Swearing in Serbian Language – Psovke u srpskom jeziku


In this post I will translate and explain few Serbian common swearwords.

If you think that this is a trivial topic, I will remind you of a great reformer of Serbian language in 19th century, Vuk Stefanović Karadžić. He was also very much interested in swearwords, and gave to this topic lot of attention in his first Serbian dictionary from 1818th. He also collected and published erotic-porn oral folk poetry in a book ‘Crven ban’ (‘Red Duke’).
Swearwords throw interesting light on a language and they often carry metaphorical potential. I hope you will agree with me after reading this post. I am looking forward to hear your comments.  
But please, if you find swearwords and writing about them offensive or inappropriate, stop reading this text. Switch to some text about Stanoraya and Farm, or about terrorism, thank you.

’Marš u pičku materinu!’
This one is in use when you are really angry at somebody and you are right (at least you are strongly convinced that you are right).
Word ‘marš’ means – ‘go away!’ but said in a very harsh tone of voice.
The whole expression means – ‘Go back into your mother’s cunt!’ Metaphorically speaking – it would be better that you have never been born.
This curse might be sometimes used in a totally opposite way, as a joke, with meaning – ‘C’mon, you don’t say!’

‘Jebem ti krvavo sunce!’
This one is my favorite because I never understood who would say something like that about the Sun.
It literally means – ‘I fuck your bloody Sun.’
Can you imagine the scene? A guy is putting his phallus into the shiny star covered with blood. Pretty impressive, right?

‘Jebaću ti brata/sestru/oca/majku!’
‘I will fuck your brother/sister/father/mother!’
By these swearwords somebody is expressing intention to break the ancient taboo – taboo of incest. Verb ‘jebati’ (‘to fuck’) is often used in swearwords with violent connotation. It sounds more as a treat than as an act of giving and receiving pleasure.
Future tense is used, so, this swearword sounds like a promise. Very offensive one. 

‘Jebem ti i seme i pleme’
‘I fuck your seed and your tribe.’
These swearwords are taking us to the ancient time of tribes. We may interpret them as – I am so angry at you that I want to fuck (read ‘hurt’) your beginning (your seed) and your ancestors (your tribe), so, I want to go into the time before you were born and to… We can only imagine what would have happened further. Inventor of this curse went far away; his idea belongs to the science fiction. 

‘Bog te jebo!’
‘May God fuck you!’
(There is also an opposite version to this one – Jebem ti Boga – I fuck your God.) This expression is not an insult; it is used to express our astonishment by something.

‘To je pičkin dim.
This expression means – ‘That is an easy accomplishment’ or literally ‘That is a cunt’s smoke’. Why is cunt’s smoke easy and irrelevant, or is it relevant, what does it symbolize - we may only guess. According to the funny web dictionary ‘Vukajlija’ – pičkin dim does not actually exist in a real life (even if some people have been searching for it). The expression is compound word, made from ‘pička’ and ‘dim’ (first word has two meanings - 'weak man'/'cunt', and smoke); both words symbolize something weak and easy to go through, without obstacles.

We mentioned collection of erotic-porn poetry, published by Vuk Stefanović Karadžić two centuries ago, the book ‘Crven ban’ (‘Red Duke’). The title is a metaphor for sexual organ, as you might assume. Some of the poems, full of swearwords, you may hear here. It's an interesting poetry, I hope you will enjoy it. 
Read more about Serbian swearwords in texts Fuck this article and Serbian Swearing .

And let’s finish this post with an old joke:
- Do you know where is the border between Serbia and Montenegro?
- It is where you stop fucking mothers and start fucking fathers!

Swearwords are vivid part of the Serbian language, they are in common use and they are changing, just like the language.

Lidija Novaković Lagrini


For everything else you want to know about this topic, or how to learn Serbian online with a help of a Serbian teacher, send me an email to kratkeprice@gmail.com.

Ako želite da unapredite svoje znanje srpskog jezika, ili znate nekoga ko želi da počne da uči "od nule" naš lepi jezik, pišite mi na navedenu adresu.

Useful Phrases in Serbian language

Here are some useful phrases which you may use in everyday life.  



Dobar dan. 

Kako ste? 

Nije loše. 

Hvala, dobro sam. 

Izvinite gospodine, gde je ulica Majke Jevrosime? 

