You don't need to be an expert to correctly answer the question of which language is the official language in Serbia. Of course, Serbian (aka Serbo-Croatian). However, such confidence can play a cruel joke on a traveler who decides to communicate with the local population using a phrasebook, and even more so with a potential migrant. And all because Serbia is a multinational country where at least 14 languages are spoken. In addition, there are regions in the state in which several dialects are recognized as official.
South Slavic dialects in Serbia
Indeed, the population of Serbia speaks so many dialects that it becomes completely clear why the Serbian language is needed: so that local residents can somehow understand each other, and also so that they can draw up documents according to a single model. In addition to Serbian, other South Slavic languages are also spoken in the country. In particular, people from the South and of Eastern Europe who settled in Serbia speak:
- Bulgarian;
- Macedonian;
- Bosnian;
- Croatian;
- Montenegrin
- Serbs;
- Croats;
- Montenegrins;
- Bosnians.
- Hungary;
- Romania;
- Bulgaria;
- Albania;
- Montenegro;
- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Hungarian;
- Romanian;
- Slovak;
- Albanian;
- Pannonian-Rusyn;
- Ukrainian;
- gypsy;
- Czech;
- Bunevachsky
- Serbian (not Serbo-Croatian);
- Slovak;
- Romanian;
- Hungarian;
- Croatian;
- Rusyn.
At the same time, the Macedonian language is the most unusual for the Slavs - this happened historically, since the Macedonians experienced great influence from the Turks, Persians and other peoples. But learning the Serbian (Serbo-Croatian) language is usually not difficult for a person from any CIS country.
A little about the Serbo-Croatian language
Serbian, or as it is often (but not always) called, Serbo-Croatian, certainly deserves the most attention. After all, this is a unique language that has two “written” forms, and from the point of view of vocabulary, it is a set of dialectisms. Strictly speaking, Serbo-Croatian is Koine, that is, a language developed for everyday communication between people living in the territory of one state. In the twentieth century, it was mainly used to explain:
The Serbo-Croatian language (we will return to the history of its origin) can be divided into two: Serbian (Serbo-Croatian) and Croatian (Croatian-Serbian). There are many differences between them. For example, in Serbian it is customary to write borrowed words according to the principle “as they are heard, so they are written,” but in Croatian they try to preserve the original spelling. By the way, Serbo-Croatian, designed to smooth out this difference, is considered a separate UNESCO language.
How Serbs write: Latin or Cyrillic
As mentioned above, Serbo-Croatian speech can be transferred to paper in two ways. Moreover, in the first case, you will need to use the Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, which is called “Vukovica”, and in the second case, the Croatian Latin alphabet (gajevica). It is worth noting that the Cyrillic-Vukovica alphabet is more of a national symbol of Serbia than a practical alphabet, since the Serbs prefer to write in the Latin alphabet. At the same time, government initiatives aimed at popularizing the Serbian Cyrillic alphabet cause discontent among Croats.
However, the official alphabet of Serbia is still the Cyrillic alphabet, which the local population has used for over a thousand years. Cyrillic is used for office work and is used by government and opposition officials. However, Serbian web resources, even state ones, are increasingly giving users the right to choose between the Cyrillic and Latin alphabet. 
What are the similarities between Slavic languages?
Fortunately for a foreigner learning local languages, all South Slavic dialects are very similar, and each of them has much in common with Old Church Slavonic and Church Slavonic. It was these languages that were actively used in the first half of the second millennium by the inhabitants Kievan Rus. Therefore, many past tense forms are preserved in Croatian, Bosnian and other languages. For example, when it comes to the future, people from Southern Europe say “I want” and not “I will” (this is exactly how it is customary to construct sentences in the modern Ukrainian language).
What other similarities exist between the Slavic languages used in Serbia? For example, if we talk about how similar the Serbian and Bulgarian languages are, then the list of elements of their similarities can be endless. Yes, in the majority Slavic languages the stress is placed freely (only in Polish it always falls on the penultimate syllable). In addition, Ukrainian, like Serbian, Bulgarian and Macedonian, has a vocative case. But Polish and Czech in lexical composition are more reminiscent of Russian than Ukrainian (if we are talking about simple common words).
How the modern Serbian language developed
So what caused the total linguistic confusion? The fact is that Serbia was not always an independent state: liberated in the second half of the 12th century. from the rule of Byzantium the country in the 15th century. was conquered by Turkey, while part of it went to Austrian Empire. In the twentieth century, the Serbs took part in many wars and either conquered new territories (in particular, some regions of Macedonia and Montenegro) or lost them. Naturally, the conquerors brought their languages to these lands. In addition, the spread of dozens of dialects in Serbia was facilitated by its geographical location. As you know, the Serbian state borders on several countries:
As for the Serbo-Croatian language, until the mid-twentieth century it was considered literary (but not spoken) in the Republic of Yugoslavia. Its norms were developed by Serbian philologists and writers and secured by the Vienna Agreement in 1850. At the same time, linguists have recorded both grammatical features and unique words in the Serbian language, which allows them to be successfully used to this day. This is why Serbian and Croatian are not always distinguished as separate dialects. And although in the 30s of the last century, Croatian nationalists attempted to create a number of neologisms in order to separate “their” language from Serbian, the words they invented for the most part did not take root. 
Other languages spoken in Serbia
As already noted, speakers of many dialects live in Serbia. Therefore, it is quite difficult to definitively answer what language is spoken in Belgrade. Of course, most residents of the capital speak Serbian, but they may well speak one of the South Slavic languages that we mentioned, as well as:
It should be remembered that the Serbian (Serbo-Croatian) language itself is heterogeneous: it has at least four dialects, the most common of which, especially in the south of the country, is the Torlak dialect.
In addition, it is this dialect that residents of border towns in Bulgaria and Macedonia speak.
In some areas of Serbia, several dialects are officially recognized. A striking example This includes the autonomous region of Vojvodina, where six languages are official:
Pros and cons of living in Serbia: Video
You throw your suitcase onto the baggage carousel, plop onto the plane, show obscene gesture clouds outside the window and smile. A couple of weeks of vacation in the Balkans are ahead, and maybe a long life in this sun-kissed region.
You crawl out of the arrival hall on numb legs and understand: the locals communicate much more willingly with those who know at least something about the culture and language. And then you type in the search engine: . After all, having mastered it, you can talk with residents of several countries at once: Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
All of them, in fact, speak the same language - Serbo-Croatian, for political reasons, each state is called differently. The differences are only in pronunciation and some specific words.
In addition, Slovenian, Bulgarian and Macedonian are relatives of Serbo-Croatian, which means you can understand the people of these countries as well. Well, or think that you understand.
There will be no abstruse linguistic terms in this article, only simple ones. practical advice for beginners: how to learn Serbian from scratch, what textbooks and applications to use, how to make learning the Serbian language easy and interesting, what to pay attention to. The information will be useful for beginners and those continuing to study.
1. Down with perfectionism
First of all, determine what for you personally means “learn Serbian”.
I met in the Balkans different people: someone has been living here for decades, talks as well as the locals, but claims that it is impossible to fully know the language. And that no one should utter the phrase: “I learned Serbian,” because this is great linguistic blasphemy, and it will be punished by the gods of perfectionism.
On the contrary, there are those who, barely remembering “hello-bye-liter of beer please,” loudly boast that they speak learned.
Both are extremes, but life is still more difficult for perfectionists (we don’t take into account translators and language teachers, the requirements for them are different).
It's better to be a persuasionist than a perfectionist Honestly admit it to yourself, For what you need to learn Serbian on your own. And if there are no plans for a philology department, you will need the language to solve banal everyday issues.
Be able to find the museum by asking locals. Masterfully quarrel with the Balkan mother-in-law. Have insightful conversations about politics with market sellers. . Submit documents for a visa. Compare grown zucchini with a village neighbor. Just understand Do you even need this Serbian language?, in the end.
Of course, no one will stop you from improving further once you reach the desired level. But it’s worth starting without listening to the pernicious singing of the choir of perfectionists:
- it is impossible to learn a language completely, tru-ly-lyu;
- it's huge a complex system, which is comprehended throughout life, param-pam-pam;
- you definitely need to take thick reference books and learn everything from cover to cover, memorize the alphabet in in the right order, remember 4 types of Serbian accent, la-la-la;
- mistakes are terrible. If you make a mistake, it means you have no abilities, and you don’t need to learn languages, but work as a laborer in a factory. Poo-poo-doo. Poo!
Choir of perfectionists We call these songs advice. After listening to them, you will most likely run up to your textbooks a couple of times, and then run away like a timid doe - it’s hard to start and continue if it is “impossible”, scary and difficult.
If you be calm about inevitable mistakes and you will understand that learning the Serbian language can be easy and interesting; your nascent sympathy for it will develop into a long, passionate romance.
And perfectionists, when they get lost in the forest, will be eaten by evil wolves (after all, asking someone about the road without first memorizing all the grammar is a shame). Wolves are deeply indifferent to stress types in the Serbian language.
2. Time to study
“You can learn a language by studying 10 minutes a day.” Are you familiar with this type of advice? So, get them out of your head.
