Learn Serbian

Learning Serbian with exercises, video lessons and online courses

Google Tag Head

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Learning Serbian with Jokes - Lesson 4

If you liked  the joke about an elephant, giraffe and the fridge, and all its variations through tenses, you will be more than happy to learn that there is a sequel to it :)




In this part you are simply learning to explain why not all the animals are at the lion's party.

Vocabulary:

  • slaviti = to celebrate
  • taj lav = the lion
  • rođendan = birthday
  • svi = all
  • životinja = animal
  • sve životinje = all the animals
  • žurka = party
  • njegova = his
  • na njegovoj žurci = at his party


Pay attention to the word PARTY - žurka:

  • Ovo je super žurka = This is a great party (Nominative)
  • Dolazim sa žurke = I am coming from the party (Genitive)
  • Idem ka žurci = I am going to(wards) the party (Dative)
  • Idem na žurku = I am going to the party (Accusative)
  • Lav je zadovoljan žurkom = The lion is satisfied with the party (Instrumental)
  • Lav je na žurci = The lion is at the party (Locative)



Monday, August 27, 2018

Serbian Language Podcast - A2/B1 Level

Serbian Language Podcast 

There are quite a few Youtube videos which can be used for practicing your listening comprehension skills. One of them is  MarkaŽvala Youtube channel with short interviews with ordinary people. In their videos you can hear authentic, colloquial language spoken in Belgrade. Today I want to share with you a video in which  passersby are asked to show what they HAVE=IMAJU in their pockets.



How to practice Serbian with Learn Serbian Podcast?

  1. Let's listen to the video (only first two minutes) and try to watch and see what people usually have in their pockets. If you would like to be prepared for the items one can find in their pockets, check the vocabulary list below the video.
  2. Listen to the video for the second time and jot down what you hear (and see) 
  3. After listening to it twice, you can check your answers in the comment below.
  4. Finally, you can do the follow up exercise :)


Vocabulary
  1. Džep = pocket / Džepovi = pockets / u džepu = in a pocket / u džepovima = in pockets
  2. Ključ = key // ključevi = keys
  3. pare = novac = lova (sleng) = money
  4. sitne pare = sitniš = coins/change
  5. mobilni = mobile phone
  6. dokumenti = documents
  7. dinari = Dinars
  8. lična karta = ID 
  9. telefon = telephone
  10. ništa više = nothing more
  11. naočare = glasses
  12. spajalica = paper click
  13. novčanik = wallet
  14. komad = piece
  15. sveska  = notebook
  16. upaljač = lighter
  17. slušalice = headset

Practicing with Serbian Language Podcast





Sunday, August 19, 2018

Serbian Language - Reading Practice

A real fun and easy way to practice reading in Serbian. In the first part you will try to add the appropriate form of the following verbs:
biti - to be jesti - to eat piti - to drink

Later on you will be able to see if your answers were correct. Can you make a similar story about yourself? 







Thursday, August 16, 2018

Geography Lesson 1 - Serbian Accusative and Genitive

One of the best ways to learn SErbian is by playing games. I have recently found this website for learning Geography called Online Seterra and while playing this game, I made the following video  lesson for you:



A follow up exercise coming soon!

Saturday, August 04, 2018

Let's practice Locative, Accusative and Genitive with Vicevi

Monday, July 30, 2018

Serbian Language with Vicevi

Vic in Serbian means a joke.

Telling easy jokes makes learning a language fun and easy. That's why I am sharing with you the first two parts of a very long joke which has some of the most frequently used verbs:
  1. otvoriti = to open
  2. zatvoriti = to close
  3. staviti = to put
  4. izvaditi = to take out
In the first video you can watch the Present tense version of this story with an explanation and translation:



In the second video lesson you can see how you can change the same joke, so it has the same meaning, but you practice the Accusative and Genitive cases without noticing it :D


If you want to support me creating video lessons of Serbian, you are welcome to join my Patron page:) 

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Daily Routines in Serbian - Speaking Exercise

Daily routines in Serbian - Game

The best way to learn a language is by playing games and listening to it. That is why I am sharing a new Memory game to help you out, followed by the video, so you can also listen and play :)

Useful conjugations and common collocations with daily routines in Serbian


  1. PRATI zube / ruke /lice  (to wash your teeth /hands / face) - perem - pereš - pere /// peremo - perete - peru
  2. SPREMATI (to get ready) doručak - spremam - spremaš - sprema /// spremamo - spremate - spremaju
  3. PRIPREMATI  (to prepare) doručak - pripremam ... /// ... pripremaju
  4. PRAVITI (to make) doručak - pravim ... /// ... prave
  5. UMIVATI SE  (to wash your face) - umivam se ... /// ... umivaju se
  6. TRČATI  (to run) - trčim ... /// ...trče
  7. PECATI (to fish) - pecam ...  / ... pecaju
  8. USTAJATI (to get up) - ustajem... /// ... ustaju
  9. BUDITI SE (to wake up) - budim se .../// ... bude se

