Learn Serbian

Learning Serbian with exercises, video lessons and online courses

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Friday, November 13, 2015

Reading Comprehension Exercises for Advanced Learners

I'd like to share an authentic text about a teenage inovator from Novi Sad, Jovana Kondić.  I made a few exercises based on this interesting story and I'm sure you'll like them!

Reading Comprehension Exercises for Advanced Learners


Right Order


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Missing Words


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Earn some Money :D


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Sunday, October 11, 2015

Listening Exercise about Large Kolo for Guinness



Let me introduce you to my nephew Aca who participated in the event called "Large Kolo for Guinness" which took place exactly a week ago in Novi Sad, Serbia. While watching and listening to this video you can do the following tasks:

A. Watch the video without listening to it at first (mute the audio) and try to guess:
  1. Kako se Aca oseća?
  2. Po čemu znate da se Aca tako oseća?
B. Now watch and listen to the video focusing on the words and phrases which confirm your previous answers.

C. Now watch and listen to the video for the third time and try to answer the following questions:
  1. Odakle je Aca?
  2. Kako je sve proteklo?
  3. Čega su se učesnici bojali?
  4. Zašto je ova manifestacija bitna?
  5. Koje izraze Aca koristi da iskaže zahvalnost što je sve dobro pošlo?
D. To expand your vocabulary try to recall which synonyms and phrases Aca uses instead of:
  1. "proteklo" 
  2. "bojati se"
  3. "bitan"

Grammar Exercise:


Monday, October 05, 2015

Guinness World Record Largest Folk Dance in Serbia

Guinness World Record Largest Folk Dance in Serbia

Over 12.000 participants prepares to break the Guinness World Record by simultaneously dancing a Kolo (a traditional dance from the Balkan states) in Novi Sad. The same string of participants stretched for kilometers and encircled several city blocks. 

The organization of the Veliko Kolo (Great Kolo) took months and it gathered organizations from 12 different countries in the region. The participants were coordinated by local staff and by a system of loudspeakers. Additionally, all those participating were assigned a barcode, which was then read by the event's officials at the end of the event and the results sent to the Guinness commission.

Preparation for Guinness Largest Kolo 


Serbian Kolo, Novi Sad 4th October 2015 




Listening Comprehension Exercise



  1. Koliko folkloraša učestvuje u Velikom kolu?
  2. Gde se održava svečano otvaranje?
  3. Iz kojih zemalja su učesnici?
  4. Koliko kilometara je dugačko kolo?
  5. Kada će biti završena ova manifestacija?



  1. Koliko autobusa je pristiglo u Novi Sad 4. 10. 2015.?
  2. Kog uzrasta su učesnici?
  3. Koliko kola su folkloraši igrali?
  4. Odakle je prvi sagovornik?
  5. Odakle je drugi sagovornik?
  6. Odakle je treći sagovornik?
  7. Iz koliko ukupno zemalja su učesnici?
  8. Koji uslovi moraju da se ispune da bi se oborio rekord?
  9. Kada će se dobiti zvanični izveštaj da li je rekord oboren?

Speaking Exercise

While watching the following video try do describe what you can see and what you know about this event:

Monday, September 14, 2015

Relative Pronoun and Question Word Koji in Serbian

If you ever wondered how to practice when to use kojI, kojA, kojE etc. both when asking questions and connecting sentences, here comes an easy exercise, based on the intro video about animals:



There is a similar video, where you have to fill in the gaps with "koji", but in the appropriate form:




Along with an online exercise:

Wednesday, September 09, 2015

Verb to be in Serbian - Video Exercise

If you liked the video about animals I posted last month, I bet you'll enjoy practising* the verb TO BE with the following video. *The verb forms which are missing are as follows:
  • JE
  • SU
  • NIJE
  • NISU

If you are not sure about the answers, you can check it here:


Friday, September 04, 2015

Songs in Serbian with Lyrics: I Miss our Love

Friday is such a beautiful day to practice Serbian with songs, isn't it?



Of course, there's always an exercise to do  :)



... hope you don't mind?*
*Petak je tako lep dan za vežbanje srpskog uz pesme, zar ne? Naravno, tu se uvek nađe i vežba :) ...nadam se da ne zamerate?





