Serbian Language Basics: Your First Steps to Fluency

Do you want to build a close relationship with your Serbian friends and family? Why don’t you learn Serbian? We’re sure you’ll connect with them faster and make a great impression.

More than 12 million people worldwide speak Serbian. When you learn the basics of Serbian language, you’ll be able to talk with other countries in the Balkans, such as:

  1. Croatia
  2. Bosnia
  3. Montenegro

Another benefit is its rich history. You’ll come across incredible stories about the country’s past. Also, You’ll hear about medieval kingdoms and its lively culture today.

Serbs have a saying: “Pričaj srpski da te ceo svet razume.” Speak Serbian so that the world understands you.

How to Learn Serbian Language Basics

Teachers Milica  and Ana, this is a great idea, but how to learn basic Serbian?

Learning a new language can be challenging and scary, but don’t worry. In this blog, we’ll talk about the best way to learn Serbian language basics.

We’ll mention everything you should work on to ease your language-learning process.

Make a Study Plan and Determine Your Goal

You have probably heard this one before. How to do this? Set a clear goal and create a study plan to help you reach it. What level of Serbian do you want to achieve and why? Is it for travel, conversation, or fluency?

The key to success is to break your goal into manageable steps. Don’t exaggerate by learning 30 new words daily, especially if you are a beginner. Here are our suggestions:

  1. Learn six new words per day
  2. Listen to Serbian music while commuting
  3. Speak with friends in the local language at least three times a week

Bonus tip to learn Serbian: A study shows that you get the best learning results in short sessions. Take breaks while you study.

Learn Basic Serbian Vocabulary

Start by learning high-frequency words and phrases that we use in daily conversations. These include:

  1. greetings (Zdravo – Hello; Ćao – Hi; Dobar dan – Good day)
  2. polite expressions (Molim – Please; Hvala – Thank you),
  3. numbers (jedan – one; dva – two; tri – three)
  4. days of the week (ponedeljak – Monday; utorak – Tuesday; sreda – Wednesday), and
  5. basic nouns like (voda – water; hrana – food; hleb – bread)

Focus on common phrases  and words because you’ll get confidence in communicating basic needs. You’ll understand simple dialogues, too.

Bonus tip to learn Serbian: Use Flashcards and apps to memorize vocabulary. Create a set with the English phrase on one side and the Serbian translation on the other. This method helps improve your memory while allowing you to quiz yourself.

For the greatest benefit, learn the context in which you use each phrase and word.

Learn Basic Serbian Grammar

You cannot learn basic Serbian without learning Serbian grammar. Of course, we won’t teach you prezent (present simple tense) in the first class. Instead, we will partially cover this part of language in the 5th class. To find out more about the classes we offer, click here.

You need to learn basic Serbian grammar. This is crucial for constructing sentences and expressing yourself. What is the Serbian language foundation?

  1. Noun cases (Serbian has seven)
  2. Verb conjugations
  3. Gender agreement.

A lot of students find learning grammar boring. Yet, grasping grammar prevents mistakes and helps you form correct sentences.

Bonus tip to learn Serbian: Use apps like Duolingo to guide your learning process. They will help you build a strong language basis.

Practice Pronunciation in Serbian

The Serbian language is generally phonetic. That means that we follow the rule: read how it’s written, write how you read.

Some sounds are unique to the language. Try pronouncing: đ, ć, ž, lj. Our students find these four the hardest. To pronounce Serbian r, use the front of your tongue and make a sound that resembles purring. Most vowels are distinct and clear.

The important part of pronunciation is understanding stress patterns. Some nouns change their meaning depending on the way you stress them.

Look at examples:

  • Sto – broj (stȍ) number
  • Sto – predmet (stô) a table
  • Biti – postojati (bȉti) to exist
  • Biti – tući (bìti) to beat

How can you practice pronunciation in Serbian? Listen to native speakers on platforms like YouTube or podcasts. This will help you to get used to hearing and mimicking sounds.

Bonus tip to learn Serbian: Students often think that they should learn both scripts, Cyrillic and Latin, immediately and then practice pronunciation. Instead, have fun first and listen to music and sing. Immerse yourself in the language. Then, start with learning the scripts.

Join Online Communities to Build Serbian Language Foundation

Our students love this advice the most: become part of online communities. Connect with native speakers and other Serbian learners. Have fun chatting. You’ll pick up on a real-life language you cannot find in the course books. Some phrases will make you chuckle , believe us.

Use apps like Instagram and TikTok to have casual conversations with others. Reply to comments, send messages, and ask for explanations. When you engage with others, you’ll improve your communication skills. Also, this keeps you motivated as you interact with fellow learners and speakers.

Bonus tip to learn Serbian: Follow us on Instagram and learn daily expressions you can use in communication..

Final words

What’s the best time to learn Serbian? Now! Learning any language requires time and commitment, so don’t put it off.

We hope that these tips will help you learn Serbian language basics. Srećno (Good luck) on your Serbian language journey!

If you still think learning Serbian is hard, contact us, and we’ll help you. We offer one-on-one lessons, lessons in pairs, and group lessons. Learn Serbian online with us and connect with your Serbian heritage.

Do you have any questions? We would love to hear from you.

Written by Sanja Dulovic

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