LingoflyVrlo and mnogo: two words for "very" and how not to mix them up
English leans on one "very". Serbian splits that job between two words, and what decides is not the strength of the quality but what you are intensifying. For example: “Врло (vrlo) добро (dobro), хвала” (hvala) — Very well, thank you. A rule from the Serbian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English leans on one "very". Serbian splits that job between two words, and what decides is not the strength of the quality but what you are intensifying.
Vrlo stands with an adjective or an adverb: vrlo dobro, vrlo skupo, vrlo brzo. The drier, more written synonym is veoma.
Mnogo goes with a verb, and it holds the set politeness formulas: mnogo volim, mnogo hvala, mnogo mi je drago. Say vrlo volim and a Serbian ear will stop you.
The same word also means "a lot of", and then the of-form follows it: mnogo ljudi, mnogo novca.
Table
| What you intensify | The word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| an adjective | vrlo / veoma | vrlo dobar |
| an adverb | vrlo | vrlo brzo |
| a verb | mnogo | mnogo volim |
| a quantity | mnogo + the of-form | mnogo ljudi |
| a politeness formula | mnogo | mnogo hvala |
By example
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Vrlo vs mnogo?
Mnogo goes with a verb, and it holds the set politeness formulas: mnogo volim, mnogo hvala, mnogo mi je drago. Say vrlo volim and a Serbian ear will stop you.
How to say very in Serbian?
English leans on one "very". Serbian splits that job between two words, and what decides is not the strength of the quality but what you are intensifying.
Why mnogo hvala and not vrlo hvala?
Mnogo goes with a verb, and it holds the set politeness formulas: mnogo volim, mnogo hvala, mnogo mi je drago. Say vrlo volim and a Serbian ear will stop you.
How to say very good and love a lot in Serbian?
English leans on one "very". Serbian splits that job between two words, and what decides is not the strength of the quality but what you are intensifying.
What does it look like in a Serbian example sentence?
“Врло (vrlo) добро (dobro), хвала” (hvala) (Vrlo dobro, hvala) — Very well, thank you. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.