Unlock your Serbian – Details, episodes & analysis

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon.

Book a Serbian lesson with Jelena or Nevena on our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

(00:00) Nevena
Zdravo svima, ja sam Nevena.
Hello everyone, I’m Nevena.

(00:01) Jelena
Ja sam Jelena.
I’m Jelena.

(00:02) Nevena
I dobrodošli u novu epizodu Unlock Your Serbian sa Jelenom i Nevenom.
And welcome to a new episode of Unlock Your Serbian with Jelena and Nevena.

(00:07) Jelena
Dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o rečima koje ste često čuli u srpskom jeziku ali koje vam niko nikada nije objasnio.
Welcome to another episode of our podcast, and today we’re talking about words you’ve often heard in Serbian, but that no one has ever explained to you.

(00:23) Nevena
Hajde prvo da krenemo od kratkih reči koje mogu i ne moraju da imaju neko značanje, odnosno koje mogu i ne moraju da imaju smisla. I to su reči kao što su pa, ma, bre, ajde, ae itd.
Let’s first start with short words that may or may not have some meaning, that is, that may or may not make sense. These are words like pa, ma, bre, ajde, ae, etc.

(00:42) Jelena
Ja mislim da ove reči mi zapravo koristimo često, ali da niko nikad ne objašnjava šta one znače. Ja mislim da ste se vi do sada čuli ove reči pa, ma, bre i tako dalje. Ali da li zapravo znate šta one znače i kada ih koristimo u srpskom. Ako želite da čujete sve ove reči možete da postanete naš član na Patreonu gde imate pristup dužoj verziji ove epizode kao i vokabularom i gramatičkim vežbama za svaku epizodu.
I think we actually use these words often, but no one ever explains what they mean. I think you’ve heard these words by now—pa, ma, bre, and so on. But do you actually know what they mean and when we use them in Serbian? If you want to hear all these words, you can become our member on Patreon, where you get access to a longer version of this episode, as well as vocabulary and grammar exercises for each episode.

(01:23) Nevena
I baš smo o ovim rečima i razgovarali sada u subotu na našim grupnim pozivima koji se održavaju redovno svake subote u 5 sati po Centralnom Evropskom vremenu posle smo ih naravno sve zapisali u naš Google dokument kome imaju pristup svi naši članovi gde mogu i oni da dodaju pitanja, da dodaju svoje reči želite i vi da razgovarate uživo sa nama svake subote dođite na naš Patreon link je u opisu ovog profila i takođe na patreon.com / unlock your Serbian.
And we were actually talking about these very words just this Saturday during our group calls, which take place regularly every Saturday at 5 p.m. Central European Time. Afterwards, we of course wrote them all down in our Google document, which all our members have access to, and where they can also add questions and their own words. If you’d like to talk live with us every Saturday too, join us on our Patreon — the link is in this profile’s description and also at patreon.com/unlockyourserbian.

Become a member on

Send us your questions!

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon.

Book a Serbian lesson with Jelena or Nevena on our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

Nevena (00:00) 

Zdravo svima, ja sam Nevena.
Hi everyone, I’m Nevena.

Jelena (00:01) 

Ja sam Jelena.
I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:02) 

I dobrodošli u novu epizodu Unlock Your Serbian sa Jelenom i Nevenom.
And welcome to a new episode of Unlock Your Serbian with Jelena and Nevena.

Jelena (00:07) 

Dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta. U ovoj razgovaramo o malim rečima u srpskom jeziku koje ste čuli ali možda ne znate šta znače.
Welcome to another episode of our podcast. In this one, we talk about small words in Serbian that you’ve heard but maybe don’t know what they mean.

Nevena (00:26) 

A ako želite da vežbate ove male reči i mnoge druge reči iz slenga i iz generalno-srpskog jezika svake subote u 5 sati po centralnom evropskom vremenu možete da razgovarate sa nama uživo u našem grupnom pozivu.
And if you want to practice these small words and many other slang words and general Serbian words, every Saturday at 5 PM Central European time you can talk with us live in our group call.

Jelena (00:50) 

Ako ste naš član na Patreonu na konverzacijskom nivou, videćete svake subote Google Meet link za ove pozive.
If you are our member on Patreon at the conversation level, you’ll see the Google Meet link for these calls every Saturday.

Become a member on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) to continue reading the transcript!

Send us your questions!

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) - click here for more details

Book a Serbian lesson with Jelena or Nevena on our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

Nevena (00:00) 

Zdravo svima, ja sam Nevena.
 Hello everyone, I’m Nevena.

Jelena (00:02) 

Ja sam Jelena.
 I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:03) 

I dobrodošli u novu epizodu Unlock Your Serbian sa Jelenom i Nevenom.
And welcome to a new episode of Unlock Your Serbian with Jelena and Nevena.

