Learn Serbian

Learning Serbian with exercises, video lessons and online courses

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Monday, February 18, 2013

Serbian Language Day 7 - Video Series, Films and Podcasts for learning Serbian

Youtube is a great source of unique and authentic materials for learning Serbian, which I have been sharing with you under "listening comprehension" tag. One of the best and most comprehensible TV series for learning the Serbian language are surely ancient "Neven", as well as "Poletarac", directed by Timothy Byford and featuring the most prominent actors, actresses and sportsmen from ex-Yugoslavia in the early eighties.

Watch the first part of "Poletarac" and you'll see why it can come in handy when learning Serbian:

1. Part one about swimming (plivanje) and knowing (znanje) from the beginning to minute 3:00
  • plivati = to swim
  • znati = to know, can (I can swim = Znam da plivam)
  • ko zna  da pliva = who knows to / can swim ?
  • osim = except
  • žaba = frog
  • imati = to have
  • da li žaba ima zube ? = does a frog have teeth ?
  • ne znam = I don't know 
2. Part two about telling the time (koliko je sati) and numbers (from 3:00-4:00)
  • koliko je sati ? = what's the time ?
  • sada je tačno jedan sat = it's one o'clock sharp
  • jedan i dva SU tri = one and two are three
  • ovo je jedna žaba = this is a frog
  • ovo su dve žabe = these are two frogs
  • lopta je okrugla = the ball is round
  • Zemlja je okrugla = the Earth is round
3. Part three about APPLES (from 5:30)
  • jabuka = an apple
  • koliko imate jabuka = how many apples do you have ?
  • imam tri jabuke = I have three apples
  • ljuštiti = to peal
4. Part four about UP and DOWN (from 6.30)
  • sad = now
  • gore = up
  • dole = down
  • sad sam dole = now I'm down
  • sad sam gore = now I'm up
  • visoko = high
  • nisko = low
5: Part five with the short answers (from 8:00)
  • Da li imam zube = Do I have teeth ? 
  • Imam = I do
  • imati   = to have
  • Da li sam zelen kao žaba ? = Am I green like a frog ?
  • Nisam = I'm not
  • skakati = to jump
  • Da li skačem kao žaba ? = Do I jump like a frog ?
6: Part six - thanking and greetings
  • hvala = thank you
  • doviđenja = goodbye
  • hvala Vam najlepše = many thanks
  • drago mi je = I'm glad
7. Part seven (from 10:50) about bees and numbers
  • ovo je ... = this is...
  • pčela = bee
  • hive = košnica
  • fabrika = factory
  • roj (pčela) = swarm
  • med = honey
  • ko bude jeo..., biće ... = the one who eats..., he'll be...


Sunday, February 17, 2013

Serbian Language 365 - Day 6 Phrases in Serbian

Many of you who have joined my online lessons, accompanying Serbian language courses, already know that I've had so much precious insight into learning Serbian from my mother-in-law who is French. She told me how difficult it was for her to learn the language from books, and she actually started speaking the language and becoming fluent when she threw away all her grammar books and textbooks and started learning phrases and letting her children correct her mistakes. You can imagine why: since Serbian is a highly flective language, one can come across many suffixes which are the same, denoting different cases (like "vidim pitU" (Acc.Sg.Fem.) in contrast with "ja sam u BeogradU" (Locative, Sg. Masc.)), which can only confuse you.

In reality, if you stopped to think what you'd say, you'd never become fluent. The key to learning ANY language is always immersion, either by spending time in the country where the language is spoken, or watching films, singing songs or being surrounded by  people speaking only the target language. In case none of the above is possible, you can always  learn the set phrases, which will help you become fluent.

Learning grammar is always a "reverse engineering" process  - and it should stay that way. That's why I will always publish one "Serbian phrases video lesson" based on a situation covered in my Serbian phrases e-book on Sundays. Lots of my students told me it was highly useful and practical, and I'm sure you'll find it the same!



Pozdravi na srpskom (Greetings in Serbian)

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Serbian Language 365 - Day 5 Singing in Serbian

If you have been following this blog, you've certainly noticed that there are a lot of songs with which you can practise your language. The main reason is that songs will help you with fluency, because while singing you repeat the same structures, collocations and fixed verb+case noun sets, and this boosts your confidence and automatic responses.

Before I continue creating new songs+exercises, such as this one, let me give you a short review of the past songs and grammar points which my students really loved:

Friday, February 15, 2013

Serbian Language 365 Day 4 - Advanced Levels

For upper-intermediate and advance levels of Serbian I enjoy creating detective stories, where students have  to actively use the language, learn about the Serbian history, culture, customs and language. They ask questions, write e-mails and direct the "investigation".

On Fridays, I intend to share just the beginnings of these stories with you, along with the grammar exercises. So far I've completed the following series of lessons:
  • Ubistvo u radnoj sobi (pre-intermediate)
  • Misterija otrovanog piva (pre-intermediate to intermediate)
  • Tajna drevnog buzdovana (intermediate to upper-intermediate & advanced levels)
  • Petar BlOgojević - prvi srpski vampir (intermediate to upper-intermediate & advanced levels)
  • Ko je zabiberio kulen ? (upper-intermediate & advanced levels)
  • Misterija slavskog kolača (final test for intermediate Serbian202 course)
  • Maglovite četvrti srpskih gradova (beginner to pre-intermediate)


Thursday, February 14, 2013

Serbian Language 365 Day 3 - Intermediate level & Past Tense

Let's practise the Simple Past Tense in the Serbian language. While the beginner and pre-intermediate courses of Serbian  focus is on phrases, present tense, modals and cases, the intermediate course focuses on aspects, explaining the subtle differences between "odmarati" and "odmoriti" and similar.

Since we are at the very beginning of everyday Serbian lesson series, let me introduce you to some of the earlier posts covering this topic:
...as well as one of the Youtube videos, which somehow connect with the yesterday's post, so now it can be easily understood:


Text : "Gde si bila ?" (Fem. Sg.) / "Gde si bio?" (Masc. Sg.) = Where were you ?
Fem. Sg. Bila sam u ...
Masc. Sg. Bio sam u ...

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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