Recent research in cognitive science has shown that by starting something, a person the first half hour only switches for this type of activity, “enters” the topic and concentrates.
Therefore, alas, ten minutes a day is not enough. Advice "totally immerse" into the language - the most correct advice (I myself starved out Serbian). If you valiantly nerd without sparing convolutions, surrounding yourself with language, listening, reading, communicating in it, the result will sooner or later emerge.
But let's be realistic: we all have jobs, relatives, hobbies and countless responsibilities that consume time and energy. And I also want to just lie on the sofa, decorating the ceiling with spittle.
So soberly assess your capabilities. Agree with yourself that you will, for example, 2 times a week for 1 hour, thoughtfully, consciously and enthusiastically study the Serbian language. And on other days, quickly repeat what you have learned for 10-15 minutes.
3. Repeat what you have learned correctly
How to learn Serbian on your own? – Don’t chase quick results and pause to repeat.
It just seems that the memorized table of cases will remain in your head forever. Within an hour it will begin to melt, like a popsicle on a summer day. And in a few days he will disappear forever and will not write letters, and is unlikely to call.
Therefore, it is necessary to regularly stop and repeat what you have learned, and according to a certain system. Back in the 19th century, German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus presented the forgetting of material as a curve.
Ebbinghaus found that most information is forgotten within hours of learning. Then the process of forgetting slows down, but without repetition, almost 80% of what has been learned will disappear from memory within a week. Sadness.
There is salvation from this scourge - spaced repetition. Having learned the material, refer to it as often as possible at first, and then gradually increase the intervals between repetitions. For example, like this:
- first repetition - immediately after learning;
- second repetition - after 2 hours;
- third repetition - the next day;
- fourth repetition - a week later;
- fifth repetition - a month later;
- sixth repetition - six months later, etc.
And keep in mind: when learning the Serbian language, repeating does not mean “passively re-reading without straining your brain.” Necessary independently recall information from memory without looking anywhere. This is not easy, the convolutions can creak and kick.
But thanks to this method of repetition, the learned material will forever settle in your head, arrange your things there, hang curtains and require registration.
4. Use a computer
They say that computers will soon become very smart, rebel and enslave humanity. Until artificial intelligence becomes completely insolent, use it in both tail and mane.
Drinking your morning coffee, standing in line, bored on the subway - turn it on applications on your phone or tablet. In the “manuals” section I will show that there are interesting programs even for learning Serbian.
Switching Facebook to Serbian Social network- a joy for those who want to pull their knowledge of the language out of the passive swamp. Look for pen pals, join various communities of interests and start arguing there and communicate constructively there. Basically, Serbs are found on Facebook and will only be happy to chat with a Russian who amusingly distorts their language.
And if you change the language to Serbian in your profile settings, the process will go even faster. Bonus - at least for the first time you will go to the social network much less often, since “everything has gone somewhere”, it looks unusual, and you need to wiggle your brains just to understand that Ivan Odnopyatochkin “liked” Sveta Pyatipalchikova.
5. Don't use a computer
Absorbing knowledge flowing from the screen can be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. However, researchers argue that the human brain, despite all technical progress still around better perceives information the old fashioned way - from a sheet of paper.
Here we turn on the tablet; Before us is a bare, faceless text. You can open different files - textbooks, collections of recipes, biographies of celebrities, hoodlit - for the brain they will all be the same: rows of black squiggles on the dead surface of the gadget. The mind skims fruitlessly over them, and such “pure” information quickly disappears from memory.
But take a book, notes, printout. The color and texture of the paper, the smell of printing ink, the tight spring of the cover, the pleasant heaviness of the volume in your hands, the illustrations in the textbook, your underlining and crazy scribbles in the margins - all this clues, which the brain will happily grab onto.
The intoxicating aroma of Serbian grammar Studying from a paper book, we consciously or unconsciously compose mental map knowledge, and they settle in the head firmly and for a long time. This is also supported by other clues - where we were while we were reading the material, what we were doing, etc. So anyone who is interested in how to learn the Serbian language on their own should use regular textbooks more often and study from them not only at home.
For example, you bought a Serbian language tutorial, sat down in a cafe and began to skim through the pages. You spilled cocoa on one and found a funny word next to the stain bubashwaba(cockroach), selected it and drew a cockroach in a tailcoat.
Closed. Forgot? - Yes and no. Lined up in your mind chain of associations: cafe-rain-cocoa-cockroach-bubashwaba. And you will remember this word for a long time. It may happen that when you walk into a cafe, watch the rain or drink cocoa, you will sometimes even be haunted by unexpected flashbacks in the form of cheerful cockroaches in formal clothes.
Simple Serbian cockroach Zivolub 6. Write and speak
While learning the Serbian language on their own, many at some stage end up in trap. The first lessons have been completed, the person already reads well, understands news by ear, clicks through exercises without errors... But he cannot even put two words together in a conversation or correspondence.
No wonder - while the brain is working to receive and process information (input, “entrance”), it doesn’t really strain itself, because passive perception the easiest. But in order to select the right words, correctly compose and pronounce phrases, that is, actively to gush with “outgoing” information, you have to try and spend a lot of effort.
And the cunning brain gradually persuades its owner not to waste valuable energy, but to read and listen to the news, and keep it simple. And then the person lives in Serbia for years, and is afraid to communicate with the local residents until his ears get goosebumps.
Don't listen to your economical brain, make it work. If you can't talk, write, and you will have enough time to think about the suggestions. This way you will gradually learn to compose phrases and move on to normal oral speech.
There are dozens of textbooks for learning even such a not very popular language as Serbian. Don't spread yourself thin and try to cover them all.
There can be as many additional materials (audio, applications, books) as you like, but tutorial, which consistently, according to the system, will nurture and nurture the germs of your knowledge, there must be one.
Otherwise, you will rush from one textbook to another, confuse the rules, get angry with yourself and, in the end, give up on the language.
How to choose a Serbian tutorial? From a good benefit don't tear yourself away; its author does not sprinkle in linguistic terms, but tries to present the material as simply and interestingly as possible.
In addition, it is important publication design: pleasant, non-eye-catching colors, readable font size and type, good print quality. The Serbian language can use two scripts - Cyrillic and Latin; Russian speakers usually find it easier to understand the first one.
I have compiled a small list of manuals that I consider the most suitable for learning the Serbian language on your own.
1) Serbian language. Self-instruction manual. Publishing house "Living Language" Charsky V.V.
Perhaps the best Serbian language tutorial for beginners. I have two more manuals from the same series on my shelf (in other languages and by different authors), but they do not have even a fifth of the “liveness” put into this particular textbook.
The lessons in the tutorial are interconnected by a plot. The main characters are Russians traveling through Serbia and Montenegro. They communicate with locals, get to know the Balkans, resolve emerging issues, and all with the help of modern spoken Serbian.
No outdated dinosaur words, no forced dialogue or unnatural situations. Only relevant, necessary topics and unobtrusive subtle humor. The textbook is read avidly, like a novel. Ideal for learning Serbian.
Flaws:
— Latin instead of Cyrillic;
- indigestible small font of a strange rusty color;
- no audio.
2) Serbian “from scratch”. AST: East, Prosvirina O.A.
Another tutorial for those who don’t want to dive into linguistics without figuring out whether they need the Serbian language at all. A small manual with an audio attachment, the material is organized in an accessible and simple manner. Almost the entire tutorial is in Cyrillic, the font is large and readable.
Flaws:
— the textbook is very modest and gives only the very basics. However, for some this will be enough.
3) Let’s teach the case: tamed for Srpski Jezik. Publisher: Photo Futura, Belgrade. Vesna Krajishnik
If you intend to learn the Serbian language on your own, do not be intimidated by textbooks not written in Russian. When the first euphoria from the deceptive simplicity of Serbian subsides, you will probably hit the rock of cases.
To prevent them from making a hole in your readiness to learn, be sure to find this wonderful manual in Cyrillic. Serbian cases are broken down piece by piece and served on a plate, and after the theory there is a rich dessert of practice exercises.
4) Serbian language. Beginner course. Publishing house "KARO", Trofimkina O.I., Drakulich-Priima D.
A widely known publication in narrow Serbophile circles. Large volume material, scrupulously presented grammar, varied vocabulary, good large font and Cyrillic alphabet, audio application.
A distinctive feature of the tutorial is an unusual principle for learning cases. In all other textbooks, one chapter is usually devoted to one case, where its use by gender is discussed.
Here the authors go from gender to cases: in one chapter they take, for example, neuter nouns, and present a whole table with all of them at once case endings for such nouns. If you're not used to it, it can be difficult to remember.
I also stumbled several times over quite serious typos in this textbook, because of which I babbled incorrectly for a long time (but in full confidence that I was an excellent student).
If you are going to learn the Serbian language on your own, combining it with already mastered English, pay attention to this small guide. It is intended for tourists, and the vocabulary is limited to airport-hotel-restaurant.
However, the material in the tutorial is organized quite well; both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabet are used. I recommend from May Hart.
2. Audio
Smiling gurus on the Internet assure that you can learn any language without any effort. Just turn on audio files in the evening, fall asleep, and they will whisper vodka poison, beer disgusting grammar and vocabulary into your ears. In the morning, cheerful and clear-eyed, you will write an epic in Serbian.
