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!

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 razgovaramo čestim greškama koje (naši) učenici srpskog jezika često prave. 

Najpre, treba spomenuti da je pravljenje grešaka na stranom jeziku sasvim normalno - i Nevena i Jelena takođe greše kada govore jezike koje trenutno aktivno uče (dakle, na nemačkom i na grčkom). U ovoj epizodi razgovaraju o tome zašto je važno da se ne plašimo da grešimo i ujedno daju savete kako da zapamtite pravila.

Koje je vaše mišljenje o ovome? Da li mislite da je loše kada pogrešimo u razgovoru sa izvornim govoricima ili smatrate da iz toga lakše i brže učimo? Pišite nam na TikToku, Instagramu ili YouTube-u!

(English below)

In this episode, we discuss common mistakes that (our) students make when speaking Serbian.

First of all, we should be mentioned that making mistakes in a foreign language is perfectly normal - both Nevena and Jelena also make mistakes when they speak the languages ​​they are currently actively learning (so, German and Greek). In this episode, they discuss why it's important not to be afraid to make mistakes and also give tips on how to remember the rules.

What is your opinion on this? Do you think it's bad when we make mistakes when talking to native speakers, or do you think it makes learning easier and faster? Message 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 razgovaramo čestim greškama koje (naši) učenici srpskog jezika često prave. 

Praviti greške kada govorimo na nekom stranom jeziku je sasvim normalno - i Nevena i Jelena takođe greše kada uče strane jezike (na primer, na nemačkom i na grčkom). U ovoj epizodi razgovaraju o tome zašto je važno praviti greške, i daju savete kako da zapamtite pravila.

Koje je vaše mišljenje o greškama? Da li mislite da je loše kada pogrešimo u razgovoru sa izvornim govoricima? Pišite nam na TikToku, Instagramu ili YouTube-u!

(English below)

In this episode, we discuss common mistakes that (our) students make when speaking Serbian.

Making mistakes in a foreign language is completely normal - both Nevena and Jelena also make mistakes in the languages that they are actively learning (German & Greek). In this episode, they discuss why it's important to make mistakes, and give tips on how to remember the rules.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think it's bad when you make a mistake when talking to native speakers? 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.

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 (00:01)
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 (00:06)
Tako je, dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o praznicima na kraju godine, to jest o Novoj godini i o Božiću.
That’s right, welcome to another episode of our podcast, and today we’re talking about end-of-year holidays, that is, New Year and Christmas.

Nevena (00:20)
Ali zapravo Božić u Srbiji nije krajem godine, zato što Božić u Srbiji slavimo 7. januara, kao što verovatno većina vas zna. Zato što ili živite u Srbiji ili znate ljude iz Srbije, ali za one za koje je ovo nova informacija — u Srbiji se 25. decembra ne dešava ništa.
But actually, Christmas in Serbia is not at the end of the year, because in Serbia we celebrate Christmas on January 7th, as most of you probably know. Either because you live in Serbia or you know people from Serbia, but for those for whom this is new information — in Serbia, nothing happens on December 25th.

Jelena (00:44)
Kako ništa, Nevena? U Srbiji se 25. decembra dešava novogodišnja euforija.
What do you mean nothing, Nevena? In Serbia, on December 25th, New Year’s euphoria happens.

Nevena (00:51)
Da, i to je upravo ime koje mi koristimo, odnosno pridev koji koristimo — novogodišnji, ne božićni. Što mislim da je jako specifično i nešto što treba da objasnimo, jer kada govorimo o praznicima kraja godine i početka nove godine, mi zapravo često govorimo: novogodišnja atmosfera, novogodišnji vašar, novogodišnja euforija i tako dalje.
Yes, and that is exactly the word we use, the adjective we use — New Year’s, not Christmas. I think this is very specific and something that needs to be explained, because when we talk about the holidays at the end of the year and the beginning of the new year, we often say: New Year’s atmosphere, New Year’s fair, New Year’s euphoria, and so on.

Nevena (01:56)
Ali ljudi generalno rade i 24. i 25. decembra normalno. Mi nemamo odmor, tada; mi ne radimo 31. 1. i 6. i 7. januara.
But people generally work normally on both December 24th and 25th. We don’t have a holiday then; we don’t work on the 31st, the 1st, and the 6th and 7th of January.

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 ovoj epizodi razgovaramo o tome kako (ne) treba učiti strane jezike u vreme veštačke inteligencije (=AI). 

Nevena i Jelena govore o tome da li one koriste AI kada uče strane jezike i kako im AI pomaže da ponavljaju nove reči. Takođe, razgovaraju o tome kakvo će učenje stranih jezika biti u budućnosti i da li će profesori stranih jezika i dalje biti bolji od veštačke inteligencije.

Koje je vaše mišljenje o veštačkoj inteligenciji? Da li koristite ChatGPT za učenje jezika? Pišite nam na društvenim mrežama!

(English below)

In this episode, we talk about how one should (and shouldn’t) learn foreign languages in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).

