Learn Serbian

Learning Serbian with exercises, video lessons and online courses

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Saturday, September 21, 2013

Best Sites for Learning Serbian

Serbian language 365 , sites for learning Serbian
Best Sites for Learning Serbian
In order to persevere with learning the Serbian language you have to be proactive in finding fun and quality material on the internet. In the morning you can work on more demanding materials, such as :

and in the evenings always flick through some easy, fun and relaxing stuff :
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Thursday, September 19, 2013

The Meaning of the Verb "slagati se " in Serbian

reflexive verbs in Serbian , Serbian language 365
The Meaning of the Verb "slagati se " in Serbian
Slažu se kao pas i mačka :)
The verb "slagati se" imperf.(with first "a" being long) /"složiti se" perf.  = to agree * can have a range of different meanings in Serbian and we're going to discuss them today, because I'll need it for my next lesson about Serbian history.

  • If two colours match, we say "slažu se". For example: Plava se slaže sa žutom, ali se ne slaže sa crvenom (slagati se = to match)
  • If a brother and sister get on/along with each other, we say "oni se slažu". For example: Baš imaš sreće, tvoj  brat i ti se dobro slažete. (You are rally lucky, your brother and you get along very well)
  • If you agree to go out with your friend, you will say: "slažem se". For example: Hoćeš li da idemo u restoran večeras ? Važi, slažem se! (Would you like to go to a restaurant tonight ? OK, I agree!)
  • If two people are at each other's throats, i.e." fight like cat(s) and dog(s)" you can similarly describe it in Serbian as "slažu se kao pas i mačka"!
The simple present tense conjugations of the verb SLAGATI:
(Sg) Slažem se - slažeš se - slaže se  (Pl) Slažemo se - slažete se - slažu se 

The past tense verb forms 
- Imperfective aspect: 
( _ denotes the auxiliary "to be" which shows which person is the sentence referring to)
(Sg) M slagao _ se, F slagala _ se, N slagalo _  se
(Pl) M slagali _ se , F slagale _ se, N slagala _ se
- Perfective aspect:

( _ denotes the auxiliary "to be" which shows which person is the sentence referring to)
(Sg) M složio _ se, F složila _ se, N složilo _  se
(Pl) M složili _ se , F složile _ se, N složila _ se


The simple future forms:
- Imperfective aspect: 
(Sg) Slagaću se - slagaćeš se - slagaće se
(Pl) Slagaćemo se - slagaćete se - slagaće se
- Perfective aspect:
(Sg) Složiću se - složićeš se - složiće se
(Pl) Složićemo se - složićeš se - složiće se

* You might also find the word "slagati" which means "to lie", but the stress pattern is different (with the first  "a" being short) and there is no reflexive " se".
** You might also find the word "slagati" with the same  stress pattern as "slagati se" (to agree), but without the reflexive "se". In that case, the verb "slagati" means "to stack things" or " to put things in order" 
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Monday, September 16, 2013

How to Pronounce Serbian "LJ" ?

lj , Serbian language 365
How to Pronounce Serbian "LJ" ?
For learners of Serbian as a foreign language often times it's difficult to pronounce the Serbian sound "LJ" or "Љ" correctly. That's because some students tend to pronounce "L" and then "J" separately. If you'd like to make your pronunciation of "lj" perfect, follow these steps:

  1. Try to say "L", as in English word "love". Where is your tongue ? Up or down ?
  2. Try to say "J", as in English word "yes". Where is your tongue ? Up or down ?
  3. Right, so you noticed that in "L" the tongue is up, just behind your upper  teeth, while with "J", the tongue is down. If you want to say "lj" correctly, the tongue mustn't move from the upward position downwards, because it's one sound.
  4. Now, keep your  tongue as if you want to pronounce "J" as in "yes", because it's the right tongue position for the perfect "lj", and at the same time try to pronounce "L", WITHOUT raising your tongue upwards. What happens ? Did you hear your first "lj" ? Now keep practising !
Keep your tongue low, as if you want to pronounce "J" (as in "yes") sound, but say "L" (as in "love")

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Thursday, September 12, 2013

Word Order in Serbian - Part 5

Serbian language 365 , Serbian online
Word Order in Serbian - Part 5
This part is preparing you to practise word order with the words with the reflexive/impersonal pronoun "se". This time I've chosen only the verbs which are widely used when you talking about important life phases, so all the sentences in the videos will be in the Simple Past:
  • roditi se = to be born
  • školovati se = to be schooled
  • upisati se (u školu / na fakultet) = to enrol (a school / university)
  • zaposliti se = to start working / to get a job
  • preseliti se = to move (to another city / country)
  • kvalifikovati se (za) = to get qualified (for)
  • venčati se = to get married
After practising telling a story about yourself with these phrases:

...you can try to do the similar one based on my false biography, so you have to make all the sentences in the exercise negative :)
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Friday, September 06, 2013

Common Mistakes in Serbian

common mistakes , correcting mistakes
Common Mistakes in Serbian
One of the most common mistakes students of Serbian as a foreign  language tend to make is to use the verbs of movement "ići " + u, "stići" + u, "vratiti se" + u, "posetiti" with the noun in Dative, instead of Accusative. That's why it's often heard:
Idem u Beogradu (incorrect)
instead of
Idem u Beograd (correct)
In the case of the listed verbs above (ići = to go to/ stići = to arrive at/ vratiti se = to come back to /posetiti = to visit), the noun which follows them is in the Accusative case (so called the Accusative of goal/aim).

That's why I've created this video with which you can make simple sentences such as:


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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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