Alas, the tempting magic pill will bring nothing but insomnia. You need to listen to audio consciously, delving into every word.
From the “classic” records for learning the Serbian language, I would recommend two courses for beginners:
1) 53 Serbian language lessons using the Zamyatkin method
High-quality audio, recorded according to the principle “from simple to complex.” Zamyatkin calls for listening to 1 lesson for 3 weeks, 3 hours a day - for ideal assimilation and digestion.
At one time I decided that Serbian would not be needed in a mental hospital, and limited myself to one hour for one lesson - on the way to work and back. It was useful and quite enough.
2) Serbian language course from Book2
Free conversation course; one post = one topic. I liked it even more than Zamyatkin’s course, because you choose how and what to listen to: there is slow and ordinary pronunciation, with and without Russian translation.
You can study according to the same principle, one lesson a day. The main thing is not to forget: in order to learn the Serbian language on your own, the audio should only be an addition to the main tutorial.
3. Applications
To my great chagrin, the best program for learning languages, Rosetta Stone, has not yet been adapted for Serbo-Croatian. However, you can scrape together something useful in the digital space:
1) Memrise
In all respects, a wonderful program for a smartphone, tablet or PC. Memrise is essentially a collection of various courses. Some of them were created by the “parents” of the application themselves, while the rest were created by ordinary users.
All language classes are built on the same principles:
— the course is divided into convenient short lessons, and you can eat the elephant piece by piece;
- words and expressions for memorization are reinforced with memes - pictures that make it easier to remember;
- the program forces you to repeat what you have learned exactly according to the Ebbinghaus scheme - at the necessary intervals.
For learning common languages, Memrise has a whole bunch of excellently designed courses; with Serbo-Croatian, of course, it is more difficult, and there are not enough sensible options. However, for those who are learning the Serbian language from scratch, it is worth installing the application, fortunately, it is free and takes up little space.
2) Learn Serbian - 50 languages
A simple application for a smartphone.
A regular phrasebook made up of 100 lessons broken down by topic. Good voice acting (not machine-made). Suitable for not getting bored in line.
4. Dictionaries
1) Any thematic dictionary
With a thematic dictionary it is very convenient to master vocabulary; She fits herself along the convolutions, as if on shelves. There are two options here for now:
— Serbian language. Thematic dictionary. Publishing house "Living Language". Tsvetkova S.
A miniature book containing 5,000 words and expressions grouped into 100 topics. Compact and convenient.
— Russian-Serbian thematic dictionary 3000, 5000, 7000 or 9000 words. T&P Books Publishing
The heaviest nine-thousand-word version contains 257 topics! A feast of spirit, memory and systematization.
2) Bilingual thematic dictionary in pictures. Dvojezični slikovni rečnik. Publishing house Vulkan, Belgrade. Translation from German – Dubravka Trisic
An excellent visual dictionary, translated from German, for visual learners like me. There are only 15 topics, but they are covered very deeply - I didn’t know some words in Russian (spare parts for a boiler, car design, etc.).
3) Any “alphabetic” pocket dictionary
A topical dictionary is good, but a regular one is necessary, because that’s what you’ll reach for when you discover that not all Serbian words can be understood intuitively.
For beginners, a small dictionary of five to ten thousand words (necessarily with accents!), for example, by Gudkov and Ivanovich, will be enough.
5. “Extracurricular” reading and listening
Finally, in addition to the main program, read, listen and watch materials that are interesting to you. Only what really captivates, will help you learn Serbian on your own.
Who killed Loreta Palmich? Will Skorosava Oharich and Ratko Butleric get together? How to stop the creepy Franjo Krugich, who comes in dreams? – By devouring detective stories, romance novels, horror films - anything that dances along the strings of your interest, you, as it were, casually remember new words and expressions.
And don’t forget about fun free videos on YouTube, blogs, posts on social networks, news, films in Serbian.
Plump volumes certainly deserve respect and attention, but not at the beginning of your Great Serbian Path. It’s very easy to discourage interest in the language - just force yourself to read what you’ll be “finishing off” for many months. That's why choose shorter works.
I won’t impose my tastes on you and will give only one recommendation – Momo Kapor’s essays about Belgrade and the Serbs. They are perfect for beginners - short, funny, uncomplicated and very true.
Is it difficult to learn Serbian language
As you can see, there are enough materials, the main thing is to start and not give up. Is it difficult to learn Serbian? This is a controversial question without a clear answer.
In my subjective opinion, Russian speaking It's easier to learn Serbian from scratch than, for example, French and German (not to mention Chinese or Japanese). And that's why:
– Serbian and Russian – Slavic languages. Despite all the differences, they have some common fundamentals;
— in the Serbian language there are no terrible, chthonic rules of Russian spelling. Bye Russian schoolchildren painfully figuring out how to correctly write phrases from dictation like “shikarnaya zhyzn intelligentnava vinigreta”, the Serbs follow the main principle of their language: as it is heard, so it is written;
—Cyrillic! Although it is losing ground, it is still used quite widely in Serbia, and Russians seem very familiar and comfortable.
Typical mistakes of Russians in learning Serbian
However, no matter how close the Serbian language is to us, most Russians, when studying it, run into the same pitfalls:
1. What a funny Serbian. Diarrhea– pride (where has this been seen!), disgrace– theater (are you serious?), rotten with a cowlick- flew by with a whirlwind (“Gone with the Wind”). Just try not to confuse the meaning of such words and not cackle in the faces of the Serbs when they tell you about high things.
2. What a Serbian lung. Pharmacy, kiga, buy, bread, sister, village - it’s all clear!
– What an easy Serbian language! Even with our Russian letters and just like in Russian... Kosta Poltanoi... Dear Iovanoi... Petko Petkovich... - she pronounced what she had read. - They have letters that we don’t have. and “n” with “erik” at the right stick,” Glafira Semyonovna examined the letters on the signs.
1897, Leikin N.A., “A humorous description of the journey of the Ivanov spouses through the Slavic lands to Constantinople”
The first few lessons of Serbian are usually pleasing, filled with optimism and tenderness for the brotherly language. Further studies lead to the belief that the brothers once turned in the wrong direction, and that the language is not as simple as it seems.
It seems that almost everything is the same as ours - Ivan Gave Birth to a Girl, Ordered to Drag the Diaper + seventh, vocative case. But then it turns out that the endings of the cases are different, and they are often used differently.
So, you won’t go out for coffee with Dash. to her, and with some muddy Dash ohm. You will hold the cup in your hand ama and walk the streets after drinking coffee ama. Get used to it.
4. Yoda the master loves the Serbian language. Word order in Serbian is not as free as in Russian.
I came home. I came home. I came home. I came home. I came home. I came home.– Such juggling is impossible in Serbian, but beginners often, out of inertia, handle parts of a sentence too freely.
In addition, remember our reflexive verbs: bathe, hug, bite, wash, etc. Among the Serbs, the analogue of this “sya” is the prodigal particle "se". Not only is it not written together with the verb, but it also travels back and forth throughout the sentence, and the more words there are, the more difficult it is for a Russian to determine where to insert this “se”.
Where do you bathe Xia? - Where se kupash?
5. The Serbian language is “harder” than Russian. If you try to portray the usual Russian pronunciation on paper, it will look as if the letters in the words have grown a soft, cozy belly. While in Serbian speech most letters and combinations have abs of steel, they are pronounced very firmly.
Repair - rEmont, milk - mlEko, tezhak - tEzhak
*Small note: this pronunciation is not typical for all Balkans, and we are now talking only about the “Central Serbian” language norm.
And also the Serbs, and some of our emigrants, have been unable to repeat this for years.
Additional reading
Have you been discouraged by the peculiarities of the Serbian language, and it seems that learning it is a useless and difficult task? Then I advise you to read at your leisure these wonderful, motivating and useful works that give out magical kicks:
1) Think like a mathematician. How to solve any problem faster and more efficiently. Barbara Oakley. + her video course "Learning how to learn" on the website coursera.org (there are Russian subtitles).
A real manual for using the brain. The author (a translator from the Russian language by first education, and an engineer by the second) explains how our thinking and memory work.
In the book you will find techniques for understanding and memorizing absolutely any material (learning in portions, sleep-reboot), learn how to deal with procrastination, what “interleaving” is, and many other useful things.
2) How I learn languages. Kato Lomb
A life-affirming book by the legend of polyglotism - the Hungarian translator Kato Lomb. The writer not only sets out in detail her method of learning languages (and she knew 16 of them!), but also zealously convinces the reader: you don’t have to be a genius to become a polyglot.
3) Two books by D.B. Nikulicheva from the series “Linguistic and psychological strategies of polyglots”:
— How to find your way to foreign languages;
- We talk, read, write.
If the books by Oakley and Lomb are suitable for a wide range of readers, then Nikulicheva’s manuals are more “scientific” than “pop”, and are intended for those who have seriously taken up languages. These are solid multi-page publications with a huge, systematized selection of learning strategies and exercises.