Jelena (00:08) 

Tako je, dobrodošli u novu epizodu našeg podkasta. Hvala vam što ste i ove nedelje sa nama i danas razgovaramo o jednoj veoma, veoma zanimljivoj temi, a to je sleng u srpskom jeziku.
That’s right, welcome to a new episode of our podcast. Thank you for being with us this week as well, and today we’re talking about a very, very interesting topic, and that is slang in the Serbian language.

Nevena (00:25) 

Pa ’de si ti, Jelena?
So, where’ve you been, Jelena?

Jelena (00:28) 

Pa evo me, Nevena, šta ima?
Oh, here I am, Nevena, what’s up?

Nevena (00:31) 

A ništa, evo, blejim malo. A ti?
 Nothing much, I’m just chilling a bit. And you?

Jelena (00:36) 

Evo i ja po kući. Nešto malo.
Same here, I’m just at home, doing a bit of nothing.

Nevena (00:38) 

Jako me zanima da li je neko razumeo šta znači „blejim“ i „evo po kući“. Ovo su jako tipični načini da mi na slengu, u ovom nekom izmenjenom srpskom, kažemo da ne radimo ništa.
I’m really curious if anyone understood what “blejim” and “evo po kući” mean. These are very typical ways that we, in slang, in this kind of “modified Serbian”, say that we’re not doing anything.

Become a member on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) to continue reading the transcript!

Send us your questions!

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) - click here for more details

Book a Serbian lesson with Jelena or Nevena on our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

Nevena (00:00) 

Zdravo svima, ja sam Nevena.
 Hello everyone, I’m Nevena.

Jelena (00:02) 

Ja sam Jelena.
 I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:04) 

I dobrodošli u novu epizodu Unlock Your Serbian sa Jelenom i Nevenom.
And welcome to a new episode of Unlock Your Serbian with Jelena and Nevena.

Jelena (00:08) 

Dobrodošli u novu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o slengu u srpskom jeziku.
Welcome to a new episode of our podcast and today we’re talking about slang in the Serbian language.

Nevena (00:19)

Pa, 'de si, Jelena?
 So, what’s up, Jelena?

Jelena (00:21) 

Evo, kući, šta ima kod tebe Nevena?
 Here I am, at home, what’s new with you, Nevena?

Nevena (00:26) 

Ma, ništa, blejim.
 Ah, nothing, I’m just chilling.

Jelena (00:29) 

Blejiš? Evo i ja, po kući, blejim.
You’re chilling? Same here, I’m just hanging around at home.

Nevena (00:33) 

Jelena, šta znači evo, blejim po kući?
Jelena, what does “I’m just chilling at home” mean?

Jelena (00:39) 

Evo, blejim po kući ne znači ništa. To samo znači da sam ja kod kuće i da ne radim ništa posebno, ne radim ništa specifično.
“I’m just chilling at home” doesn’t literally mean anything. It just means that I’m at home and I’m not doing anything in particular, nothing specific.

Become a member on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) to continue reading the transcript!

Send us your questions!

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) - click here for more details

Book a Serbian lesson with Jelena or Nevena on our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

Nevena (00:00) 

Zdravo svima, ja sam Nevena.

Hello everyone, I’m Nevena.

Jelena (00:03) 

Ja sam Jelena.

I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:04) 

I dobrodošli u novu epizodu Unlock Your Serbian sa Jelenom i Nevenom.

And welcome to a new episode of Unlock Your Serbian with Jelena and Nevena.

Jelena (00:09) 

Tako je, dobrodošli u novu epizodu našeg podkasta, hvala vam što ste sa nama i ove nedelje. I danas ponovo razgovaramo o jednoj zanimljivoj temi, a to su putovanja.
That’s right, welcome to a new episode of our podcast, thank you for being with us this week as well. And today we’re again talking about an interesting topic, and that is travel.

Nevena (00:26) 

U opisu epizode možete da nađete početak transcripta gde možete da pratite sve što mi sada govorimo i na srpskom i na engleskom jeziku. A, ukoliko vam se sviđa taj transcript i ukoliko želite da slušate i dužu epizodu dodatnih 5 do 20 minuta, što znači praktično cela jedna nova epizoda svake nedelje, možete da postanete naš član na Patreonu gde imate pristup transcriptu na srpskom i engleskom, vokabularu sa korisnim rečima podeljenim na imenice, glagole i izraze.
 In the episode description you can find the start of the transcript where you can follow everything we’re saying now in Serbian and in English. And if you like that transcript and if you want to listen to a longer episode of an additional 5 to 20 minutes, which practically means a whole new episode every week, you can become our member on Patreon where you have access to the transcript in Serbian and English and to vocabulary with useful words divided into nouns, verbs, and expressions.

