LingoflyPeople and family in Serbian
199 words in Serbian on the topic “people and family”: пријатељ (prijatelj) — friend, породица (porodica) — family, мајка (majka) — mother, отац (otac) — father. 199 words can be played from recordings.
199 words on the topic
- пријатељprijateljfriendA strong word in Serbian — this is a true friend, not an acquaintance. Acquaintances get other words.
- породицаporodicafamilyBuilt on the root of "kin": the people you are born and married into.
- мајкаmajkamotherAt home people more often say mama. Watch the near-twin: majica, one letter longer, is a T-shirt.
- отацotacfatherThe fleeting a drops in the cases: otac — oca — ocu. Within the family people say tata.
- детеdetechildThe plural is a surprise: deca — and it is feminine singular in form. One child, but the plural word runs the show.
- продавацprodavacvendorThe fleeting a survives only in this form: prodavac, but prodavca, prodavcu.
- купацkupaccustomerFrom kupiti, "to buy": simply the one who buys. The seller is prodavac.
- комшијаkomšijaneighborMasculine despite the -a ending, and it declines like a feminine noun. The neighbor woman is komšinica.
- газда станаgazda stanalandlordGazda — the owner, the boss; stan — the apartment. You address him as gospodine, "sir".
- лекарlekardoctorFrom lek. People say doktor too, but the papers always read lekar.
- шефšefbossNot only in the kitchen: šef is any superior, from the French chef.
- колегаkolegacolleagueMasculine on -a, like komšija. A woman colleague is koleginica.
- човекčovekpersonThe plural breaks the rule: not "čoveci" but ljudi. A word to memorize separately, once and for all.
- мушкарацmuškaracmanThe fleeting a survives only in this form: muškarac, but muškarca, muškarcu — just like prodavac and kupac.
- женаženawomanOne word where English keeps two: žena is "woman" and "wife". The neighboring word decides: moja žena — my wife; jedna žena — some woman.
- младићmladićyoung manFrom mlad, "young". In speech moj mladić already means "my boyfriend".
- девојкаdevojkagirlThe same word is moja devojka — "my girlfriend". The little one is devojčica.
- старацstaracold manFrom star, with the fleeting a behaving as in muškarac: starca, starcu. To his face, politely: stariji čovek — "an older man".
- незнанацneznanacstrangerne- + the word for "an acquaintance": literally "an un-known one". In speech people often describe instead: neki nepoznat čovek.
- гомилаgomilacrowdGomila ljudi — a crowd of people; without ljudi the same word is just "a pile". The crush and the squeeze is another word: gužva.
- синsinsonThe calling form is sine — how a father hails his son, and how an adult addresses a boy. Daughter: ćerka.
- странацstranacforeignerFleeting a: stranac, but stranca.
- рецепционерrecepcionerreceptionistThe woman is recepcionerka. The Serbian administrator is about paperwork in an office, not this job.
- рибарribarfishermanFrom riba, a fish. Fishing as a pastime is pecanje, not "ribolov" in everyday speech.
- косаkosahairA look-alike: kosa is the hair, singular in form. Kosa mi je duga — "my hair is long".
- високvisoktallAbout height and about prices: visoka cena. The comparative is viši.
- низакnizaklowFleeting a: nizak, but niska, nisko.
- младmladyoungMladić — "a young man"; mlada — "the bride".
- брадаbradabeardOne word for the beard and the chin — two senses, one noun.
- брковиbrkovimustacheA plural with an inserted -ov-: brk gives brkovi. One single mustache hair is brk.
- мршавmršavskinnyA syllabic r: mr-shav, no vowel in the first beat.
- дебеоdebeofatThree syllables: de-be-o. Feminine debela, neuter debelo.
- симпатичанsimpatičanlikableMore "pleasant, nice" than beautiful. About looks people say lep.
- изгледizgledappearanceFrom izgledati, "to look". Kako izgleda? — "what does he look like?"
- добарdobarkindFleeting a: dobar, but dobra, dobro.
- весеоveseocheerfulThree syllables: ve-se-o. Feminine vesela.
- паметанpametansmartFrom pamet, "wit, sense". A cousin of the Slavic memory words, but the meaning has traveled.
- заоzaomeanTwo syllables: za-o. Feminine zla, neuter zlo.
- смиренsmirencalmFrom smiriti se, "to settle". Miran also means calm — the quiet kind.
- љубазанljubazancourteousFleeting a: ljubazan, but ljubazna.