4) Perfectionist: the path to perfection under pressure. Suddenly, not a book, but an article by psychologist Anton Nesvitsky.
The ability to be satisfied with yourself and not strive to be perfect, to appreciate your achievements (even small ones), and not to be killed by mistakes is very important for all students of the Serbian language.
The author of the article tells how perfectionism arises in a person, and why it is destructive for everything living and creative that exists in the psyche. Simple steps will help you relax and get rid of excessive demands on yourself, which means moving on, achieving more (no matter how paradoxical it may sound).
Well, that's it. I hope you find this article on how to learn Serbian on your own helpful. For your studies, and thank you for the light of your mind!
Since 1440, the Turks were interested in Belgrade, but the inhabitants of the fortress managed to successfully hold the defense and repel regular attacks for more than 100 years. In 1521, the city nevertheless fell at the feet of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, but already in 1688 the Austrians presented their claims to own Belgrade and the surrounding lands. These claims were so aggressive that during the military conflict that arose, Austria took control of the city for 2 whole years, after which the Turks recaptured it, almost completely destroying it.
Constant disputes over ownership of the city continued until the beginning of the 19th century, until the local population was completely tired of the regular change of power. In 1804, the First Serbian Uprising occurred, during which Belgrade was freed from foreign oppression for 9 years. Although the Turkish Sultan restored his power here in 1813, the significance of this protest movement for the unity of the Serbian people is difficult to overestimate. It was thanks to him that a wave of national riots swept across the country, which resulted in the long-awaited independence of Serbia, proclaimed in 1878. At the same time, Belgrade acquired the status of capital.
The city failed to avoid bloodshed in the 20th century. During both world wars it was captured and bombed several times. They took an active part in the liberation of Belgrade on October 20, 1944 Soviet troops, which provided significant fire support to the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia. As a result, friendly ties between the governments of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia and the USSR strengthened.
Disagreements between Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito and Joseph Stalin in 1948 led to the cessation of contacts with the USSR. This fact determined the historical path of the state and its capital in particular. Yugoslavia created its own brand of communism, which successfully existed until the death of Marshal Tito in 1980.
At the end of the 20th century, another tragic page appeared in the chronicle of the city. In 1999, NATO forces opened fire on Belgrade. The massive bombing, which lasted more than 2 months, significantly destroyed the city and claimed the lives of over 1,700 people, with about 10,000 more injured of varying degrees of severity. The reason for the shelling was numerous ethnic cleansings against the Albanian population of the country as part of the Kosovo War.
Modern Belgrade, despite not yet fully recovering from recent tragic events, is a city that is rapidly developing its economic and tourist potential.
Belgrade - the city of two riversTourism in Belgrade
This city definitely has its own spirit, characterized by a healthy zest for life, Mediterranean flavor and vibrant nightlife. All this is here with a special, Belgrade “flavor”.
Belgrade is a world of pedestrians. The picturesque embankments are full of people on weekends and in good weather. The Sava bank is very popular among tourists and the local population. There is a vast green area and many benches for contemplating the surrounding area, the river and the snow-white cruise ships mooring at the nearby port. There is a wide choice of all kinds of cafes and small floating restaurants on the embankment.
Belgrade is also famous for its beautiful public gardens, distinctive feature which is an abundance of new convenient pedestrian paths. You should definitely take a look at the Financial Park next to Knyaz Miloša Street, equipped in english style with many winding alleys. It also makes sense to visit Topčider Park, established near the palace of Prince Milos back in 1831. The highlight of this place is the oldest 170-year-old plane tree in Belgrade, whose height is 35 meters. This tree is an official long-living plant and is protected by law. While walking along the Sava embankment, a traveler should pay attention to the Friendship Park, each tree of which was planted by famous political figures of Eastern Europe in the second half of the 20th century as a sign of peace and the commonwealth of states.
Belgrade – Old city, which can please lovers of medieval castles and fortifications. You need to start getting acquainted with them from the Belgrade Fortress, located in the very heart of the capital, at the confluence of rivers. Its history goes back more than two thousand years, during which it has repeatedly undergone sieges and invasions, destruction and reconstruction. It is not surprising that the architecture of the complex knowledgeable tourist will reveal echoes of many cultures: Roman, Byzantine, Slavic, Turkish.
Kalemegdan Fortress and adjacent parkRight next to the walls of the fortress is the Belgrade Zoo, the main attraction of which is the alligator Muya. This is not just a reptile, but the oldest animal of its species in the world. He was born back in 1937 and is a witness long history zoo.
Several inhabitants of the Belgrade ZooTo be in Belgrade and not walk through the old bohemian district of Skadarlije is simply a crime. Walking along the local streets, you can fully enjoy the classical architecture and traditions of the Serbian aristocracy. There are many national restaurants with ornate names and delicious Serbian dishes located here, but tourists will have to fork out a lot, because the area is not cheap. The street musicians of Skadarlije, creating a unique atmosphere of the 19th century, perfectly complement the overall impression of visiting these places.
Skadarlija - the old quarter of Belgrade
A walk along the main pedestrian street of Belgrade - Prince Michael Street - can reveal the essence of the city, its history and modern customs. Here, ancient Renaissance buildings coexist with dynamic shopping centers and fashion boutiques. The abundance of classic Serbian bakeries and cafeterias will not leave guests hungry during their walk.
Interesting for his appearance, which combines classical Byzantine architecture and national Serbian motifs, the Temple of St. Sava. In addition, it is the largest operating Orthodox church on the territory of the Balkan Peninsula.
After wandering around the areas of the left bank of the Danube, it will be interesting to look at the other side of the river. Without visiting the picturesque old municipality of Zemun, it is impossible to get a complete impression of Belgrade. The complex is located on the slopes of Gardosh Hill and consists of narrow winding streets with dense buildings in a medieval style. Many bright houses and cute mansions with ornate patterns will decorate travelers’ photos and will be remembered for a long time. The main attraction of the right bank area is the Millennium Tower on the top of the hill, from the observation decks of which an amazing view of the capital opens.
Belgrade boasts a huge number of exhibitions for every taste and color. A must-see is the Nikola Tesla Museum, which is entirely dedicated to his life and work. greatest physicist and inventor. Also, the traveler will not regret if he pays attention to other exhibitions of the city, which have a lot of interesting things in store for him. These include the National and Ethnographic Museums, exhibitions dedicated to aeronautics and the history of Yugoslavia. Lovers of beauty will also not be left without impressions: in Belgrade there are exhibitions of applied, African, modern and theatrical arts. It is important to know that Monday is a day off in almost all museums in the city, so you will have to plan something else for this day.
Having had enough of the sights, you will definitely want to relax and spend a day or two under the gentle sun on a warm beach. There is such a place in Belgrade. It's about about the island of Ada Tsiganliya, located on the Sava River. Recently, for the convenience of visitors, the municipal authorities created an isthmus, and in fact, the place of mass recreation turned into a peninsula. Two dams isolate a section of the river, ensuring the water in the artificial lake is clean for swimming. Ada Ciganliya has collected all the necessary attributes to create the illusion of being on the sea coast: yellow sand, bright sun, calm and clear water, many coastal cafes and floating restaurants, an abundance of umbrellas and comfortable sun loungers. When going to the beaches of the island on a nice sunny day, you need to be prepared for a large influx of people, because this is the only place in Belgrade where you can swim and sunbathe.
Shopping
In Belgrade there are official representative offices of many famous brands, such as Armani, Hugo Boss, Burberry and others. Moreover, the prices for goods here are pleasantly surprising. For such exclusive acquisitions, you should go to Terazije Street.
Many pleasant and useful souvenirs await travelers in the hypermarkets of the New Belgrade area. The fair sex will be interested to know that Serbia is famous for the production of good natural cosmetics. You can choose almost any product presented on store shelves - they know how to monitor the quality here. Serbian shoes, clothing and haberdashery are especially popular among city guests.
(In Serbia, be sure to thank for the “harmful”)
Russia and Serbia are two countries connected by close cultural, religious, political and other relations. Relations that arose not today or yesterday, but have deep historical roots. Within the current political and economic realities, these ties have quite serious prospects for strengthening, which in the near future may lead to an increased need to communicate and understand each other. Every Serb is ready to swear that he speaks Russian... every Russian will say that understanding a Serb is not a problem. But is this really so?
Before starting a conversation about the similarities and differences of our languages, in order to form an understanding of what the phenomenon of words in general is, let’s turn to psychology.
Words do not live their own life. Their influence is determined by the meaning that people place in them. The same word can be pronounced and understood in different ways. Words and sentences made from them have enormous power. With their help, you can bring a person back to life, inspire him to great deeds, give him wings and lift him to the stars. But they can seriously injure or even “kill”... Words heal and cripple, mislead and reveal the truth...
Just as every person has a name, every object or phenomenon in language has a verbal representation. And just as each of us comes to the call, having heard given name, in response to a spoken word or phrase, an association associated with it emerges from the subconscious. From this we can draw a fair conclusion that it is words that “give birth” to our thoughts.
And knowing this, we must be especially careful with our words!
But let’s return to life and see how communication between a Serb “speaking” Russian and a Russian “understanding” him without problems occurs in practice...
