Greetings and politeness in Serbian
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on. Play the ten Serbian words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 11 Serbian phrases in this lesson
- ZdravoZDRA-vo
- Hello
- Dobro jutroDOB-ro YOO-tro
- Good morning
- Dobro večeDOB-ro VE-che
- Good evening
- Doviđenjado-vee-JEN-ya
- Goodbye
- Vidimo seVEE-dee-moh seh
- See you
- Molim vasMO-leem vas
- Please
- HvalaHVA-la
- Thank you
- Nema na čemuNE-ma na CHE-moo
- You're welcome
- Žao mi jeZHA-o mee ye
- Sorry
- Izviniteeez-VEE-nee-te
- Excuse me
- Drago mi jeDRA-go mee ye
- Nice to meet you
The standard everyday greeting. Works in any casual or semi-formal situation.
Used until around noon. A polite way to greet someone at the start of the day.
Said arriving anywhere in the evening.
The standard farewell. "Ćao" is also widely used as an informal goodbye.
Literally "we see each other", the everyday goodbye between friends. Doviđenja is the polite one.
"Vas" is the polite form. Drop it with friends and say just "molim."
The everyday word for thank you. Universally understood and appreciated.
Literally "there is nothing to thank for".
Literally "it is a pity to me", the real apology.
Use to get attention or to apologize for a minor inconvenience. Very common in Belgrade.
Literally "it is dear to me".