- лењlenjlazyThe nj is one soft sound: lenj. Feminine lenja.
- храбарhrabarbraveFleeting a: hrabar, but hrabra.
- поштенpoštenhonestFrom poštovanje, "respect". Pošten čovek — "a decent, honest person".
- карактерkaraktercharacterSerbian has its own word, narav, but the Greek borrowing wins in speech.
- конобарkonobarwaiterFrom konoba, "a tavern". The waitress is konobarica.
- младаmladaa brideLiterally the young one, from the adjective mlad, "young". Nevesta exists too, and in a family it also names a son’s wife.
- младожењаmladoženjaa groomMlad plus ženiti: the young marrying man. Masculine in a, like deda.
- оженити сеoženiti seto get married (of a man)Only about a man. A woman does not say ženi se but udaje se, she marries out.
- разводrazvoda divorceBuilt like the English word; razveo se means he got divorced.
- родитељиroditeljiparentsFrom roditi, to give birth. The singular roditelj is one parent, and people really say it.
- братbratbrotherA surprising plural: braca, and the verb agrees in the neuter singular: braca su došla.
- сестраsestrasisterBuilt like the English word. Medicinska sestra, a medical sister, is a nurse.
- бакаbakagrandmaThe tender everyday word. Baba is also said, and it is not rude, but baka is warmer.
- дедаdedagrandpaMasculine but declines like a feminine word: deda, dede, dedi. Deda Mraz brings the presents.
- стрицstricuncle on the fathers sideThe English word splits into three in Serbian: stric is the father brother, ujak the mother brother, teca the aunt husband.
- теткаtetkaauntOne word for both sides. The wife of a stric is strina, of an ujak ujna.
- унукunukgrandsonNo v at the start: unuk, unuka. Unuka is the granddaughter, and it has a card of its own.
- рођакrođaka relativeBoth a relative in general and, colloquially, a cousin. Rođaka is a female relative.
- брат од стрицаbrat od stricacousin (male)Literally the brother of my paternal uncle. On the mother side it is brat od ujaka.
- децаdecachildrenLooks like a feminine singular but means the plural: deca su dobra, the children are good.
- дечакdečaka boyFrom dete. Momak is an older boy, a young man.
- девојчицаdevojčicaa girlAn important difference: devojka is a young woman, devojčica a little girl.
- ћеркаćerkadaughterYou could not guess the English word from this. The bookish form is kci, but speech always says ćerka.
- колико имаш година?koliko imaš godina?how old are you?Literally how many years do you have. In Serbian you have your age, it does not have you.
- одрасла особаodrasla osobaan adultOdrastao is grown up. Osoba is a person of any gender.
- тинејџерtinejdžera teenagerFrom English, with a Serbian dž at the end: ti-nej-džer.
- бебаbebaa babyThe ordinary word, not baby-talk. The bookish odojce turns up in documents at best.
- узрастuzrastageFrom rasti, to grow. In life people usually just say godine: koje si godine?
- имам тридесет годинаimam trideset godinaI am thirty years oldBuilt with imam, I have, not with jesam. And godina is the plural of-form after a number above five.
- коврџавkovrdžavcurlyThe dž is a firm j as in jam: ko-vr-dzhav. Do not mix with the soft đ.
- ћелавćelavbaldThe soft ch, softer than in church, the tongue pressed to the palate: che-lav.
- седsedgray-hairedIt only looks related to sedeti, to sit. Prosedeo je means he has gone gray; seda kosa gray hair.
- висинаvisinaa persons heightThere is no separate word for height: the same visina as of a house or a mountain. People usually ask with the verb: koliko si visok?
- витакvitakslimVitak is slim, a compliment. Mršav is skinny and sounds like a reproach, and a mršav rezultat is a meager result.
- средње висинеsrednje visineof average heightThe of-form of a feature, with no preposition: čovek srednje visine, like čovek plave kose. English puts it the same way here.
- дарежљивdarežljivgenerousThe zh plus lj together: da-re-zhljiv, the lj is the soft ly.
- стрпљивstrpljivpatient (able to wait)Strpljenje is patience, strpi se means hold on. And trpeti without s is to endure pain or put up with something bad.
- вреданvredanhardworkingThe most hurtful of the look-alikes: vredan means hardworking and valuable, never harmful. Harmful is štetan, a harmful person zloban.
- поузданpouzdandependableFrom pouzdati se u nekoga, to rely on someone. About machines too: pouzdan auto.