However, due to the fact that Russian and Serbian languages belong to the same related group - Slavic - a large mass of simple words and expressions from everyday life will indeed be understandable to a Russian-speaking traveler even without a dictionary: “hleb” - bread, “voda” - water, “meso” - meat, "nebo" - sky, "drevo" - tree. You just need to pay attention to the stress, which in the Serbian language, unlike Russian, in the vast majority of words falls on the first syllable.
The roots are the same, but the historical paths of development are quite different... The formation of the South Slavic languages was decisively influenced by numerous Balkan wars, which practically destroyed a huge part of the written cultural heritage. So the Ottoman hordes, sometimes reaching almost to Vienna, sometimes being pushed back by Christian troops, used fire and sword to fight not only the Slavic population, but also their language and culture. In this sense, the more humane Western European powers that replaced the Turks, along with the establishment of military dominance, also sought to implement cultural expansion.
But, despite this, Russian tourists are quite often touched by the “pristine” Serbian language and the abundance of original Old Church Slavonic words in it. At the same time, not many people know that it was from Old Russian sources that the Serbian language at one time made up for the “losses” it suffered. During the existence of the heavy Turkish yoke, at the expense of the Russian tsars, the printing of Orthodox and other literature was organized for Serbia and Montenegro, and people who knew a lot about the language were sent from Russia. Books were printed with Russian money even in Venice! Thus, the Cyrillic alphabet, the great heir of the Greeks, contributed to the cultural revival of the Serbian language and became not only a symbol of faith and religion, but also of fierce resistance to the Ottoman occupation and genocide.
In 1850, the Vienna Literary Agreement between Serbian and Croatian intellectuals approved the decision to create a single literary language. The concept of the language, called Serbo-Croatian, was developed a little earlier, in early XIX century, by the Serbian educator, grammarian, lexicographer and writer Vuk Stefanovic Karadzic, who took as a basis the oral folk language preserved in the remote Serbian villages and mountains of Montenegro.
Thus, the lexical basis of the Serbo-Croatian language was based on the original language of the South Slavs, expanded vocabulary from Old Russian literary sources. However, the grammar developed by Karadzic for the new Slavic language was quite different from Russian and was closer to the grammar of Western European languages. And in this form, the new unified Serbo-Croatian language took root and became official language SFRY.
The most severe crisis and civil wars, which thundered across the territory of the former Yugoslavia in the nineties of the last century, led to the division of the country along ethnic, religious and cultural lines. And again, the integral, logical Serbo-Croatian language, which had been suffered through blood and sweat for five centuries, was torn into pieces. First, Serbian and Croatian languages emerged from it, and a little later Bosnian (or Bosnian - the language of the Muslim population of Bosnia and Herzegovina, replete with Turkish words) and Montenegrin languages... However, despite their formal isolation, they remain 99% similar in vocabulary and have absolutely identical grammar.
Unexpected meaning of words
The Serbian language sounds very beautiful and melodic. However, the writing and pronunciation of some words in Serbian can cause a smile or bewilderment in the Russian average person due to the fact that in Russian these words have a completely different meaning.
It is not difficult to guess that we will be talking about the so-called false translator's assistants, of which, due to the similarity of our languages, there are quite a lot. The use of some of these words when communicating with Serbs can lead to various kinds of oddities. Let's list some of them.
Quite often, a Russian tourist, and especially one who is not strong in foreign languages, if you need to buy something in Serbian supermarkets, pharmacies or simply in souvenir shops, you have a desire to ask about this “something,” as they say, directly, in your native language. In most cases, this is actually effective due to the aforementioned similarities between our languages. In addition, the situation, as a rule, is “saved” by the presence of this desired “something” right before your eyes, and in many situations it is enough to simply point a finger to be understood. However, despite this, tourists often arriving in Serbia are warned that asking local stores matches And chicken in Russian is extremely undesirable. But the thing is that these words, the most common to our ears, are very close in pronunciation to Serbian obscenity. So, if your plans do not include getting into a funny situation or the desire to make a young saleswoman blush, then you need to firmly understand the first lesson for tourists: a match is “shibitsa”, chicken is “piletina” and only this way!
If you were told in Serbia (as well as in Montenegro, Croatia or Bosnia) that you "damn guy" then you should be happy, because you received one of the most flattering compliments. The fact is that “ured” means “order” in Serbian (the root is “ed”, the Russian equivalent is “row”). Hence “vredni” is translated into Russian as “correctly arranged, useful.” To avoid being impolite towards the person who praised you, thank him in Serbian “praise!” (although the Russian “thank you” is also understood here and is even quite often answered with “please”).
If you asked a Serbian for directions and he kindly tells you to go "right", We advise you not to go there right away, but to think and take a closer look at what direction your interlocutor is pointing. The fact is that when translated into Russian this word means “directly”. If you have an appointment scheduled for "since morning", then it is possible that it will begin in the morning, but only from tomorrow, since “sutra” is Tomorrow.
Many funny misunderstandings can be found in the menu. When ordering “cookies”, don’t expect sweet pastries, here it’s meat baked on a spit, and "fir"- This is jellied meat that has nothing in common with wood. Against, Russian word "cinnamon" a Serbian waiter will understand it as “bread crust”, "wineglass"- like “decanter”, and "mug"- like “pear”. So, if you order a glass of wine, you risk getting a whole decanter that you have to drink!
Real estate in Serbia they call it “nekretnine” (Russian tourists are constantly tempted to read it as “nekretinje”). It’s quite normal to look for a bunch of places to live here, because "heap" in Serbian means house(from the Old Slavonic “tabernacle”, for example “heavenly tabernacles”). Calling a woman "baboy" and in general not very polite, and especially in Serbia and Montenegro, because “woman” is mandatory old woman.
If some Russian tourist wants to complain a little about life and his wife, and he says something like: “She is a difficult woman, it’s difficult with her,” strange as it may seem, they will understand him in the completely opposite way, namely: “She is pregnant, and we “We are very friendly with her” (“difficult” means “pregnant”; and “difficult” means “friendly”).
Some more great Serbian words from this series: "disgrace"- theater, "ripper"– consumer (sounds funny, but in Serbia there is a law protecting the rights of “rippers”!), "stomach"- life, "Friend"- comrade, and "buddy"- Friend, "sparingly"- expensive, "diarrhea"- pride, "strait"– what you thought about when you read the previous word in Serbian, using literary Russian, is simply “diarrhea”.
Translator's false friends
For tourists arriving in Serbia, we will present a small collection of 130 words - “translator's friends”, although, if desired, you can create an extensive one.
| № | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | mother | T-shirt |
| 2 | understand | grab |
| 3 | word | speech |
| 4 | letter | word |
| 5 | story | pricha |
| 6 | directly | right |
| 7 | house | a bunch |
| 8 | experience | art |
| 9 | pride | diarrhea |
| 10 | kiss | love |
| 11 | comrade | Friend |
| 12 | Friend | buddy |
| 13 | diarrhea (diarrhea) | strait |
| 14 | life | stomach |
| 15 | kiss | fall in love |
| 16 | darling | volena |
| 17 | value, cost | harmfulness |
| 18 | good wife | wife is harmful |
| 19 | cost | harm |
| 20 | dear, valuable | stingy |
| 21 | say hi | congratulate |
| 22 | make an offer | ask |
| 23 | pregnant | difficult |
| 24 | present | bow |
| 25 | mood | location |
| 26 | theater | disgrace |
| 27 | cheekbone, cheek | buttock |
| 28 | strawberry | berry |
| 29 | garbage | garbage |
| 30 | slowly | quickly |
| 31 | fried meat | cookie |
| 32 | crucian carp | grandmother |
| 33 | swan | crap |
| 34 | crack, burst | fart |
| 35 | Colonel | pukovnik |
| 36 | sneeze | throw |
| 37 | bank | jar |
| 38 | Tomorrow | since morning |
| 39 | finally | of course |
| 40 | somewhere | nowhere |
| 41 | somewhere | nowhere |
| 42 | recently | soon |
| 43 | now, now | garden |
| 44 | around | near |
| 45 | better | more |
| 46 | family, relatives | surname |
| 47 | safety | poverty |
| 48 | freezing | scum |
| 49 | Father Frost | grandfather's scum |
| 50 | depth | club |
| 51 | bride | string |
| 52 | Cinderella | ashplug |
| 53 | basketball | cat |
| 54 | volleyball | lining |
| 55 | handball | rocket launcher |
| 56 | Germany | nemachka |
| 57 | stallion | shepherd |
| 58 | hippopotamus | Nil's horse |
| 59 | grave | coffin |
| 60 | punishment, fine | coffers |
| 61 | men's trousers | trousers |
| 62 | strong alcohol | Picha is cruel |
| 63 | "gone With the Wind" | "fucked up with a cowlick" |
| 64 | useless | selflessly |
| 65 | embroider | carry |
| 66 | key | dirka |
| 67 | boredom | annoyance |
| 68 | razor blade | vest |
| 69 | establishment, institute | factory |
| 70 | supporter | plotter |
| 71 | threaten | prohibit |
| 72 | grief, torment | I |
| 73 | ear | class |
| 74 | floor | under |
| 75 | decanter | wineglass |
| 76 | pear | crush |
| 77 | taste, smack | bite |
| 78 | feed | store |
| 79 | book binding | cinnamon |
| 80 | hair | braid |
| 81 | handcuffs, shackles | fox |
| 82 | hasty | insolent |
| 83 | wrong side, reverse side | availability |
| 84 | sudden, sudden | in vain |
| 85 | anger, irritation | chagrin |
| 86 | lead | tin |
| 87 | take revenge | illuminate |
| 88 | unlock | turn off |
| 89 | production | captivity |
| 90 | get in | wait a minute |
| 91 | attention | shame (or page) |
| 92 | field | Polish |
| 93 | lean out | pray for you |
| 94 | tax | a cut |
| 95 | pursuit, pursuit | loss |
| 96 | spend up | gut |
| 97 | mainly | excellent |
| 98 | agree | stop by |
| 99 | shotgun, rifle | a gun |
| 100 | rye | rage |
| 101 | loom | robbery |
| 102 | spoil | smear |
| 103 | analysis, discussion | reprisal |
| 104 | raid | walkie-talkie |
| 105 | term | rock |
| 106 | linen | ruble |
| 107 | mock, mock | scold this |
| 108 | take revenge | luminous se |
| 109 | scale | rock |
| 110 | consonance, harmony | stock |
| 111 | interfere | sweep away |
| 112 | guardian, trustee | prospector |
| 113 | rock, cliff | wall |
| 114 | side, side | a country |
| 115 | drought | land |
| 116 | dot | wheelbarrow |
| 117 | cargo | product |
| 118 | turkey | chock |
| 119 | have an afternoon snack | have dinner |
| 120 | track down | go away |
| 121 | flower | color |
| 122 | honour, honor, respect | often |
| 123 | frequent | honor |
| 124 | rail | tire |
| 125 | pike | thing |
| 126 | vineyard | grape |
| 127 | port | Luke |
| 128 | tie | cravat |
| 129 | whole, unharmed | having read |
| 130 | focus | slurry |
Is it difficult? learning Serbian language?
