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Learning Serbian with exercises, video lessons and online courses

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Monday, November 26, 2018

Serbian 101 - What's her/his name?

A very simple exercise with NJEGOVo or NJENo + IME, meaning HIS or HER + NAME. After watching this easy Serbian lesson, you'll be able to ask  the following two questions correctly:


  1. Koje je NJEGOVO ime? What is his name?
  2. Koje je NJENO ime? What is her name?
and answer them:
  1. NJEGOVO ime je Jovan = His name is John.
  2. NJENO ime je Suzana =Her name is Susan.




Exercises and Games with What's her/his name

TEST 


Friday, November 16, 2018

Serbian Accusative - Exercise with IT, HIM and HER

In our previous post you could watch the video and practice OVO - ONO - OVDE - ONDE - EVO GA - ENO GA and play a hidden object game.

Now, it is time for you to listen to the video and these two exercises:

Here or There?


OVDE or ONDE



Serbian Accusative - Exercise with IT, HIM and HER


GA or JE



If you are not sure how to pronounce the words correctly, do listen to me doing them!
Special thanks to all my Patrons who support creating these video and grammar lessons. HVALA!

Thursday, November 15, 2018

This and That, Here and There in Serbian

Today we are learning how to say:
  1. THIS = ovaj - ova - ovo 
  2. THESE= ovi - ove - ova 
  3. THAT = onaj - ona - ono 
  4. THOSE oni - one - ona 
  5. HERE = ovde / tu 
  6. THERE = onde / tamo 
  7. EVO GA = here it is (it = him/it) 
  8. EVO JE = here it is (it = her)
Primeri:

1. Ovo je sat = This is a clock. Evo ga =Here it is!

2. Ovo je slika = This is a picture. Evo je = Here it is!

3. Sat je ovde, a slika je onde = The clock is here, the picture is there.

The link to the game is here: https://www.hiddenobjectgames.com/game/Hidden+Kitchen
After watching the video you can try to do an exercise based on my sentences:


The link to the google form with answers: https://goo.gl/forms/YByFcGrhH0vviDlG3

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Vocative in Serbian



Have you noticed that proper nouns are somehow changed when we speak to one another, especially when calling or addressing someone? For example, if your friend is called Nada, you will start your conversation with her by saying "Ćao Nado!"

Why is it so?

Well, if there is not such a case in your mother tongue, that doesn't make sense, but in the Serbian language it does. This concept is called the Vocative case and the very fact that you are callling someone or addressing them triggers some changes in the final vowel in some cases, luckily not always. Let's watch this short episode with Serbian subtitles and see how it works with the following names:
  • Mocart, Cvrle and Čarli
How does the name Mocart change? Why don't the other names change as well?



The Vocative case in Serbian

  • Masc. Sg. nouns ending in a consonant 
Igor / brat / ------------------------------------------------------------ E is added to the stem e.g. Igore, Jovane, bate, Miloše
  • Masc. Sg. nouns ending in č, ć, đ, lj, nj, š, ž ------------ U is added to the stem e.g. mužu, prijatelju (doesn't apply to proper names, though - Miloše)
  • Masc. Sg. nouns ending in -a 
These words either don't change, like tata, kolega, 
Or in some cases the final -a is dropped and ---------------------O is added. e.g. sudija - sudijo! 
  • Fem. Sg. nouns ending in -a
Two syllable nouns ending in -a -------------------------------------A turns to O  e.g. Nada - Nado!
More syllable nouns ending in -ica  -------------------------------- A turns to E e.g. Milica - Milice!
With words and names of foreign origin (or still felt as "foreign" names/words) there is no change


  • Fem. Sg. nouns ending in a consonant
 Words like reč / ljubav / and other abstract nouns ( ending in -st) --- adding I e.g. Ljubav - Ljubavi!
  • Neuter Sg. nouns ending in -e or -o -------------------------- No change

Vocative - Usage


Since the vocative case is used when we are addressing someone or calling someone, most often one person, there are changes in the singular form only (of course there are exceptions). Addressing things or abstract concepts won't be something you will hear in everyday conversations, but there are plenty examples in poems and literature.

Vocative in Serbian - Exercise





Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Learning Serbian with Interesting Texts - What should people do?

There are many interesting texts which you don't need to understand in detail, but just the gist or the most important facts. One of such texts is certainly a very popular one about Hunza people. There are various versions of this article which you can compare by Googling "Hunza narod".