- скроманskromanmodestMatches English in both senses: a skroman ručak is a modest meal. Fleeting a: skromna, skromni.
- друштвенdruštvensociableTwo meanings at once: a sociable person and public in general, društvene mreže are social networks. About a person people also say otvoren.
- брижанbrižancaringFrom briga, care. Do not mix with brižljiv, which means thorough and careful in work.
- озбиљанozbiljanseriousOzbiljno? means Seriously? and is the most common line of surprise. Shvatiti ozbiljno is to take seriously.
- васпитанvaspitanwell-manneredVaspitanje is the upbringing at home, obrazovanje the education at school. Nevaspitan is ill-mannered, a strong accusation.
- смисао за хуморsmisao za humora sense of humorHere Serbian does not say osećaj, a feeling, but smisao, a knack, an understanding. Nema smisla on its own means there is no point.
- шкртškrtstingyA syllable with no vowel: škrt, the r sounds like a vowel. The feminine is škrta.
- тврдоглавtvrdoglavstubbornLiterally hard-headed, built from tvrd and glava, with no mockery in it.
- грубgrubrudeBoth senses, as in English: rough cloth and rude words. Grubo rečeno means roughly speaking.
- дрзакdrzakpushyThe feminine loses the a and switches z to s: drska devojka. Drznuti se is to dare, drskost the nerve.
- лукавlukavcunningNot connected with the onion, though it looks that way. Lukavstvo is cunning; about a child people say fondly lukav kao lisica, sly as a fox.
- брбљивbrbljivchattyFrom brbljati, to chatter. Brbljivac is a chatterbox, and brbljanje the patter.
- расејанrasejanabsent-mindedBuilt the same way as the English word: rasejati is to disperse. About light too: rasejana svetlost.
- плаховитplahovithot-temperedAbout temperament people also say prek and nagle naravi. Plah on its own is timid, and plahovit is the opposite, explosive.
- равнодушанravnodušanindifferentBuilt letter for letter like the English phrase: ravna duša, a flat soul. Ravnodušnost is indifference; nije mi svejedno, I do care.
- навикаnavikaa habitNavika is a personal habit, običaj a custom of a people. Navići se na nešto is to get used to.
- другарицаdrugaricaa female friendA school trap: drugarica is both a girlfriend and the way you address a primary school teacher. A close girlfriend is prijateljica.
- познаникpoznanikan acquaintanceFrom poznavati, to know someone. The feminine is poznanica. Poznat, though, means famous, not acquainted.
- таленатtalenata talentFleeting a: talenat, but talenta, talenti. A gifted person is talentovan.
- родити сеroditi seto be bornWithout se the verb means to give birth, and also to yield, about a harvest: rodilo je voće. Past: rodio sam se, rodila sam se.
- детињствоdetinjstvochildhoodThe nj plus stv together: de-tinj-stvo.
- младостmladostyouthOne word for youth and young age: there is no separate one. Young people as a crowd are omladina.
- одрасли животodrasli životadult lifeŽivot is life, while the belly is stomak; the old trap, but on this pair it is especially visible. Odrastao is grown up, adult.
- генерацијаgeneracijaa generationThe Latin word instead of the Slavic one: pokolenje exists but sounds bookish and rare. Classmates are generacija: moja generacija u školi.
- родни градrodni grada hometownRodni means native by birthplace: rodni grad, rodni kraj. Native by blood is rođeni: rođeni brat, and these are different words.
- живети пет година у земљиživeti pet godina u zemljito live in the country for five yearsZemlja is the country, the ground underfoot and the soil in a pot. After pet comes the plural of-form: pet godina, not pet godine.
- сећањеsećanjea memoryA verbal noun in nje from sećati se. Do not mix it with sečenje, cutting, from seći: there a hard č, here the soft ć.
- стара фотографијаstara fotografijaan old photographIn speech people rather say slika, the same word as picture and image. Fotografija is neutral, fotka is quite familiar.
- судбинаsudbinafateThe same root as suditi, to judge. Suđeno mi je means it was fated; sudbonosan fateful.
- почети нови животpočeti novi životto start a new lifePočeti is to start, početak the start, početnik a beginner: one nest. The present tense is a surprise: počnem, počneš.
- засновати породицуzasnovati porodicuto start a familySerbian founds the family rather than starts it: starting means something quite different, to seduce or start an engine. Porodica is the family, familija the wider kin.
