose this interesting story from a Montenegrin news Youtube channel about a musician physicist :) and transcribed it into Montenegrin/Serbian:



The follow-up exercise for this video can be received via Advanced Activator
Read more »
By at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Serbian Idioms and Phrases with Verb "nositi" - Part 3

common phrases , Serbian idioms
Serbian Idioms and Phrases with Verb "nositi" - Part 3
This is the final part in the series of blog posts about the verb "nositi". The previous ones can be found on the following pages:

Today I am going to give you the explanations and various examples of the following phrases:

  • Što ga noge nose /  koliko me(te/ga/je/nas/vas/ih) noge nose = at full speed, as fast as possible = as fast as one's legs will carry one:

a) MREŽNI MARKETING, prevara ili ne - beži kud te noge nose !

or
b) Kakva greška ! Provocirao grupu navijača,  pa bežao kol'ko ga noge nose ! 
  • Pas laje, vetar nosi = idle gossip should be disregarded = the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on; words and feathers the wind carries away; words are but wind
c) Pusti ti draga priče. Znas onu" PSI LAJU, KARAVANI PROLAZE !"?! Samo se ti smiri i slusaj lekare i sve ce biti u redu.
or
d) Pas laje, vetar nosi 
or
e) No, svako vredjanje najvise govori o onome ko vredja.Psi laju,vetar nosi... (the first comment under the text)
  • Idi gde te (oči vode i) noge nose = gubi mi se s očiju = idi mi s očiju (pej. nosi se) = get out of my sight, get lost, be off with you 
Examples from the internet sites:
f) A FaceBook comment
or 
g) A folk song by Mira Škorić "Idi nek te noge nose" (lyrics)
  • Plati pa nosi (or more a more modern rhyming version: plati pa klati):
h) Naslov u tekstu o platnim karticama "Plati pa nosi"
or
 i) To su najobicniji lopovi. Svaka susa danas otvorila auto- skolu i kao poducava te. Plati pa se klati  (the penultimate comment)

And now the tasks for the more advanced /proficient learners of Serbian:

  1. Који од наведених примера комбинује две изреке, док носи значење само једне (на неки начин погрешно употребљено, али не омета разумевање) ?
  2. Који од наведених примера личи на превод енглеског идиома са истим значењем (што показује утицај енглеског због честих буквалних превода на медијима и Интернету )
  3.  Који од наведених примера је употребљен у букваном значењу, и уопште не носи идиоматско / пренесено значење ?
Read more »
By at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Friday, February 22, 2013

Serbian Language 365 Day 11 - Detective Story "Ubistvo u radnoj sobi" part 1

Advanced Serbian , correcting mistakes
Serbian Language 365 Day 11 - Detective Story "Ubistvo u radnoj sobi" part 1

Убиство у радној соби
Part 1: Who is Who
I'm sure you've been hardly waiting for my detective stories from intermediate to advanced levels of Serbian. They'll all be in the Cyrillic script!

Your task: Read the text carefully and correct the grammar mistakes. The first mistake is already shown. You should say:
  •  "It's not "nađena", but "nađen", because Đorđe Belić is a man! " or 
  • " Ne kaže se "nađena" već "nađen", zato što je Đorđe muškarac, a ne žena!"
Introduction to the case:
  1. Ђорђе Белић, 60, , чувени глумац из Београда, нађена је мртав у својој радној собy, 2. фебруар у 18 часови и 5 минута. (3 mistakes, without the example)
  2. Иако је полиција позвани на лице места због случаја самоубиства.   Током увиђаја је утврђено да је у питању убиство и да је усмрћен пиштољима марке Глоцк, Модел 26.  (2 mistakes)
  3. Тог тренутака, у његовој кућaмa у Гроздићевој 142, налазило се још четири лица: (2 mistakes)
a. Војислав Симеуновић, стари 48 година, ради у обезбеђењу кућне већ 4 годинa.  (3 mistakes)

b.  Снежана Ранковић, стар 33 године, ради као куварица већ 3 година.  (2 mistakes)

c. Радивој  Шошкић, стар 44 годину, запослен као возач убијену Ђорђа Белића - на овом послу скоро 1 годинe  (прецизније, 11 месеција и 6 данa)  (3 mistakes)

d. Мирјана Белић, старица  21 година, ћерка убијеноме. (3 mistakes)

Наставиће се...


Read more »
By at No comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Tuesday, May 03, 2016

Extensive Reading and Listening 1

Listening comprehension , listening comprehension skills
Extensive Reading and Listening 1
It is such a delight to simply watch fun films, series or cartoons or read interesting books in Serbian and pick up the language, isn't it? This is known as extensive reading (or listening). It helps one to speed up the learning process and expand vocabulary very quickly and effortlessly. With authentic films and novels it helps you improve from an intermediate to more advanced levels.

That is why I am sharing with you the well known Pop Ćira and Pop Spira series based on the novel by Stevan Sremac.

Episode 1



Episode 2



Episode 3



For more similar series and films, check out this Youtube playlist - click here.






Read more »
By at
Labels: ,

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
Photo book