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Serbian Speaking Exercise 001

Here comes a fun slider to help you improve your speaking skills while describing these two photos:



Useful conjugations:


  1. RAZMIŠLJATI: razmišljAM - razmišljAŠ - razmišljA /// razmišljAMO - razmišljATE - razmišljAJU
  2. RAZGOVARATI: razgovarAM ... razgovarAJU
  3. RADITI: radIM - radIŠ - radi /// radIMO - radITE - radE
  4. MISLITI: mislim - misliš - misli /// mislimo - mislite - misle
--- 
What is the difference between MISLITI and RAZMIŠLJATI?
Common collocations with translations will certainly help:
  1. Mislim na tebe = I am thinking of you
  2. Razmišljam / Mislim o tebi = I am thinking of you
  3. Mislim da je knjiga dosadna = I think that the book is boring
  4. Razmišljam da te nešto pitam = I've been thinking to ask you something

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Serbian Conjugations - Speaking Exercise with To Have a Rest

In this exercise we are going to practice only the imperfective form of the verb ODMARATI SE = to be having a rest.



Take a look at these photos and make the following sentences:

Present Tense Conjugations of Odmarati


ODMARAM - ODMARAŠ - ODMARA ///ODMARAMO - ODMARATE - ODMARAJU



  1. Na prvoj slici vidim mladića u odelu koji SE ODMARA na poslu. 

Past Tense Conjugations of To have a rest


Odmarao - odmarala - odmaralo /// odmarali - odmarale - odmarala

Primer.

  1. Na prvoj slici vidim mladića u odelu koji SE ODMARAO dok je bio na poslu.

Future Tense Conjugations of To have a rest

Odmaraću se - Odmaraćeš se - Odmaraće se /// Odmaraćemo se - Odmaraćete se - Odmaraće se


Primer.

  1. Na prvoj slici vidim mladića u odelu koji ĆE SE ODMARATI kada bude na poslu.

Friday, May 11, 2018

Learning Serbian with Games - Relative Pronouns

Today we are going to practice relative pronouns in Serbian in a fun way!



Relative pronouns /question words which and who in Serbian also change according to the number and gender, so I want you here to have fun playing a memory game + use a bit more complex sentences, such as:


  1. Vidim čoveka koji radi na kompjuteru.
  2. Vidim čoveka koji nosi kapu. 
  3. Vidim ženu koja razgovara s nekim. 
  4. Vidim dete koje nosi haljinu. 
Although the verb VIDETI to see, requires the accusative case, I'll list all the forms (declensions) of ko and koji below. 


Nominative - ko/ koji = who /which
  • čovek koji radi = a man who is working
  • žena kojA radi = a woman who is working
  • dete kojE radi = a child who is working
  • ljudi koji rade = people who are working
  • žene kojE rade = women who are working
  • deca kojA rade = children who are working
Genitive  - from whom / which
  • od kojeg(a) / kog(a) čoveka  
  • od koje žene  
  • od kog deteta
  • od kojih ljudi
  • od kojih žena
  • od koje dece
Dative - to whom / which
  • kojem / kom čoveku
  • kojoj ženi 
  • kojem / kom detetu
  • kojim ljudima
  • kojim ženama
  • kojim ljudima

Accusative - who(m) /which
  • kojeg / kog čoveka (animate category = gen.) ili koji hamburger (inanimate category)
  • koju ženu  
  • koje dete
  • koje ljude
  • koje žene
  • koju decu
Instrumental - with who(m) / which
  • sa kojim čovekom 
  • sa kojom ženom
  • sa kojim detetom 
  • sa kojim ljudima
  • sa kojim ženama
  • sa kojom decom

Locative - about who(m)/which
  • o kojem / kom čoveku
  • o kojoj ženi 
  • o kojem / kom detetu
  • o kojim ljudima
  • o kojim ženama
  • o kojim ljudima


Thursday, May 10, 2018

Learning Serbian with Games

Saturday, May 05, 2018

Serbian 301 - The Accusative

Let's practice your listening skills with the following exercise, which is based on this video. You can do this exercise in two ways:
  1. Try to drag the words in the gaps based on their meaning and then listen to the audio to check.
  2. Listen to the audio and then drag the words into the gaps. 



Have fun!

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