If you are already familiar with Slavic vocabulary or, moreover, are a native speaker of another Slavic language, then there should not be any special problems, since many words can be understood even without studying the language.
You will even soon understand how pleasant and interesting it is to learn a language that is similar on the one hand, and so dissimilar, on the other hand, to your native language
The first difficulties will be with declensions, or rather with endings. The same difficulties will arise with cases, although the cases themselves and the way they are used are, in general, the same as in Russian or any other Slavic language.
But there are also “pitfalls” of such similarity - the same word can be read the same in several languages, but at the same time it can have a different meaning. Here is an example from everyday life - if a Serb comes up to you, smiles sweetly and says “wife” (assuming you are female), this does not mean that he offers you his hand and heart. It’s just that “wife” is translated from Serbian as “woman”. But, you see, these words are similar and have a common root “wives” for all Slavs.
Serbian letters
Serbian also has very unique letters - hybrids created by merging two separate letters. For example – “њ” and “љ”. But, if you turn on logic for a second, you can easily understand the essence of these letters. If you cross two letters of the Russian alphabet “l” and “b”, you get љ.
The same with “n” and “b”. As you can see, it is quite possible to understand the Serbs. But for Russian-speaking beginners there are still more problems than for speakers of other Slavic languages. This is due to the fact that the Russian language has changed a lot during its existence and has lost many original Slavic elements, but has taken on a lot of borrowed vocabulary. The word is even more interesting for Russian-speaking beginners, since all the words seem to be similar, but they sound different and the whole learning process turns into an entertaining puzzle.
However, you need to warn us right away - this does not mean that, having heard Serbian language You will understand everything, on the contrary, many words, grammatical structure differs in many ways from the Russian language.
For example, Serbian words such as hand(hand), leg(leg) or water(water) you will definitely understand without translation
However, the Serbian language can play a cruel joke on you if you do not check the correctness of the translation, since, for example, a seemingly familiar word in Serbian letter, does not mean a letter, but "word", and the Serbian word speech- means “word” in translation, and if the Serbs tell you “right”, then you don’t need to go to the right, since this word is translated as “straight”
Serbian words
Words, similar to Russian ones, are easy to remember: hand - “hand”, leg - “leg”, sky - “sky”, water - “water” and the like. But don't let your guard down!
Many of these words do not coincide in meaning, or coincide only partially, for example: speech - “word”, word - “letter”, praise - “thank you”, right - “directly”.
There are many words in the Serbian language that cause false associations for Russian-speaking students.
Peculiarities
The Serbian language has many other features. And we will slowly consider them in more detail.
The most interesting letter, or rather sign, in Serbian language is an apostrophe.
It is often used in the same way as in Russian (separation of syllables and letters), but in Serbian it has acquired a special meaning. An apostrophe often replaces some letters or even syllables. For example, the word “љeb” is translated as “bread” and the apostrophe replaces the letter x.
But, for example, the word “mo’sh”. It is undoubtedly familiar to all Slavs, but it is sometimes difficult to recognize it in the Serbian language. “Mo’sh” is translated into Russian as the word “you can”, and, by the way, it is read the same way. The apostrophe is generally a unique phenomenon for Serbian language– he is perhaps his most characteristic feature.
Another feature is love Serbs to abbreviate words, which are then very difficult to recognize. Syllables are replaced not only with an apostrophe, but also with soft and hard signs. Serbs also love to invent new letters by combining old ones, like the same symbiosis of “l” and “b” in the letter “i”.
Writing
|
In Serbian it is used Cyrillic, going back to the Russian alphabet and the Latin alphabet, and on equal terms in Serbia and Montenegro.
Cyrillic is the traditional script, and Latin is predominantly used in business.
Spelling in Serbian based on the phonetic principle, that is, words are written as they are pronounced (with some exceptions).
Voiced final consonants, for example B, V, D, G, Z, Zh, are not devoiced at the end of a word. This means that the Serbian words tooth, blood, friend, hail, knife are pronounced [zub], [krov], [friend], [grad], [knife], and not [zup], [krof], [druk], [grat], [nosh].
Learning Serbian language
In the exemplary Serbian language there is a musical-force accent. This means that the stressed syllable is distinguished not only by greater tension, but also by a rise or fall in the tone of the voice. Both stressed and unstressed (overstressed) syllables in Serbian can be long or short.
Basics of the Serbian language
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Let's our Serbian language course Let's start with the basics - in my opinion, this basic is the most important verb, probably in any language - this is the verb “to be”
In the Serbian language, the verb “to be” is never omitted, unlike the Russian language
Have you studied English? or maybe French? Remember the verb to be? Etre?
To say the sentence “He is a student” (which in Russian consists of two words) in Serbian (as in English and French), you must say three words “He is a student” (literally: He is a student)
If you have ever learned English, German or other European languages, it will be absolutely easy for you to follow this rule
Verb to be - beat
This main verb in Serbian has two forms: Brief and complete
There's nothing wrong with that! The short form is most often used (as in the example: He is a student)
The full form is most often used at the beginning of a sentence and with logical stress
Let's take a closer look at the short form:
1 person Ja himself ( I am) Mi smo ( we are)
2nd person Ti si ( you are) Vi ste ( you are)
3rd person He is ( he is) They su ( they are)
Now let's look at the full form:
1 person Ja jesam Mi jesmo
2nd person Ti jesi Vi jeste
3rd person He eats They eat
This Serbian verb need to learn by heart! Very very good! Since you will always and everywhere encounter it, we will form different tenses and forms from it, and much more.
Serbian vowels
Serbian has five vowel sounds
.
In Serbian
There is a difference from the Russian language, in it all vowel sounds are pronounced equally clearly both under stress and in an unstressed position. Akanye, inherent in the Russian literary language, is absent in the Serbian language.
Vowels i, e.
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Serbianthe vowel [and] is more open than the corresponding Russian vowel, that is, it is pronounced with a slightly smaller rise in the tongue: i, uv, Ȕgor.
Serbian The vowel [e] is close in pronunciation to the Russian [e] at the beginning of a word (this, era, echo), but somewhat more closed: èmo “here”, èra, èkho.
Vowel [s] in Serbian absent.
Instead, in words similar to Russian, we find [and]: sûn “son”, rȕba “fish”, mû “we”.
In this regard, it should be remembered that, unlike the Russian language, after prefixes, prepositions with a consonant and the conjunction and, standing after a word with a consonant, it is pronounced [and], not [s]: bȅzidējnū “unprincipled”, bezumen “nameless”, friend and brother.
Vowels a, o, u.
Each of them, as well as syllabic r, can be short and long in stressed and unstressed syllables.
The vowels a, o, u are practically no different in pronunciation from the corresponding vowels of the Russian language.
Serbian[o] is a slightly less coarsened sound and more closed than Russian [o]: the back of the back when pronouncing Serbian [o] is more raised towards the soft palate than when pronouncing Russian [o].
When pronouncing the Serbian vowel [y], the lips are slightly less protruded and rounded than when pronouncing the corresponding Russian vowel. Thus, [u] in Serbian is a less coarsened sound than in Russian. In addition, compared to Russian, it is also more open: the back of the back of the tongue rises to the soft palate to a lesser extent.