- богатbogatrichSame word, and it works figuratively the same way: bogat ukus, bogata ponuda. Bogatstvo is wealth.
- сиромашанsiromašanpoorFleeting a: siromašan, but siromašna, siromašni.
- цимерcimera roommateFrom the German Zimmer, a room. The feminine is cimerka. Komšija is the neighbor in the house and stairwell, not in the room.
- друг из детињстваdrug iz detinjstvaa childhood friendThe preposition is iz, not od. A childhood girlfriend is drugarica iz detinjstva; prijatelj sounds more grown-up than drug.
- далеки рођакdaleki rođaka distant relativeRođak is both a relative in general and a cousin. Daleki rođak is the one whose exact degree of kinship nobody remembers.
- васпитавати децуvaspitavati decuto bring up childrenVaspitavati is to bring up, odgajati to raise. Deca is a collective feminine singular, and its object form is decu.
- познатpoznatfamousFrom poznavati, to know. Čuven and slavan are stronger: renowned. Poznanik is simply an acquaintance.
- снажанsnažanpowerfulFleeting a: snažan, but snažna, snažni.
- веридбаveridbaan engagementFrom veriti se, to betroth, the same root as verovati. After it he is verenik, she verenica.
- бурмаburmaa wedding ringExactly the wedding ring; any other is prsten. A Turkish word, from burma, twisted.
- венчаницаvenčanicaa wedding dressFrom venčanje, the wedding. The veil is veo, the grooms suit odelo.
- младенциmladencithe newlywedsA trap: mladenci are newlyweds, not infants. A baby is beba or novorođenče.
- медени месецmedeni mesecthe honeymoonA calque, as in English. People also say svadbeno putovanje, a wedding journey.
- усељењеuseljenjea housewarmingFrom useliti se, to move in. The move itself is selidba, and the party about it is proslava useljenja.
- жалостžalostmourningBoth sorrow and mourning: dan žalosti, a day of mourning. The black clothes are crnina.
- разуманrazumansensibleFleeting a: razuman, but razumna, razumno.
- добротаdobrotakindnessThe suffix ota turns an adjective into an abstract noun: dobar, dobrota; lep, lepota; topao, toplota.
- самоконтролаsamokontrolaself-controlIzdržljivost is stamina, about the body. Self-control as the skill not to snap is samokontrola or samosavladavanje.
- стрпљењеstrpljenjepatienceThe pl is the soft ly after the p: str-plye-nye.
- себичностsebičnostselfishnessFrom sebe. The adjective sebičan is selfish. The word egoizam also exists but sounds bookish.
- лењостlenjostlazinessThe nj is one soft sound: le-nyost.
- тврдоглавостtvrdoglavoststubbornnessBuilt from tvrd and glava, hard-headedness. Tvrdoglav stubborn, and the word is rather praised than scolded.
- радозналостradoznalostcuriosityBuilt from rado, gladly, and znati, to know: a zest for knowing. Radoznao curious, without judgment.
- поштењеpoštenjedecencyThe nj is one soft sound: po-shte-nye.
- сналажљивостsnalažljivostresourcefulnessThe zhl is the soft ly after the zh: sna-la-zhlji-vost.
- немарностnemarnostcarelessnessFrom mariti, to care, to mind: ne marim means I do not care. Nemaran careless, neglectful.
- одлучанodlučandecisiveFleeting a: odlučan, but odlučna, odlučno.
- стидљивstidljivshyThe lj is one soft sound: sti-dljiv.
- осетљивosetljivtouchyThe first meaning is sensitive: osetljiva koža, osetljiva tema. About a person in conversation it means exactly touchy. Insulting is uvredljiv, a different word.
- попустљивpopustljiveasygoingFrom popustiti, to give in. About a parent it means soft, allowing everything, and that is already a reproach.
- ситничавsitničavfussyFrom sitnica, a trifle. A word with a double bottom: both attentive to details and nitpicking over trifles, and the second more often.
- самољубивsamoljubivvainThe lj is one soft sound: sa-mo-lju-biv.
- предусретљивpredusretljiveager to helpFrom izaći u susret, to go out to meet someone. Literally one who steps toward you in advance.
- повученpovučenwithdrawnFrom povuci se, to retreat into oneself, to step back. Literally pulled back: a person who keeps to the side.
- директанdirektanbluntFleeting a: direktan, but direktna, direktno.
