LingoflyPolite words in Serbian
9 words in Serbian on the topic “polite words”: хвала (hvala) — thank you, молим (molim) — please (for requests), како сте? (kako ste) — how are you (formal)?, ви (vi) — you (formal or plural). 9 words can be played from recordings.
9 words on the topic
- хвалаhvalathank youYou will say it a hundred times a day. The replies are molim and nema na čemu, and both mean "you are welcome".
- молимmolimplease (for requests)Literally "I ask". One word with three jobs: "please" in a request, "you are welcome" in reply to hvala, and "pardon?" when you did not hear.
- како сте?kako ste?how are you (formal)?The polite plural form, your "how do you do". Ste is the you-form of "to be".
- виviyou (formal or plural)Serbs capitalize polite Vi in writing. One word for a group and for one respected stranger — the same double duty English "you" does.
- извинитеizviniteexcuse meThe polite form: use it to stop a stranger, squeeze past or apologize. To a friend: izvini.
- сачекајте минутsačekajte minutwait a minuteThe polite plural imperative. To a friend: sačekaj.
- у реду јеu redu jeeverything is fineLiterally "it is in order", from red — queue and order in one word. Also "deal, agreed, all right then".
- нема на чемуnema na čemuyou are welcomeLiterally "there is nothing on it" — nothing to thank for. The answer to hvala can also be molim, or the folksy nije ništa, "it is nothing".
- изволитеizvolitehere you areSaid when handing something over or inviting someone in; to a friend it drops to izvoli. the molim is "please" in a request and "not at all" — izvolite is the "please" of the outstretched hand.
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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
хвала (hvala) — thank you. You will say it a hundred times a day. The replies are molim and nema na čemu, and both mean "you are welcome".
молим (molim) — please (for requests). Literally "I ask". One word with three jobs: "please" in a request, "you are welcome" in reply to hvala, and "pardon?" when you did not hear.
како сте? (kako ste?) — how are you (formal)? The polite plural form, your "how do you do". Ste is the you-form of "to be".
ви (vi) — you (formal or plural). Serbs capitalize polite Vi in writing. One word for a group and for one respected stranger — the same double duty English "you" does.
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is хвала (hvala) — thank you.
- What is this word?
It is нема на чему (nema na čemu) — you are welcome.
- What is this word?
It is сачекајте минут (sačekajte minut) — wait a minute.
- What is this word?
It is ви (vi) — you (formal or plural).
- What is this word?
It is молим (molim) — please (for requests).
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “thank you” in Serbian?
You will say it a hundred times a day. The replies are molim and nema na čemu, and both mean "you are welcome".
- How do you say “you are welcome” in Serbian?
Literally "there is nothing on it" — nothing to thank for. The answer to hvala can also be molim, or the folksy nije ništa, "it is nothing".
- How do you say “wait a minute” in Serbian?
The polite plural imperative. To a friend: sačekaj.
- How do you say “you (formal or plural)” in Serbian?
Serbs capitalize polite Vi in writing. One word for a group and for one respected stranger — the same double duty English "you" does.
- How do you say “please (for requests)” in Serbian?
Literally "I ask". One word with three jobs: "please" in a request, "you are welcome" in reply to hvala, and "pardon?" when you did not hear.
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
“Thank you”, “please” and “sorry” carry you while the rest of the words are still missing: with them even a gesture reads as a request rather than a demand.
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 “thank you” in Serbian?
«хвала» (hvala), read “hvala”. You will say it a hundred times a day. The replies are molim and nema na čemu, and both mean "you are welcome". It is one of 9 words in the set “polite words” — the rest are in the table above.
How many polite words do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 9 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, 9 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.