I created the following exercises based on this text published in Blic.

Who are Hunzas? = Ko su Hunze?


  1. Gde Hunze žive?
  2. Šta oni jedu?
  3. Šta ne jedu?
  4. Koliko kilometara predju dnevno?
  5. Koje su njihove dobre navike?
  6. Koliko dugo oni žive?
  7. Zašto žive toliko dugo?


What should people do? = Šta bi ljudi trebalo da rade?



Monday, October 22, 2018

Serbian Cartoons with Subtitles and Exercises

For all of you searching for good educational materials for learning/teaching Serbian with fun series or cartoons with subtitles and additional practice, here comes a short excerpt from Zlopile cartoon, followed with a few exercises.

 

Grammar exercise



Thursday, September 27, 2018

Getting Ready to Learn New Song in Serbian

The perfect way to get ready to learn a new song in Serbian is to play! Since we are to learn Head and Shoulders song in our next post, let's play with this drag and drop exercise where you can see  how body parts are written both in the Latin and Cyrillic script.


Have fun learning Serbian!


Friday, September 21, 2018

Serbian Aspect Easy Way - Nisam te se nagledao

While I was searching for some songs for learning Serbian, I came across this aspect-friendly one called Nisam te se nagledao,  which inspired me to create two sets of quizzes for you to practice Serbian aspect while listening to it :) I bet you'd be delighted to find out that there's an easy and more efficient way to learn verbal aspects :)





Let's match the verses:



Verbs only:


Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Wild Animals in Serbian

Before we start practicing the Accusative and Genitive case with animals, let's learn a set of words in a fun way. This is a drag and drop exercise which will help you learn the words both in the Latin alphabet and Cyrillic script. Have fun! (make sure you pull the word a bit further to the left of the designated square in order for it to "catch" it).


Let's listen to the video lesson where I am playing this game:




I am sure that now you are ready to do the following exercise:

Friday, September 14, 2018

Serbian Advanced Course

Let me share the first lesson of my Serbian Course for advanced learners. It is based on the first episode of Državni posao and I am sure you are going to enjoy it!

Serbian Advanced Course, lesson 1  

Prvi korak

Odgledati SAMO prvi minut https://youtu.be/McwPB-eQ2BY?t=16s (od 0.16 - 1.20). Dok gledate prvi minut BEZ tona recite gde se odvija ova sekvenca, kako izgledaju ljudi i šta mislite o čemu pričaju.
save image


Primer: Na samom početku vidimo dva čoveka koji sede u kancelariji. Oni ...

Drugi korak

Pročitati dijalog i postaviti pitanja o svemu što nije jasno:


  1. Zdravo, momci!
  2. Prepo si ga!
  3. Šta je Boškić, malo vunica uhvatila?... dok je brat vedrio i oblačio, a? šta je bilo, je li? Svemoćni?
  4. Šta s mojim bratom?
  5. Danas ja častim. Danas je moja čast … evo izvoli, Djordje… Pa šta je… ćerka mi upisala Akademiju, čoveče!
  6. Za frizera, akademiju Branković  u Beogradu?
  7. Ma vojnu akademiju u Moskvi, maršal Kutuzov…a,  boga mi ovi odlaze s vlasti, jedan po jedan.
  8. Šta ste, izvinjavam se što prekidam slavlje, ovaj...
  9. Živeli!
  10. Živeo!
  11. … a šta ste za mog brata pominjali? Pa on je još savetnik?
  12. Ne znam da li je još savetnik neko ko sedi na stepeništu i plaće.  Ja ne znam da li je to savetnik, al’ eto...
  13. A ko plaće?
  14. Ko plače? Moja mater… tvoj brat, sedi plače…
  15. Ajoj bracoooo!


Treći korak

DODATI TAČNA IMENA NA PRAZNA MESTA
Boškić: Boškić,  Boškiću, Boškićevog, Boškića x2 ,

Torbica:  Torbica x2
Čvarkov:  Čvarkov, Čvarkova x 2

Na samom početku vidimo __________ (1) i __________ (2) kako se dosađuju na poslu u kancelariji. Njihov kolega __________ (3)  dolazi na posao kasno, po običaju. Ovaj put je vrlo raspoložen i otvara flašu rakije da bi častio svoje kolege, odnosno samo sebe i kolegu __________ (4), a ne i __________ (5). Razlog zbog kojeg želi sve da počasti je što je njegova ćerka upisala Vojnu akademiju u Moskvi. Od samog početka pominje __________ (6) brata koji je nekad bio moćan, ali više nije. Na samom kraju otkriva __________ (7) i __________ (8) da je video njegovog “svemoćnog” brata kako sedi na stepenicama i plače. __________ (9)  istog trena istrčava iz kancelarije da uteši brata. __________ (10) i __________ (11) se smeju.