- непредвидивnepredvidivunpredictableFrom predvideti, to foresee, with the prefix ne-. The adverb from the same root is predvidljivo, predictably.
- послушатиposlušatito obeySlušati is to listen, and the same word means to mind: dete ne sluša. The prefixed poslušati is clearer: to obey once.
- хвалити сеhvaliti seto bragHvaliti is to commend: with se the same verb means to praise yourself. Hvalisavac is a braggart.
- оговаратиogovaratito gossipIt takes the object form: people gossip not about someone but someone: ogovaraju komšije. A piece of gossip is trač, a gossip tračara.
- претварати сеpretvarati seto pretendA dangerous pair: the perfective pretvoriti se means to turn into, while the imperfective pretvarati se means to pretend. Praviti se, to act as if, means almost the same.
- уздржати сеuzdržati seto hold backIt takes od with the of-form: uzdržati se od komentara. Uzdržan restrained.
- нашалити сеnašaliti seto play a jokeFrom šala, a joke. It takes na račun with the of-form: našalio se na moj račun, he played a joke on me.
- слагатиslagatito fibWithout se, to tell a lie: slagao me je. With se the same verb means to get along and to agree, slažemo se dobro, ne slažem se. One short word changes the sense.
- прислушкиватиprisluškivatito eavesdropFrom slušati with the prefix pri-. The same word about phone tapping: prisluškivanje telefona.
- наметати сеnametati seto impose yourselfFrom metati, to lay, to place: literally to lay yourself onto someone. Without se, to impose: nametu nam svoje uslove.
- држати речdržati rečto keep your wordLiterally the same. Reč is a word. There is also održati obećanje, to keep a promise.
- заслужитиzaslužitito earnFrom služiti, to serve. Zasluženo deserved, zasluga a merit. Making money is quite different, zaraditi.
- прекоритиprekoritito reproachFrom kor, a reproach, a censure. Softer than prekoriti sounds zameriti nekome, to hold it against someone.
- похвалитиpohvalitito praiseThe prefixed pair of hvaliti. The noun pohvala is praise; pohvalnica a certificate of merit.
- осудитиosuditito pass judgmentBoth morally and in court: osudili su ga na dve godine. The root is the same as in sud, and sud also means a judgment.
- изневеритиizneveritito let downFrom vera, trust: to betray trust. Verovati is to trust. Giving someone a lift is quite different, odvesti.
- с намеромs nameromon purposeNamerno is deliberately, and Serbian does not tell them apart. S namerom is the same sense in the with-form: uradio je to s namerom.
- из глупостиiz glupostiout of foolishnessSerbian says iz gluposti, not po. The same build: iz neznanja, iz navike, iz straha.
- у најбољој намериu najboljoj nameriwith the best of intentionsLiterally in the best intention. The superlative with the prefix naj: bolji, najbolji.
- то није лепоto nije lepothat is not niceLiterally that is not pretty. About an act, not a look: Serbian judges behavior with the same words as appearance.
- није он то из зле намереnije on to iz zle namerehe meant no harmLiterally not-he that out-of evil intention. The negative link nije opens the phrase and the subject follows it, the usual Serbian order in a rebuttal.
- поверењеpoverenjetrustThe nj is one soft sound: po-ve-re-nye.
- завистzavistenvyFeminine on a consonant: ta zavist. Zavideti nekome is to envy someone, with the to-form.
- сажаљењеsažaljenjepityThe zhal is the soft ly: sa-zha-lje-nye.
- утицајuticajinfluenceFrom uticati, to influence, with the preposition na: utiče na decu. Uticaj čoveka, human influence, is the same word.
- угледugledprestigeFrom gledati: how people look at you. Both a reputation and a standing; ugledan čovek is a respected one. Bossy authority is autoritet, a different thing.
- узајамноuzajamnomutuallyFrom uzajmiti, to borrow: what people take from each other. In answer to a compliment Serbs simply say i ja vama, not uzajamno.
- равноправноravnopravnoas equalsThe adverb from ravnopravan, equal in rights. About numbers and results people say izjednačeno instead.
- слагати сеslagati seto hit it offThe very slagati that two lessons later means to fib, but with se. Dobro se slažemo, we get along well. One short word flips the sense to the opposite.
- држати се по страниdržati se po stranito stay out of itStrana is a side. There is also ne mesati se, not to interfere; držati se po strani sounds softer, without judgment.
- мужmužhusbandThe official word is suprug. The z-with-hachek (ž) is a clean "zh" as in "vision".