Consonants
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In Serbian
twenty-five consonants. Many of them are pronounced as the corresponding hard sounds of the Russian language.
These are the consonants 6, v, g, d, z, k, m, n, j, r, s, w, f.
Note!
IN Serbian language there is no devoicing of final voiced consonants. If we say in Russian, oak (pronounced “p” at the end) - there is no such thing in the Serbian language
Unlike the Russian language, the voiced final consonants b, v, g, d, zh, z, as well as ħ and u in the Serbian language are not deafened: tooth, rog, knife, voz, hail.
Consonants zh, sh, ts.
Serbian consonants [zh], [sh], [ts], compared to the corresponding Russian consonants, are acoustically perceived as softer; during their formation, the middle part of the tongue does not drop, as during the formation of solid Russians [zh], [sh], [ts]. Examples: toad , "frog", seam "the seam", shê cm "six", wife "wife, woman" zŷm "yellow", shỳma "forest", Price „ mark".
It should be remembered that in the Serbian language after zh, sh, ts the vowel is pronounced [i] (and not [s], as in Russian): cf. Serbian words zhȕmo, shulo, circus, number and Russians zhito, awl, circus, figure
Consonant x.
Serbianmiddle lingual sonorant consonant j - one of the five soft consonants. In an isolated position, it corresponds in pronunciation to the Russian non-syllabic [and]
In the position before the stressed vowel Serbianj pronounced weaker than Russian; the language is less tense than when pronouncing Russian consonant: ja - I ( j Arlo – bright).
Consonant l.
SerbianThe consonant [l] is pronounced differently than in Russian. When pronouncing it, the tip of the tongue should rest against the alveoli, and the back of the back of the tongue should not be pulled back, the middle part of the tongue should not be bent, as in the formation of a hard Russian [l], but occupies a higher position. The Serbian sound [l) is perceived by Russians as more soft than the corresponding Russian hard [l]: l , l ŷ To "onion, varnish"varnish" l û To "image", lȅmo "summer".
The consonant r is syllabic.
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Serbian language |
Serbian syllabary [r] in its articulation, in general, does not differ from the non-syllabic consonant [r], which is pronounced approximately the same as Russian [r].
The only difference Serbian syllabic [p] from non-syllabic is that when pronouncing syllabic [p], the surface of contact of the tongue with the alveoli is wider; Serbian syllabic [r] is characterized by slightly longer duration and tension
Being a syllable-forming [p], it can be the bearer of all four types of stress.
Sound R is syllabic at the beginning of a word before a consonant (except j ), as well as in the middle of a word between consonants.
Emphasis.
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The Russian language is characterized by quantitative-dynamic stress, in which a stressed syllable is more emphasized than an unstressed one, with greater tension of articulation, especially the vowel sound.
The phonetic means of identifying a stressed syllable in the Russian language is its longer duration compared to an unstressed one. In the Serbian language, the stress is musical and forceful. A stressed syllable is usually distinguished not only by intensification, but also by a change in the pitch of the vocal tone (increasing or decreasing).
Accent Part 1
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Stress in Serbian is movable . It can be on any syllable in a word except the last.
In words that have a common origin and the same spelling in Serbian and Russian, the stress in Serbian is usually one syllable closer to the beginning of the word, compared to Russian, and it is always ascending (either long or short): hand, foot, water, speak.
Stress on consonants Part 2
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Serbian grammar |
Long falling accent︵ characterized by a significant decrease in tone and increased impact sound: ūrᾶvda, dᾶn, sound, zŷb.
A short descending stress \\ is called strong, since the intensification of the percussive sound is clearly noticeable, while the decrease in tone is almost inaudible: ūȁrk, ūko, weak, healthy. This stress resembles the Russian stress in a closed syllable: sleep, cancer .
Serbian language: stress on consonants
A long rising stress / is characterized by a significant increase in the tone of the stressed vowel and an intensification of the stressed sound: hand, ore, shorba, vaga.
A short rising stress \ is characterized by a slight increase in tone and an intensification of the percussive sound. This stress is therefore called weak: leg, water, òna, dànas, where .
4 types of stress
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If in a Russian word the stress falls on the first syllable, then in Serbian it is on the first syllable, and, as a rule, it is descending (long or short): ūrᾶvda, ūȁdashi, drŷg, zᾶūad.
In addition to the four types of stress in the Serbian language, there are also post-stress longitudes, found in some words and word forms (walking"I write", rᾶhome"I am working").
Features of stress in the Serbian language:
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1 . Emphasis in Serbian language plays a semantic role.
2. When a word changes (during shaping and word formation), the place of stress and its quality often change .
3. Monosyllabic words have only descending stresses: rôg, snêg, brᾶsh. In polysyllabic words, descending stress can only be on the initial syllable:jZero, smooth.
4. Rising stress can be on any syllable except the last: wife, ūlanùna “mountain”, delegation
5. Russian stress on the first syllable of full vowel combinations - oro-, - olo-, - ere-, - barely - in Serbian corresponds to a long falling stress e : grᾶd - city, hunger - hunger, brêg"Hill" - shore
6. Russian stress on the second syllable of full vowel combinations corresponds to a short descending stress: mrz - frost, blumo - swamp.
7. Russian stress located after full-vowel combinations corresponds to a long ascending stress: vràbats - sparrow, dlèmo - chisel.
Where to put the emphasis?
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If you saw something new Serbian word– where to put the emphasis?
There are four types of stress in Serbian , differing in longitude and tone: long descending, short descending, long descending, short ascending.
Usually in books, newspapers and other texts the place and quality of emphasis is not noted.
Special signs indicating the nature of the stress are used in dictionaries. However, the dictionary data reflects the ideal situation, but in reality, many Serbs and Montenegrins do not know the classical system of musical stresses, and the post-accented longitudes are practically lost.
Adjectives
Serbian languageIt happens complete and short forms of adjectives.
Qualitative adjectives in the Serbian language have two forms: full (definite) and short (indefinite).
Uncertain the form is used as a nominal part of a nominal compound predicate.
Certain form is used as a definition of a given previously known object. Indeterminate form can also be used as a definition if the specified item has not been mentioned before
Nouns
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Nouns play, of course, a very significant role in learning a language - after all, you and I use them all the time, and there are probably practically no sentences where nouns are not used
In the Serbian language, all nouns, as in our native Russian language, are distinguished by gender: feminine, masculine and neuter
Masculine nouns most often end in a consonant
Example: Prozor (window)
Stan (apartment)
Tata (father)
Exceptions: words like hundred (table) or for example dad, uncle, etc. (like in Russian, they end in a vowel, but still belong to the masculine gender)
2) Genetiv when? what? - this is the genitive case
3) Dative coma? what? - this is the dative case
4) Acoustic when? shma? - this is the accusative case
5) Vocative is the vocative case
6) Instrumental kim? chim(e)? - this is the instrumental case
7) Locative (about) coma? (about) what? - This prepositional
Nominative
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Nominative case singular, plural of nouns of all three genders.
In Serbian
masculine nouns in nominative case plurals have an ending -And,
feminine nouns - -e
(less often -And),
neuter nouns - -A.
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter gender |
smỳdenm - smỳdenm | sister - sister | village - village |
ūrȍfesor - ūrȍfesori | mᾶ j ka - mᾶ j ke | sea - sea a |
First, let's start with personal pronouns
Personal pronouns are I, you, she, her, it, we, you and they
I'm Ja
You T
He He
She She
We are Mi
You V
They have 3 options: she, they, one
There is one peculiarity here!
It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that in Serbian the personal pronoun they has different shapes plural
In Russian we say “they”, no matter who we are talking about, but in Serbian it is a little different
If “they” are feminine, then you need to use One
If neuter, then She
If masculine, then They
If we are talking about persons or objects called nouns of various genders, then the pronoun they is used: (as for the masculine gender)
Possessive pronouns in Serbian
My my
My moja
My mine
My my, my, my
Your yours
Yours yours
Yours yours
Yours, yours, yours
His - (there are several options) jegov, jegov, jegovo, jegov, jegov, jegov
Hers - (there are also several here) Jen, Jena, Jeno, Jeni, Jene, Jena
Our our
Our our
Our our
Our ours, ours, ours
Your yours
Your yours
Yours yours
Your yours, yours, yours
They are (there are several options here) Vikhov, Vikhova, Vikhov, Vikhov, Vikhov, Vikhova
Of course, the conversation about pronouns does not end there; in the Serbian language there are also demonstrative, relative and other various pronouns, we will talk about them a little later
Personal pronouns
What are personal pronouns?
For those who have forgotten and have been in school for a long time, we remind you that personal pronouns are I, you, he, she and it, as well as we, you and they
Let's learn today pronouns in Serbian!
Personal pronouns
And now in plural
In Serbian There are full forms of personal pronouns that have independent stress, and short unstressed forms (enclitics), for example: mene - me "me", you - those "you", mini - mi "me", you - ti "you".
