Yes, no and the essentials in Bosnian
The small words that carry half of every conversation, and the ones that rescue it. Play the ten Bosnian words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Bosnian phrases in this lesson
- DaDA
- Yes
- NeNE
- No
- U reduoo RE-doo
- Okay
- Ne razumijemne ra-ZOO-mi-yem
- I don't understand
- Govorite li engleski?go-VO-ri-te li en-GLER-ski
- Do you speak English?
- Možete li ponoviti?MO-zhe-te li po-NO-vi-ti
- Can you repeat that?
- Polako, molimpo-LA-ko MO-lim
- Slowly, please
- Šta je ovo?SHTA ye O-vo
- What is this?
- Treba mi...TRE-ba mi
- I need...
- Možete li mi pomoći?MO-zhe-te li mi PO-mo-chi
- Can you help me?
Short and clear. Bosnians sometimes repeat it twice, "da, da," to signal agreement enthusiastically. You will hear it constantly.
Also used as a prefix meaning "un-" or "not" in compound words. A firm "ne, hvala" (no, thank you) is polite and understood everywhere.
Literally "in order." The standard way to say okay or alright in Bosnian. You will also hear the English "ok" borrowed directly into everyday speech.
Say this clearly and most Bosnians will slow down or switch to simpler words. The ending "-ijem" is a Bosnian/Croatian feature; you may hear "-im" in Serbian-influenced speech.
The formal version, appropriate with anyone you have just met. Younger Bosnians in cities often speak good English. In rural areas, German is sometimes more useful.
Polite form, right for strangers.
Polako, slowly, is also the national philosophy of life.
In Croatia it would be "što", in Bosnia it is šta.
Literally "to me is needed": "treba mi doktor", I need a doctor.