500 Common Serbian Phrases For Travel - Ling App (2024)

Serbia is a country of great people, rich history, brave people, won and lost wars, ups and downs, scientists, athletes, beautiful landscapes, pastures, mountains, rivers, and everything that makes our people what they are.

There is something in us and our country that makes us recognizable everywhere in the world, so people are hearing more and more about Serbia (slowly but surely). There are a thousand and ten reasons to visit Serbia and to learn Common Serbian Phrases.

In addition to the fact that Serbia may not be so well covered by the media in the world, tourists still find their way to us and tell their friends about a small country in the Balkans with a big heart and great food.

History Of Serbia And Serbian Language

As I already said, Serbia is a country with a very rich and turbulent history. The dynasties that ruled it, such as Karadjordjevic and Obrenovic, left their mark, especially in the Šumadija part.

So we have beautiful churches, museums and mausoleums, one of the most famous of which is the Mausoleum at Oplenac in Topola. Karadjordjev grad is a place that attracts a large number of foreigners every season, and some groups even come from Israel in this small part of Serbia. Entire complexes of former rulers and their legacies are located all over the country, wherever you go, you will surely hear some of the important historical facts about it and why it is important for our country.

Serbian Culture

At the crossroads of the Balkan roads, Serbian culture has preserved the identity and authenticity of Serbia and its people for centuries with its creations.

Passed down from generation to generation, preserved from time and modern technologies, intangible cultural heritage is the main driver of cultural diversity. Through oral tradition and language, performing arts, social practice, rituals and holidays, the creativity, knowledge, skills and spirit of the people who create it are expressed. By nurturing and transmitting this “living cultural heritage”, history, culture and tradition are preserved, which evokes a sense of identity and continuity of a nation.

Cultural diversity, multi-confessionalism, but also a long tradition of maintaining authentic cultural heritage, have given rise to a specific intangible heritage that Serbia has today. Through manifestations, old crafts, rituals and art, in Serbia, this heritage is still maintained and preserved today.

Serbian Language

Serbian Alphabet

In the first half of the 19th century, the Serbian linguist Vuk Stefanović Karadžić devised a 30-letter Cyrillic alphabet in which each letter has its own voice. The Serbian alphabet does not contain ambiguities and does not contain letters for unused sounds. The rule introduced by Vuk is: “Write as you speak, and read as it is written.”

The Cyrillic alphabet is used in the Serbian language together with the Serbian Latin alphabet, and since 2006 it has been declared the official alphabet in Serbia.

Serbian Sentence Structure

Like all other Balto-Slavic languages (except Bulgarian-Macedonian), pronouns, adjectives and nouns in Serbian are declined through cases (kuća, kuće, kući, etc. mean house, of the house, to the house, etc). However, tenses are more simple than in English – there is no difference between “I go” and “I’m going” or “I saw” and “I have seen”. While an English speaker will express himself correctly only by saying, “I was drinking when you came”, both verbs of this sentence could be translated by any of Serbian past tenses and still be correct.

Note the difference between the polite “you” pronoun, “vi” (“vous” in French, “Sie” in German) and informal “ti” (“tu” in French, “Du” in German). Serbian has no articles and the difference between “a house” and “the house” is understood from the context and noun declensions.

The most common word order is SVO (subject-verb-object).

Tips To Learn Serbian Fast

With a good professor, appropriate literature, hanging out with friends whose mother tongue is Serbian – success is guaranteed. Patience and willpower are very important, as well as goal setting at the start. Although many people say that it is difficult, the Serbian language is beautiful, sonorous, and fluent to foreigners.

It is much more reliable to learn a language with a mentor, but there are also those who think that they will learn Serbian best in everyday contact with people.

Best Apps For Learning Serbian While Traveling In Serbia

Learning a language has a number of advantages: it has a positive effect on memory, broadens horizons, improves perception, in a word, makes us smarter. As the pace of life gets faster, we turn more and more to technology to help. As with everything else, there are a number of apps that can help you learn or improve your English.

Here are the 4 best apps that teachers and students can use to learn English and enrich their vocabulary anytime, anywhere on their mobile devices.

Ling

Using gamification, Ling makes language learning more exciting. Instead of reading book after book, you are taught and tested on your knowledge through a range of different challenges, quizzes and dialogues. Get instructed on grammar, pronunciation and more thanks to the chat bot feature that walks you through real conversations. Audio clips are provided by native speakers, meaning you are hearing authentic voices.

Ling is the all-around app that is designed to get you from beginner to advanced level without getting too boring.

Simply Learn

Simply Learn is the travel phrasebook that enables you to get around with ease and learn nearly 2000 common Thai phrases. Through a combination of voice samples, pronunciation tips and spaced learning techniques, you can quickly find what you need and make sure you are understood. You can customize your experience based on your needs, making the app fit for any purpose.

If you are off on an adventure, be sure to keep Simply Learn by your side.

Vocly

What Vocly brings to the table is the ability to build up your vocabulary in a given language. Through fun and engaging mini-games, you can practice words from a variety of topics using a mixture of images, sounds, and writing. Reminders can also be set to ensure you keep up your language learning regime to give you the best chance of success.

If you are focused on vocabulary, then Vocly should be your go-to. Read the review from Android Apps For Me.

Write Me

The purpose of Write Me is self-explanatory: learn, improve, and master your writing skills. Languages like Thai use a unique writing script that can be difficult to get your head around, but with Write Me, you will be walked through every stroke of each character to help you recognize and write out the characters.

When you are learning to write, Write Me is the best option.

500 Common Serbian Phrases for Travel

Greetings

Basic conversation

Numbers

Time & Date

Questions

Eating Out

Shopping

Directions Words

Direction Phrases

Emergency

Health

Sightseeing

Accommodation

Food & Drink

Fruit

Ordering Food and Drinks

Serbia is famous for its mouth-watering cuisine and traditional rakija (fruit brandy). Here are some essential phrases for ordering delicious food and drinks in Serbia.

500 Common Serbian Phrases for Travel (Printable Infographic)