Izvinite, koliko je sati? 

Dajte mi dve karte do Novog Sada. 

Doviđenja. 

Konobar, želela bih da naručim. 

Ko je ona lepa devojka? 

Hvala puno. 

Vozite me na adresu Majke Jevrosime 32. 

Izvinite, gde je železnička stanica? 

Izvini devojko, gde je stanica autobusa broj 16? 

Da. 

Ne. 

Ja nisam odavde. 

Ja sam student. 

Moja adresa je Majke Jevrosime 32. 

Ja sam Ana. Imam 36 godina. 

Prijatno! 

Kako se ti zoveš? 

Zovem se Marko. 

Drago mi je. 

Srećan rođendan! 

Srećan put! 

Živeli! 

Dobro došli! 

Ja učim srpski jezik.  


For everything else you want to know about this topic, or how to learn Serbian online with a help of a Serbian teacher, send me an email to kratkeprice@gmail.com.

Ako želite da unapredite svoje znanje srpskog jezika, ili znate nekoga ko želi da počne da uči "od nule" naš lepi jezik, pišite mi na navedenu adresu.

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Lidija Novakovic Lagrini

Top Ten Reasons to Learn Serbian

Top 10 razloga za učenje srpskog jezika



My job is to teach Serbian as a foreign language and very often I hear the question: 'Sorry, but why would someone learn Serbian?' Hmm... Ok, you asked for this post.


1) To be able to understand Balkan sense of humor 

People on the Balkans make jokes about everything and everyone. Nobody is so fast to invent a joke and to react in a new situation with humor as Serbians and Bosnians. These jokes are sharp, witty and hilarious, and trust me, you would be rolling on the floor laughing. 

2) Balkan people will appreciate your effort 

Doesn't matter if you are only a beginner and if your pronunciation is far from good - Balkan people will appreciate the fact that you are putting an effort to learn their language. 
Nobody will switch to English while you are trying to speak Serbian, nobody will laugh at you. You will get lots of support, help and smiles.


3) To be able to order delicious Balkan food

If you want to eat in a restaurant and you are able to order by yourself: pljeskavica sa kajmakom, burek, sarma, jagnjeći kotleti, ćevapčići, teleći škembići, čvarci, musaka sa mlevenim mesom, proja, sarmice od zelja, punjene paprike, svadbarski kupus sa dimljenim mesom, pileći paprikaš, pihtije, ajvar, pasulj sa kobasicama, jagnjetina pod sačem ... mmmm... your pleasure will be doubled.


4) To learn easier other Slavic languages

If you already know Serbian, it will be much easier for you to learn some other Slavic language: Belorussian, Russian, Ukrainian, Czech, Slovakian, Polish, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovenian, etc. 
There are many similarities in vocabulary. Also, these languages have cases as in Serbian. 

5) To open a startup company on the Balkans

Yes, it's true what people say - paperwork is too complicated and some things (Pay Pall for instance) are not working the way you are used to. But it doesn't mean that startup company on the Balkans is not a good idea.
Some business areas are not developed enough (for example: consultant services, internet banking, ecological tourism... - you do the research, I am a Serbian teacher, not an economist) and that might be a great business opportunity. Discover what is missing and start your own company.
Of course, knowledge of Serbian language would be a great advantage.

6) To read Serbian writers in original

Maybe we don't have a good marketing for our culture, but we have some of the best writers in a world. You might say that I am subjective about it, but I am firmly standing behind my opinion. 
Primarily I am talking about the writers between two world wars (in the age of vanguard) and about some contemporary writers.
Miloš Crnjanski, Borisav Pekić, Isidora Sekulić, Rastko Petrović, Momčilo Nastasijević, Rade Drainac, Ivo Andrić, Milorad Pavić, Danilo Kiš, Vasko Popa, Miodrag Bulatović, Vladimir Pištalo, Jelena Lengold, Branko Miljković, Petar Petrović Njegoš... And then some!


7) To understand languages of other Balkan nations

If you speak and understand Serbian, you will be able to understand perfectly someone from Bosnia, Croatia, Monte Negro, and pretty much someone from Macedonia. Another four countries, ain't it enough ?
I won't go now into polemic if Serbian and Croatian are one the same language or two separate languages (I will just whisper into your ear - it is one language). The differences among them are probably not bigger than differences between British and American English. 
Understanding is important. So, if you want more understanding on the Balkans, learn Serbian. 
As an old Serbian proverb says: Speak Serbian if you want to be understood by the whole world. (?!) 

