My back hurts in Serbian
At the pharmacy: a sore back after the move, something over the counter is needed in Serbian. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «Добар дан, треба ми нешто против болова у леђима.» — Good afternoon, I need something for back pain. Every line can be played right on the page. The conversation is predictable: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: at the pharmacy: a sore back after the move, something over the counter is needed. The conversation is short and predictable — which is exactly what makes it good for a first try: few lines, and almost all of them repeat from one exchange to the next.
- Добар дан, треба ми нешто против болова у леђима.Dobar dan, treba mi nešto protiv bolova u leđima.Good afternoon, I need something for back pain.
- Имате ли рецепт или тражите нешто без рецепта?Imate li recept ili tražite nešto bez recepta?Do you have a prescription, or are you looking for something over the counter?
- Без рецепта. Боле ме леђа већ три дана, после селидбе.Bez recepta. Bole me leđa već tri dana, posle selidbe.Over the counter. My back has been hurting for three days, after the move.
- Онда вам предлажем маст и лек против болова у таблетама.Onda vam predlažem mast i lek protiv bolova u tabletama.Then I'd suggest an ointment and a painkiller in tablets.
- Има ли та маст нежељених дејстава?Ima li ta mast neželjenih dejstava?Does this ointment have side effects?
- Ретко, али је не наносите на отворену рану.Retko, ali je ne nanosite na otvorenu ranu.Rarely, but don't apply it to an open wound.
- Разумем. И још кутија прве помоћи за кола, ако имате.Razumem. I još kutija prve pomoći za kola, ako imate.I see. And also a first aid kit for the car, if you have one.
- Имамо. Ако вас за три дана и даље буде болело, идите на преглед.Imamo. Ako vas za tri dana i dalje bude bolelo, idite na pregled.We do. If it still hurts after three days, go in for an examination.
Lines one by one
| Serbian | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Добар дан, треба ми нешто против болова у леђима. | Dobar dan, treba mi nešto protiv bolova u leđima. | Good afternoon, I need something for back pain. |
| Имате ли рецепт или тражите нешто без рецепта? | Imate li recept ili tražite nešto bez recepta? | Do you have a prescription, or are you looking for something over the counter? |
| Без рецепта. Боле ме леђа већ три дана, после селидбе. | Bez recepta. Bole me leđa već tri dana, posle selidbe. | Over the counter. My back has been hurting for three days, after the move. |
| Онда вам предлажем маст и лек против болова у таблетама. | Onda vam predlažem mast i lek protiv bolova u tabletama. | Then I'd suggest an ointment and a painkiller in tablets. |
| Има ли та маст нежељених дејстава? | Ima li ta mast neželjenih dejstava? | Does this ointment have side effects? |
| Ретко, али је не наносите на отворену рану. | Retko, ali je ne nanosite na otvorenu ranu. | Rarely, but don't apply it to an open wound. |
| Разумем. И још кутија прве помоћи за кола, ако имате. | Razumem. I još kutija prve pomoći za kola, ako imate. | I see. And also a first aid kit for the car, if you have one. |
| Имамо. Ако вас за три дана и даље буде болело, идите на преглед. | Imamo. Ako vas za tri dana i dalje bude bolelo, idite na pregled. | We do. If it still hurts after three days, go in for an examination. |
How to prepare for a conversation like this
Memorizing the lines is not enough: the other person will say their own thing, not what is written. What helps more is catching the key words by ear and keeping three rescue phrases ready: “I don't understand”, “repeat, please”, “slower”.
And one more thing phrasebooks do not mention: awkwardness gets in the way more than not knowing the words.
- Fear of making mistakes gets in the way of learning a language, and it gets in the way badly. It is one of the most reliably measured findings in the entire field.checked many timesTeimouri, Goetze & Plonsky, 2019, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 41(2) · 19,933 participants from 23 countries; correlation with results r = −0.36.
- That fear can be dealt with — the methods have been tested and they work.checked many timesXiong et al., 2024, Journal of Language and Social Psychology · 37 studies, anxiety reduced by −0.61. Of the seven conditions examined, only age turned out to matter.
Frequently asked
How do you start a conversation in Serbian in this situation?
“Добар дан, треба ми нешто против болова у леђима.” (Dobar dan, treba mi nešto protiv bolova u leđima.) — Good afternoon, I need something for back pain.. The first line in such a conversation is almost always the same, and that is the one worth learning: the other person will carry it from there.
What if you did not understand the reply?
Say “I don't understand” and “repeat, please” — both are in the rescue set. Admitting your language is still shaky almost always makes the other person more patient.
Should you memorize the dialogue?
No. It is more useful to catch the key words by ear: the other person will say their own thing, and a memorized line will not always fit their reply.