The Russian verb “to have” (I have, you have...) is bookish in nature, therefore, when translating the Serbian verb imati, the construction “who has” is usually used, for example:
Do you have a breed? "Do you have a family?" - Yes, the imam is a breed. "Yes I have a family".
Interrogative sentences with question words.
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In Serbian , as in Russian, interrogative words stand at the beginning of interrogative sentences and carry phrasal stress.
Interrogative sentences with interrogative particles (general question).
Common question in Serbian language It has the following structure: the verb comes first, the interrogative particle comes second whether. If it is a verb that has a full and short form ( jHimself -himself), then the general question is formed using the full form, excluding the third person singular: JAre there any students? - Jesu li òni Jagreements? -JIs it mômвòja svȅska?
Serbian numbers
1 one jedan
2 two dva
3tri tri
4 four četiri
5 five pet
6 six šest
7 seven sedam
8 eight osam
9 nine devet
10 ten deset
11 eleven jedanaest
12 twelve dvanaest
13 thirteen trinaest
14 fourteen četrnaest
15 fifteen petnaest
16 sixteen šesnaest
17 seventeen sedamnaest
18 eighteen osamnast
19 nineteen dvetnaest
20 twenty dvadeset
21 twenty one dvadeset jedan
22 twenty two dvadeset dva
30 thirty trideset
31 thirty one trideset jedan
40 forty četrdeset
50 fifty pedeset
60 sixty šezdeset
70 seventy sedamdeset
80 eighty osamdeset
90 ninety devedeset
100 hundred sto (stotinu)
Features of the Serbian language
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In Serbian missing vowel[s]. In words of common origin, Russian [ы] in the Serbian language corresponds to [and], we can compare: ti - you, vi - you, sin - son, riba - fish.
The vowel [e] is pronounced like Russian [e]: era - era, economy - economy. In Russian, the letter “e” can be read as [ye], for example: Europe [yevropa]. In the Serbian language this does not happen, for comparison: Europa [evropa], but: jezh “hedgehog”, jesti “eat, eat”.
I wonder what Serbian hard consonants are not softened in position before vowels [i], [e].
Unlike our native Russian language, in Serbian in the third person plural there are the pronouns they - “they” of the masculine gender, one - “they” of the feminine gender and she - “they” of the neuter gender.
Another one peculiarity of the Serbian language– names of nationalities are written with a capital letter: Rus, Ruskiњya, Rusi - “Russian, Russian, Russians”; by analogy - Nemats, Nemitsa, Nemtsi; Englez, Engleskiya, Englezi; American, American, American.
When looking up a word in the dictionary, you need to remember that the dictionary form of an adjective is the short form of the masculine singular. In this form there is often a “runaway” A; adjectives lose this letter if they are used in the plural. Therefore, to find a translation of pamenti, you need to search for pametAn.
Serbian lessons: My family
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Let's start our themed Serbian language lessons and today our first topic is dedicated to the most important part in the life of every person - Family
In this lesson you will find useful words and expressions for communicating about family in Serbian
Surprisingly, the Serbian word for family is breed
Mom in Serbian as in Russian mother, father Tata Grandmother tank
Grandfather grandfather's children kid
daughter ker
son syn
relative rohak
uncle stri or uјak
aunt - well, that’s not quite ethical in Russian aunt
Brother Brother
sister sister cousin roak or relative nephew, niece nope, nope
grandson, granddaughter unuk, unuka
wife wife husband husband daughter-in-law bride
son-in-law z
mother-in-law tashta
father-in-law TAST
Your family is big? - Is your breed great?
You can answer this question:
family consists of…. breed se satoi od
se satoi – means consists
od - from
For example:
Our family consists of five people --- Our breed is a very good person
Great! Let's try - answer the question: is your breed great?
Tell me how many people your family consists of and list everyone on Serbian language
Hyphenation
Although the rules for placing a dot are similar to the rules in Russian, you should remember that the dot is placed after ordinal numbers written in Arabic numerals (but not Roman): Tȏ ej was on March 3, 1967. “It was March 3, 1967.”
A period is added in the case of generally accepted abbreviations: year. (year), month (month), no. (for example).
However, after the abbreviated names of units of measurement, a dot is not placed, as in Russian, and these names themselves are written either in Cyrillic (m, kg) or in Latin letters: m, kg.
When placing a comma in a subordinate clause Serbian The sentence should follow the logical principle of punctuation:
If the main and subordinate clauses are logically a single whole, and the main clause precedes the subordinate clause, then a comma is not placed between them: Jâ vvolūm yes zúma bÿdē ūrāva. “I like winter to be real winter”; We see it's like a quiche. "I see it's raining outside"
A comma is required if subordinate clause is located in front of the main thing: Iako ÿvek zhŷrū, she is nè káda nè stizhÅ on time. “Although she is always in a hurry, she is never on time.”
In complex sentences, it is necessary to place a comma before the adversative conjunctions a “a”, ali “but”, veɦ “a”. For example: He is not much good, he is always happy. “he doesn’t talk, but gets down to business”
A comma is placed between homogeneous members sentences: Ana read, write and speak Srpski. "Anna reads, writes and speaks Serbian."
The Russian word “what” is translated into Serbian language differently.
If you are interested in quality, color, etc., then you need to ask: What is it like? How is she? How is it? How are they? How is she?
If you mean “which of, which,” you should use the words: koji, koja, koje; koji, koje, koja.
Unlike Russian formal punctuation in Serbian logical and semantic punctuation.
In particular, a comma is placed only in cases where one or another element of the sentence is perceived by the author as additional, not the main one from the point of view of the completeness of the statement.
Before the union Yes The comma is usually omitted, for example: Igor jeli yes mu buy a loaf. “Igor wants someone to buy him a ball.”
Spelling
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The rules for capitalizing words in Serbian are basically the same as the rules for writing words in Russian.
However, there is a significant difference: the names of peoples are written with a capital letter. Nations, their individual representatives, residents of populated areas:
Rÿs, Chchkh, Jugosloven, Englz, Moskovianin, Beograanin.
Possessive adjectives formed from given names and surnames are written with a capital letter: Dràgan - Dràganov, Mùlan - Mùlanov.
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Attention! It is very interesting
Ebiga- is not literally translated (it would mean “e.. him”), means - "I'm sorry, I sympathize." Serbian lessons. Seasons. Let's dedicate it to the seasons. By- Serbian spring - proleje, which literally means “prologue to summer”, but reads “proleche”. The rest of the Serbian names of the seasons are also quite clear : summer, summer, winter. All these words are pronounced with the stress on the first syllable, and the consonants before e in them are a little harder than in similar Russian combinations. |
Serbian lessons. Similar words
Many words of the Serbian language are very similar to Russian. And this is no coincidence - after all, our languages are related, going back to the common Slavic ancestor language. However, not all so simple. When starting to learn the Serbian language, a Russian person is faced with interesting fact: many Serbian words, very similar to words in Russian, turn out to have a different meaning.
For example, speech in Serbian - This not Russian “speech” or “talk” at all, but "word". Word in Serbian it is a “letter”, A letter- this is a “beech tree”. Similar examples There are many parallels between the Russian and Serbian languages.
Words with deceptive external similarity can have two meanings. Some of them reflect similar concepts - for example, Serbian. љubiti (“kiss”) and Russian. be in love; Serb. braid (“hair”) and Russian. braid; secular (“worldwide”) and Russian. secular; Serb. soon (“recently”) and Russian. soon. Other similar words turn out to be very distant in meaning. For example: Serbian. tobacco (“master of leather”) and Russian. tobacco; Serb. zhuriti (hurry) and rus. scold; Serb. harmful, harmful (“diligent, diligent”) and Russian. harmful, harmful.
Among Serbian words there are many that seem funny to a Russian speaker because of the specific associations they evoke. For example, the upper part of the cheek, cheekbone in Serbian is called jagodica, house - kuћa, native language - mother jezik, key - dirka, woman's breast - dojka, come - dolaziti, life - belly, decorate with embroidery - lime, lock handle - kvaka, deficit – makak.
From the post Irina Antanasevich in LiveJournal about how Serbs perceive some Russian words today:
Russian way / ruski nacin – harsh or difficult way.
Russian winter / Ruska zima – very cold.
Russian fairy tales / Ruske bajke – something very pleasant, idyll.
Russian volunteer / Ruski dobrovoljac – one who is where it is dangerous or does brave things: Sa kim da se upoznam? sa...onom tamo?! Pa nisam ja ruski dobrovoljac!" / Who does he meet?.. that one over there?.. no, I’m not a Russian volunteer!
Russian film / ruski film – tragedy.
Russian gas / ruski gas - any Russian help, which is not cheap, but still: Bolje da ti rusi iskljuce gas, nego da ti švabe puste / It’s better when the Russians turn off your gas than the Germans let you in.
An idiot is a person who would play Russian roulette with an automatic pistol.
Russian tractor / ruski traktor - something that never breaks. From the joke: Sta prvo crkne na ruskom traktoru? – Vozac... / What is the first thing that breaks down in a Russian tractor? - Driver...
Russian car / rusko vozilo – a person who spends excessively on something like Russian car gasoline: Trosis novac ko rusko vozilo! / you spend money like a Russian car.