Sunday, August 30, 2015

Studying Serbian with Short Stories

Here comes a new video lesson covering the following vocabulary:

Animals:

  • taj pas / ti psi= dog/dogs
  • taj konj / ti konji = horse/horses
  • to jagnje / ta jagnjad = lamb/lambs
  • ta ovca / te ovce = sheep/sheep
  • taj ovan / ti ovnovi = ram/rams
  • ta žirafa /te žirafe = giraffe/giraffes
  • ta pčela / te pčele = bee/bees
  • taj pauk / ti pauci = spider/spiders
  • ta riba / te ribe = fish/fishes
  • taj delfin / ti deflfini = dolphin/dolphins
  • to mače / ti mačići = kitten /kittens
  • ta mačka / te mačke = cat/cats
  • taj mačak / ti mačori = tomcat/tomcats
  • taj tigar / ti tigrovi = tiger/tigers
  • ta zebra / te zebre = zebra/zebras
Verbs:

  • je = is
  • su = are
  • sviđati se  = to like (sviđa mi se ovaj pas = I like this dog)
  • videti = to see
  • zvati se = to be called 
  • porasti = to grow up
  • leteti = to fly
Functions used when expressing certainty/probability:

  • ovo je... = this is...
  • možda = maybe
  • sigurno = certainly/ for sure
  • ovo je sigurno... = this is a ... for sure
  • ovo je možda... = this is maybe a ...

Check out the previous lesson for beginners about rooms in a flat.

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Bear's Wedding in Serbian with Explanation

If you liked the first part of the story of Dundo Bear's Wedding, I am sure you've been eagerly waiting for its sequel :) Here it comes, but this time you'll be able to read the explanation, English translation and you'll have to answer a few questions before you hear what happened in the second part:


Let me know if you like it?
Javi mi da li ti se sviđa?

What do you think what is the next animal Dundo bear will come across?
Šta misliš na koju životinju će medo Dundo naići?

  • na vučicu?
  • na medvedicu?
  • na lasicu?
  • na zečicu?
  • na vevericu?

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Short Stories in Serbian for Beginners

While preparing a new course based on simple, short stories in  Serbian via Udemy, I wanted to share a video lesson dedicated to the verb to be and rooms in a flat:

Ovo je moj stan. On nije mali. U prizemlju je kuhinja i trpezarija i mali toalet. Šta je ovo? Ovo je kuhinja. Šta je ovo? Ovo je trpezarija. Na prvom spratu je radna soba i tatina ordinacija. Na drugom spratu su spavaće sobe i velika dnevna soba. Sa leve strane su spavaće sobe. Sa desne strane je dečija soba i kupatilo.

Da li možete da pogodite koje su ovo sobe?
  1. Na ovoj slici je...
  2. Mislim da je ovo...
  3. Ovo je...
  4. Ovo je možda...
  5. Ovo je sigurno...
Da li možete da opišete svoj stan na sličan način?


English translation:


This is my apartment. It is not small. On the ground floor (there) is the kitchen and dining room and a small toilet. What is this? This is a kitchen. What is this? This is a dining room. On the first floor (there) is a study room and my dad's office. On the second floor (there) are bedrooms and a large living room. On the left side (there) are the bedrooms. To the right (there) are children's bedroom and a bathroom.

Friday, July 31, 2015

Serbian with Children's Stories

I think that children learn a language best through stories, chants and songs. I've already written about Dundo Bear's Wedding story back in 2013, but now I decided to turn it into a series of lessons which can be used for learning and teaching Serbian.

Let me introduce you to the first part of the story with this four minute long Intro to Medvedova ženidba by Desanka Maksimović.

Friday, July 17, 2015

Serbian lesson about Present Participle

Monday, July 13, 2015

Present Participle in Serbian

Present Participle in Serbian


After watching this short video lesson dedicated to present participle in Serbian, try to figure out which form to use!  Useful vocabulary:
  1. uživati = to enjoy (uživam, uživaš, uživa // uživamo, uživate, uživaju)
  2. gledati = to watch (gledam, gledaš, gleda // gledamo, gledate, gledaju)
  3. gledajući = watching (while watching)
  4. uživam gledajući... = I enjoy watching...
  5. slušati = to listen to (slušam, slušaš, sluša // slušamo, slušate, slušaju)
  6. slušajući = listening (while listening)
  7. smirivati = to calm down (smirujem, smiruješ, smiruje // smirujemo, smirujete, smiruju)
  8. smirujući = calming
  9. smrzavati = to freeze (smrzavam, smrzavaš, smrzava // smrzavamo, smrzavate, smrzavaju)
  10. provoditi = to spend (provodim, provodiš, provodi// provodimo, provodite, provode)
  11. obilaziti = to be visiting (obilazim, obilaziš, obilazi // obilazimo, obilazite, obilaze)
  12. obilazeći = visiting (while visiting)
  13. teći = to flow (tečem, tečeš, teče //  tečemo, tečete, teku)
  14. razmišljati = to think about (razmišljam, razmišljaš, razmišlja // razmišljamo, razmišljate, razmišljaju)
  15. razmišljajući = thinking (while thinking about)

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