Četvrti korak - vokabular


Situacija - čast / čašćenje / nazdravljanje / proslave i posebne prilike

  1. Upisati se - Upis na fakultet/akademiju
  2. Venčati se - Venčanje
  3. Roditi se - rođenje
  4. Diplomirati - diplomiranje
  5. Zaposliti se - zaposlenje
  6. Otići u penziju - penzionisanje
  7. Pobediti na takmičenju - pobeda

Razgovor:

1. U kojim situacijama ljudi časte jedni druge u Srbiji/tvojoj zemlji?
2. Kada ste vi poslednji put častili nekoga /bili na časti?
3. Opišite taj događaj (povod / gde / ko/ kako / najinteresantnije)

Korisne fraze
  1. Kada se dođe + posao + kaže se + ...
  2. Kada se dođe + kuća
  3. Kada se dođe + škola
  4. Kada se dođe + prijatelji
  5. Kada se dođe + roditelji
  6. Kada se dođe + tašte/tasta - svekrve/svekra

Idiomi
  1. vedriti i oblačiti = biti moćan (imati neograničenu vlast) = to call the shots

Sleng izrazi
  1. “...malo vunica uhvatila…” (od prpa bato, vuna kićo) = biti uplašen

Kolokvijalni izrazi  - konotacije
  1. Ko …? Moja baba…! - ironično
  2. Braca >>> Braco! - tepanje
  3. (Frizerska) Akademija Branković? - ironija/sarkazam

Peti korak - vežbe

Izabrati tačan odgovor



Test

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Podcast in Serbian Language - A2, Food

Today's video lesson based on authentic listening material is all about food! Let's watch and listen to Miodrag Petrović Čkalja, one of the most famous Serbian actors in a short excerpt from Kamiondžije (always listed in top ten Serbian series).

The question is what was he eating = šta je jeo and why different cases in one sentence?


Exercise

If invisible, here is the link.

Sunday, September 09, 2018

Reading Comprehension Exercises at Intermediate Level

Here is one fun exercise where you have to carefully watch the photo below and then decide what was the first face you noticed as you were watching it = Evo jedne zabavne vežbe gde treba da pažljivo gledate sliku ispod i odlučite se koje lice ste prvo primetili dok ste je gledali:


Da biste saznali rešenje testa možete da odete na ovu stranicu i pročitate objašnjenje. ALI pre nego što kliknete na odgovore, pogedajte ponuđene vežbe!

Vežba 1:
Ako radite ovu vežbu u parovima, bilo bi interesantno da samo jedan od vas pročita rešenje a drugi da zaključi koje ste lice videli na osnovu opisa vaše ličnosti. 

Vežba 2: Na osnovu slike izaberite tekst i pročitajte ga u prvom licu jednine

Na primer: Prema ovom tekstu, ja sam miroljubiva osoba. ŽeliM  da mir i harmonija uvek budu u ______ svetu, zbog toga izbegava_ bilo kakve sukobe...Mnogo vremena provodi_ planirajući ____ budućnost i zbog toga je ____ glavni izazov da nauči_ da veruje__. Promenjiv_ sam i verovatno ima_ nekoliko različitih hobija i zbog toga ___ je teško da se usmeri_ na samo jedan. U ____ ličnosti nema ništa negativno.

Vežba 3: Prepričajte tekst koji vas opisuje koristeći sinonime / antonime /slične fraze da biste što više izmenili izvorni tekst. Evo primera o mojoj ličnosti:

1. biti miroljubiva osoba = ne biti ratoborna osoba (ant.)
2. harmonija = sklad (sin.)
3. izbegavati = zaobići (sin.)
4. planirati = praviti planove (fr.)
5. promenjiv = nestalan (sin.)
6. teško = nije lako (ant.)
7. usmeriti se na = fokusirati se na (sin.)

Vežba 4: Pogoditi kakva je druga osoba, da biste saznali koje je lice druga osoba prvo primetila.

1. Da li si miroljubiva osoba? 
2. Da li voliš sklad i mir? 
itd.


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