- супругаsuprugawifeŽena also means "woman", which makes it ambiguous; supruga removes all doubt on forms and documents.
- људиljudipeopleThe irregular plural of čovek ("human being") — a different word, not čovek with an ending. In speech ljudi can also mean "the men" specifically.
- свекрваsvekrvamother-in-law (husbands mother)The husband mother. The wife mother is tašta, and Serbian never mixes the two up.
- таштаtaštamother-in-law (wifes mother)The wife mother; her husband is the father-in-law, tast. Where English has one word, Serbian keeps a neat pair.
- свекарsvekarfather-in-law (husbands father)The husband father; the fleeting a drops: svekra. The wife father is a different word entirely, tast.
- зетzetson-in-lawBoth a daughter husband and a sister husband; Serbian is wider here than English. The plural is zetovi.
- снајаsnajadaughter-in-lawBoth a son wife and a brother wife; the bookish form is snaha.
- нећакnećaka nephewThe general word; more precisely bratanac, a brother son, and sestrić, a sister son.
- нећакаnećakaa nieceThe pair of nećak. More precisely bratanica on the brother side and sestričina on the sister side.
- унукаunukagranddaughterThe grandson is unuk, with no a at the end: one letter changes the gender.
- близанциblizancitwinsOne of the pair is a blizanac, with a fleeting a; twin girls are bliznakinje.
- родбинаrodbinathe wider familyA collective, feminine and singular: došla je rodbina, the relatives have arrived.
- старији братstariji bratolder brotherThe comparative from star: literally the more old brother; there is no separate word.
- млађа сестраmlađa sestrayounger sisterFrom mlad with the comparative mlađi and the d-to-đ switch.
- јединацjedinacan only child (boy)About a boy; a girl is jedinica, which also means a unit, the number one.
- рођакаrođakacousin (female)More precisely by the line: sestra od strica on the paternal side, od ujaka on the maternal, od tetke on the aunt side.
- маћехаmaćehaa stepmotherStress on the first syllable, with the soft c-h sound in the middle.
- очухočuha stepfatherFrom otac with the c-to-ch switch, like očev, of the father.
- сирочеsiročean orphanNeuter, like every che word: to siroče. The plural is siročad.
- удовицаudovicaa widowA widower is udovac, with the fleeting a dropping in the oblique: udovca.
- супругsuprugspouse (husband)Supruga already means wife; suprug sounds more official than muž, husband.
- брачна другарицаbračna drugaricaspouse (wife)Supruga is the everyday wife, and documents write bračni drug or bračna drugarica.
- удвојеudvojethe two of usWritten solid and case-free: bili smo udvoje — "we were just the two of us". Utroje is "the three of us"; the counter dvoje counts people, it does not answer "how".
Download the word set (CSV) · Open the printable sheet
The CSV contains spelling, reading guides, translations and links to word pages. Use the browser menu to save the printable sheet as a PDF.
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
What is worth knowing about these words
пријатељ (prijatelj) — friend. A strong word in Serbian — this is a true friend, not an acquaintance. Acquaintances get other words.
породица (porodica) — family. Built on the root of "kin": the people you are born and married into.
мајка (majka) — mother. At home people more often say mama. Watch the near-twin: majica, one letter longer, is a T-shirt.
отац (otac) — father. The fleeting a drops in the cases: otac — oca — ocu. Within the family people say tata.
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “friend” in Serbian?
A strong word in Serbian — this is a true friend, not an acquaintance. Acquaintances get other words.
- How do you say “neighbor” in Serbian?
Masculine despite the -a ending, and it declines like a feminine noun. The neighbor woman is komšinica.
- How do you say “woman” in Serbian?
One word where English keeps two: žena is "woman" and "wife". The neighboring word decides: moja žena — my wife; jedna žena — some woman.
- How do you say “foreigner” in Serbian?
From strana — side and country at once. The woman is strankinja.
- How do you say “beard” in Serbian?
One word for the beard and the chin — two senses, one noun.
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Mum, friend, child, neighbour. The first thing people ask you about, and the first thing you tell about yourself.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- Study spread over days wins not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “friend” in Serbian?
«пријатељ» (prijatelj), read “prijatelj”. A strong word in Serbian — this is a true friend, not an acquaintance. Acquaintances get other words. It is one of 199 words in the set “people and family” — the rest are in the table above.
How many family words do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 199 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.
Is there audio?
Yes, 199 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.