Stanica Kalemegdan, Beograd, Serbia
1. Welcome – Дóбро дóшли
In Serbian, it is both heard and written, and pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable. For example: – Добро дошли у Србију! – Welcome to Serbia!
2. Thank you – Хвáла
Thanks! – Хвала!
You are welcome! – Молим!
Not for anything – Нема на чему
Please, always at your service! – Молим, и други пут!
Subotica, Serbia
Thank you very much! – Хвала пуно! (Хвала лепо!)
I am very grateful to you! – Много сам Вам захвалан!
Thank you again! – Још Вам једном хвала!
Thank you! – Захваљујем Вам се!
3. Мóлимо — Please
If you want to ask for a restaurant bill, you can ask like this:
The bill, please – Рачун молимо
Please bring the wine list – Молило донесите винску карту
Kaludjerske Bare, Mala Reka, Serbia
4. What is your name? – Како се зовете?
To find out the name of the person you are talking to, ask:
Како се зóвете?
In response, you will hear:
Зовем се _имя_ (My name is _name_)
5. How much does it cost? – Колико то кошта?
How much does this book cost? – Колико кошта ова књига?
How much does an excursion to Croatia cost? – Колико кошта екскурзија у Хрватску?
How much do your services cost? – Колико коштају ваше услуге?
6. It's very nice to meet you – Дра̑го ми јe да се упознамо
Good afternoon, let's get acquainted each other. My name is Tatyana. – Добар дан, упознајмо се. Моје име је Татјана.
It's very nice to meet you, Tatiana. I am Yuri. – Драго ми је да упознам Татјану. Ја Сам Јуриј.
7. Does anyone here speak Russian?– Има ли нéког ко говóри рÿски?
Hi! Do you speak Serbian? – Здраво! Говориш ли српски?
I speak a little. I just started teaching — Говорим мало. Тек сам почела да учим.
8. Glad to see you! – Драго ми jе што те видим!
We are glad to see you again! – Драго ми је што вас поново видим!
9. Кáко сте? – How are you?
How are you? – Како сте?
Thank you, good! – Хвала, добро сам!
And you? And you? How did you get there? – А како сте Ви? А како си ти? Како сте путовали?
Thank you, excellent! – Захваљуjем, одлично!
10. Oh, who do I see! – О, кога то видим!
How many years, how many winters! – Откад се нисмо видели!
What's new? – Шта има ново?
Everything is the same, nothing special – Све jе по старом, ништа нарочито
how is your family? – Како Вам jе породица?
Thanks, fine. He sends his regards to you! – Хвала, добро jе. Он Вас jе пуно поздравио.
A bonus for those who have finished reading and do not want to get into trouble in Serbia:
In order not to make a mistake in Serbia, remember a few words that sound similar in Russian and Serbian, but have completely different meanings:
Pride – Пóнос
Homeland – Домовина
Life – Живот
Swiftly – Нагло
Lead – Олово
Right – Прямо
Letter – Слово
Taste – Укус
Theater – Позориште
Ceiling – Плафон
Hit – Упасти
The best way to practice
There is nothing better than a dialogue with a native speaker. Feel free to start a dialogue with jagged phrases. Serbs respect people who learn the culture of the country through language. If you pronounce something incorrectly, you will definitely be corrected with a smile.
Another great way is to order the services of a guide who will not only tell you about the most interesting places, but also tell you in Russian how to pronounce certain words correctly. Guided tours can be booked on any of the specialized services: Tripster, Sputnik8, Viator or search for ads in local telegram channels.
Relax with pleasure! Have a nice trip to Serbia!
Serbian is not "close to Slavic", but is a Slavic language, one of many.