Jelena (01:09) 

Takođe imate pristup gramatičkim vežbanjima koje su takođe vezana za gramatiku koju smo koristile u ovoj epizodi. Tako da, ako želite maksimalno da iskoristite naš podcast…Čekamo vas na Patreonu!
 You also have access to grammar exercises that are also connected to the grammar we used in this episode. So, if you want to get the most out of our podcast. We’re waiting for you on Patreon.

Nevena (01:29) 

A od 1. decembra, možete da učestvujete u našim grupnim pozivima gde ćemo razgovarati svi zajedno o različitim temama i gde ćemo pisati sve u jedan odvojeni Google dokument kome ćete imati pristup i gde ćete moći da vidite sve o čemu smo razgovarali i posle časa i gde ćete moći i sami da dodajete nove reči. I na ovaj način možete da upoznate ljude koji takođe uče srpski jezik i koji možda i žive blizu vas u nekom gradu u Srbiji. Link za naš Patreon je patreon.com / unlockyourserbian i takođe možete da nađete ovaj link i u opisu ove epizode.

And from December 1, you can take part in our group calls where we will all talk together about different topics and where we will write everything into a separate Google document which you will have ac

Send us your questions!

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) - click here for more details

Book a Serbian lesson with Jelena or Nevena on our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

Nevena (00:00)
Zdravo svima, ja sam Nevena.
Hello everyone, I’m Nevena.

Jelena (00:02)
Ja sam Jelena.
I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:03)
I dobrodošli u novu epizodu Unlock Your Serbian sa Jelenom i Nevenom.
And welcome to a new episode of Unlock Your Serbian with Jelena and Nevena.

Jelena (00:07)
Tako je, dobrodošli u novu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o putovanjima.
That’s right, welcome to a new episode of our podcast, and today we’re talking about traveling.

Nevena (00:18)
Pre nego što počnemo, ako želite da gledate transkript na srpskom i na engleskom jeziku dok slušate naš podkast, kao i da imate listu sa korisnim vokabularom i gramatičke vežbe, posle svake epizode možete da postanete član na našem Patreonu.
Before we start, if you want to read the transcript in Serbian and English while listening to our podcast, as well as have a list of useful vocabulary and grammar exercises after each episode, you can become a member on our Patreon.

Jelena (00:46)
Tako je, na našem Patreonu možete da nađete vokabular i vežbanja u vezi sa svakom epizodom koje pravimo samo za vas.
That’s right, on our Patreon you can find vocabulary and exercises related to each episode, which we create just for you.

Nevena (01:03)
U opisu ove epizode je početak transkripta i na srpskom i na engleskom jeziku i možete da vidite kako on izgleda i da li vam je koristan kada nas slušate.
In the description of this episode, you can find the beginning of the transcript in both Serbian and English, so you can see what it looks like and whether it’s useful when you listen to us.

Jelena (01:21)
Tako je. A od prvog decembra počinjemo sa grupnim pozivima na našem Patreonu.
Exactly. And starting from December 1st, we’re beginning group calls on our Patreon.

Nevena (01:34)
Svake subote mi razgovaramo sa vama i na početnom i na naprednom nivou i vi možete da vežbate vaš srpski. Takođe imamo Google dokument gde pišemo sve što govorimo na času, da možete i posle nove reči zapisane.
Every Saturday we talk with you both on beginner and advanced levels, and you can practice your Serbian. We also have a Google document where we write everything we say during the class, so later you can see the new words written down.

Become a member on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) to continue reading the transcript!

Send us your questions!

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) - click here for more details

Book a Serbian lesson with Jelena or Nevena on our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

Nevena (00:00)
Zdravo svima, ja sam Nevena.
 Hello everyone, I’m Nevena.

Jelena (00:02)
Ja sam Jelena.
 I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:03)
I dobrodošli u novu epizodu Unlock Your Serbian sa Jelenom i Nevenom.
And welcome to a new episode of Unlock Your Serbian with Jelena and Nevena.

Jelena (00:08)
Tako je, dobrodošli u novu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o jednoj veoma zanimljivoj temi, a to je koje su to bile naše muke i naše poteškoće kada smo se preselile u inostranstvo.
 That’s right, welcome to a new episode of our podcast. Today we’re talking about a very interesting topic: the struggles and difficulties we had when we moved abroad.

Nevena (00:28)
I mislim ne samo koje su bile nego koje su i dalje.
And I think not only what they were, but what they still are.