8) To talk with Serbian farmers

If you, by any chance, find yourself in some distant Serbian village, local people will be very excited to talk with you, because they don't have an opportunity to talk with foreigners very often. Of course, they probably don't speak any other language but Serbian. So, if you don't speak Serbian, with all help of arms and legs, you won't be able to communicate much. 
If you speak even a little bit of Serbian, you will be surprised how witty and wisdom words you may hear from these people. 
About corn field, about nature, about life. 

9) Number of Serbian language speakers is higher than 12 million people 

Not an negligible number, isn't it? According to estimation of respectful linguist Ranko Bugarski.   

10) Find your own personal reason

a) To experience Serbian clubbing (Though, for this activity language is not really necessary. You also may just have a drink or two and move your hips in a rhythm. But it's nicer if you are able to communicate with all these great young people.)
b) To touch Slavic soul - soul of a nation is in its language...
c) To finally understand what is Goran Bregovic singing about (which is not easy even when you are a native speaker).
d) To brag in front of your friends that you know how to read the exotic alphabet - Cyrillic.
e) To know how to swear in Serbian - everybody loves to hear and to repeat these.
f) To be able to say to your love: Ti si moja duša i srce!
g) You tell me.


Lidija Novakovic Lagrini






For everything else you want to know about this topic, or how to learn Serbian online with a help of a Serbian teacher, send me an email to kratkeprice@gmail.com.

Ako želite da unapredite svoje znanje srpskog jezika, ili znate nekoga ko želi da počne da uči "od nule" naš lepi jezik, pišite mi na navedenu adresu.




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Fruits in Serbian language


Learn Serbian by watching short videos made by Serbian teacher online. The theme of this video are names for the fruits. They are written in Cyrillic and Serbian Latin. 



Let me know if you liked this video clip and what theme would you like to see in next one. 


For everything else you want to know about this topic, or how to learn Serbian online with a help of a Serbian teacher, send me an email to kratkeprice@gmail.com.

Ako želite da unapredite svoje znanje srpskog jezika, ili znate nekoga ko želi da počne da uči "od nule" naš lepi jezik, pišite mi na navedenu adresu.

your Serbian teacher online,
Lidija Novaković Lagrini


How to Introduce Yourself in Serbian Language - Video

INTRODUCTIONS AND GREETINGS IN SERBIAN LANGUAGE - VIDEO


When you start to learn Serbian, the first step is to learn how you may introduce yourself to somebody, in the family, at the party, or in some official occasion. With a help of Serbian teacher, this should be a piece of cake for you. 


First, take a look at the video:




In Serbian, you may introduce yourself in a several ways:


1)    Ja se zovem Ana. / Zovem se Ana. (I am called Ana.)
2)    Ja sam Ana. (I am Ana.)
3)    Moje ime je Ana.  / Ime mi je Ana. (My name is Ana.)

You may ask someone to introduce himself:


1)    Kako se ti zoveš? (How are you called?)
2)    Kako je tvoje ime? (What is your name?)
3)    Kako se Vi zovete?
4)    Kako je Vaše ime? (The last two have the same meaning as 1 and 2, but it's better to use 3 and 4 as the expressions of respect; In grammar this is called T-V distinction)

After introduction you might say:


1)    Drago mi je. (Nice to meet you. / I am glad.)

Greetings when you are entering the room:


1)    Zdravo. (Hi.)
2)    Ćao. (Ciao.)
3)    Dobar dan. / Dobro jutro. / Dobro veče. (Good afternoon. / Good morning. / Good evening. – more formal expressions than 1) and 2) )  

Greetings when you are leaving the room:


1)    Zdravo. (Bye.)
2)    Ćao. (Ciao.)
3)    Doviđenja. (Goodbye.)
4)    Vidimo se. (See you.) 

Good luck!

For everything else you want to know about this topic, or how to learn Serbian online with a help of a Serbian teacher, send me an email to kratkeprice@gmail.com.

Ako želite da unapredite svoje znanje srpskog jezika, ili znate nekoga ko želi da počne da uči "od nule" naš lepi jezik, pišite mi na navedenu adresu.


Lidija Novaković Lagrini,

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