Jelena (00:32)
Tako je koje su i dalje već posle nekoliko godina.
 Exactly–what they still are, even after several years.

Nevena (00:37)
Tako je, mislim da je selidba u jednu stranu zemlju i zatim nalaženje načina sa uspostaviš neko prijateljstvo da razgovaraš sa ljudima koji imaju drugačiji mentalitet i koji funkcionišu drugačije nego ti veoma izazovno i to je ono o čemu želimo danas da razgovaramo.
Yes. I think moving to a foreign country–and then figuring out how to build friendships, how to talk to people with a different mentality who function differently from you–is very challenging, and that’s what we want to talk about today.

Become a member on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) to continue reading the transcript!

Send us your questions!

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) - click here for more details

Book a Serbian lesson with Jelena or Nevena on our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

Nevena (00:00)
Zdravo svima, ja sam Nevena.
 Hello everyone, I’m Nevena.

Jelena (00:02)
Ja sam Jelena.
 I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:04)
I dobrodošli u novu epizodu Unlock Your Serbian sa Jelenom i Nevenom.
And welcome to a new episode of Unlock Your Serbian with Jelena and Nevena.

Jelena (00:10)
Tako je, dobrodošli u novu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo na jednu veoma interesantnu temu, a to je koje su muke ili teške stvari koje treba da uradimo kada se selimo u jednu stranu zemlju.
 That’s right–welcome to a new episode of our podcast. Today we’re talking about an interesting topic: the struggles or hard things we need to do when moving to a foreign country.

Nevena (00:37)
Tako je, danas razgovaramo o svemu što je teško kada treba da idemo u neku drugu zemlju i da počnemo novi život tamo.
 Ali prvo, želimo da razgovaramo o tome kako možete maksimalno da koristite naš podkast i da učite srpski jezik.
Exactly–today we’re discussing everything that’s hard when we go to another country and start a new life there.
 But first, we want to talk about how you can get the most out of our podcast and learn Serbian.

Become a member on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) to continue reading the transcript!

Send us your questions!

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) - click here for more details

Book a Serbian lesson with Jelena or Nevena on our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

U današnjoj epizodi govorimo o greškama koje sami Srbi prave dok govore - i da, i mi ih (često) pravimo.

Kao što smo već spomenule, greške su normalne u svakom jeziku, bez obzira na to da li govore maternji govornici, ili učenici tog jezika. Jedina razlika je što će te greške biti drugačije.

Razgovaramo takođe o tome šta se dešava ako većina ljudi govori na neki određeni način, iako je to "gramatički nepravilno" - međutim, ukoliko se nešto uvuklo u svakodnevni govor, koliko je zapravo pogrešno?

Koje je vaše mišljenje o ovome? Da li mislite da jezik treba prirodno da se menja, ili treba da pazimo o gramatici? Pišite nam na TikToku, Instagramu ili YouTube-u!

(English below)

In today's episode, we are discussing the mistakes that Serbians themselves make while speaking - and yes, we (often) make them, too.

As we have already mentioned, mistakes are normal in any language, regardless of whether they are made by native speakers or learners of that language. The only difference is that those errors will be slightly different.

We also discuss what happens if most people speak in a certain way, even though it is "grammatically incorrect" - but, if something has crept into everyday speech, how wrong is it, really?

What do you think about this? Do you think language should change naturally, or should we be careful about grammar? Write to us on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube!

Send us your questions!

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) - click here for more details

Book a Serbian lesson with Jelena or Nevena on our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

U ovoj epizodi govorimo o greškama koje Srbi prave dok govore - i da, i mi ih takođe (često) pravimo.

Kao što smo rekle u prošloj epizodi, greške su normalne u svakom jeziku: prave ih i matenji govornici (Srbi), i učenici. Jedina razlika je što su greške drugačije.

Razgovaramo takođe o tome šta se dešava ako mnogo ljudi govori jedno, iako je to "gramatički netačno" - ali, ako to skoro svi koriste u svakodnevnom govoru, da li je stvarno pogrešno?

Koje je vaše mišljenje o ovome? Da li mislite da jezik treba prirodno da se menja, ili treba da pazimo na gramatiku? Pišite nam na TikToku, Instagramu ili YouTube-u!

(English below)

In today's episode, we are discussing the mistakes that Serbians make while speaking - and yes, we also (often) make them, too.

As we said in the last episode, mistakes are normal in any language: both native speakers (Serbians) and students make them. The only difference is that the errors are different.

We also talk about what happens if a lot of people say one thing, even though it's "grammatically incorrect" - but, if almost everyone uses it in everyday speech, is it really wrong?

What do you think about this? Do you think language should change naturally, or should we be careful about grammar? Write to us on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube!

Send us your questions!