Nevena and Jelena discuss whether they use AI when learning foreign languages and how AI helps them review new words. They also discuss what language learning will look like in the future and whether language teachers will still be more effective than artificial intelligence.

What’s your opinion on artificial intelligence? Do you use ChatGPT for language learning? Please write to us on social media!

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 razgovaramo o tome kako (ne) treba učiti strane jezike u vreme veštačke inteligencije (=AI). 

Nevena i Jelena govore o tome da li one koriste AI kada uče strane jezike i kako im AI pomaže u obnavljanju i pamćenju novih reči. Takođe, razgovaraju o tome kakva je budućnost učenja stranih jezika i da li će u njoj biti mesta za profesore stranih jezika (pošto su i same profesori srpskog kao stranog). Dele svoja iskustva kao i prednosti i mane korišćenja ChatGPT-a i drugih oblika veštačke inteligencije.

Koje je vaše mišljenje o veštačkoj inteligenciji? Da li koristite ChatGPT za učenje jezika? Pišite nam na društvenim mrežama!

(English below)

In this episode, we talk about how one should (and shouldn’t) learn foreign languages in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).

Nevena and Jelena discuss whether they use AI when learning foreign languages and how it helps them review and memorize new words. They also talk about the future of language learning and whether there will still be room for language teachers (since they themselves are teachers of Serbian as a foreign language). They share their experiences, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of using ChatGPT and other forms of artificial intelligence.

What’s your opinion on artificial intelligence? Do you use ChatGPT for language learning? Write to us on social media!

Send us your questions!

Transkript, vokabular i gramatičke vežbe su besplatne i dostupne na našem Patreonu! - klikni ovde

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

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

U ovoj epizodi razgovaramo o svakodnevnoj rutini i o tome kako se naša rutina menjala kroz godine (od osnovne škole, do završetka fakulteta i početka rada).
Delimo lična iskustva o tome koliko je dobro ili loše imati ustaljenu rutinu, zašto (ne) ustajemo rano i zašto je neizbežno "skrolovati" na društvenim mrežama posle napornog dana.
Ukoliko se i tvoja rutina drastično promenila od školskih dana, ili ukoliko želiš da čuješ na koji način Srbi obično provode svoje vreme, ovo je epizoda za tebe!

(English below)

Transcript, vocabulary, and grammatical exercises are free and available on our Patreon! - click here

 In this episode, we talk about our daily routines and how they have changed over the years (from elementary school to graduating from college and starting work).
 We share personal experiences about whether having a set routine is good or bad, why we (don’t) get up early, and why it’s inevitable to “scroll” through social media after a long day.
 If your routine has also changed drastically since your school days, or if you want to hear how Serbs usually spend their time, this episode is for you! 

Send us your questions!

Transkript, vokabular i gramatičke vežbe su besplatne i dostupne na našem Patreonu! - klikni ovde

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

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

U ovoj epizodi razgovaramo o svakodnevnoj rutini.
Govorimo o našoj rutini, da li smo jutarnji ili večernji tip, da li obično kuvamo ili jedemo u restoranu i šta radimo posle posla.
Razgovaramo i o tome kako balansiramo posao i slobodno vreme, kao i o tome koje su naše omiljene aktivnosti.
Ako želiš da čuješ kako mi i ostali Srbi obično provodimo svoj dan, ovo je epizoda za tebe!

(English below)

Transcript, vocabulary, and grammatical exercises are free and available on our Patreon! - click here

 In this episode, we talk about our daily routines.
 We discuss whether we’re morning or evening types, whether we usually cook or eat out, and what we do after work.
We also discuss how we balance work and free time, as well as our favorite hobbies and activities.

If you’d like to hear how we and other Serbs usually spend our day, this episode is for you!

Send us your questions!

Transkript, vokabular i gramatičke vežbe su besplatne i dostupne na našem Patreonu! - klikni ovde

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

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

U ovoj epizodi razgovaramo o životu na stranom jeziku - o učenju i upotrebi jezika, o akcentu, emocijama i promenama koje donosi život u inostranstvu.
Delimo lična iskustva o studijama, komunikaciji i razmišljanju na stranom jeziku.
Ako živiš u inostranstvu ili te zanima kako izgleda svakodnevni život na drugom jeziku, poslušaj ovu epizodu!

(English below)

Transcript, vocabulary, and grammatical exercises are free and available on our Patreon! - click here

In this episode, we talk about living in a foreign language - learning and using languages, dealing with accents, emotions, and how living abroad can shape the way we think.
We share our personal experiences of studying, communicating, and thinking in another language.
If you live abroad or want to know what everyday life in another language feels like, this episode is for you! 

Send us your questions!

Transkript, vokabular i gramatičke vežbe su besplatne i dostupne na našem Patreonu! - klikni ovde

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

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

U ovoj epizodi razgovaramo o životu na stranom jeziku.
Govorimo o našem iskustvu u inostranstvu, o jezicima koje koristimo svaki dan i o jezicima koje učimo.
Razgovaramo i o tome kako učimo nove reči i šta radimo kad nešto ne razumemo.
Ako i ti živiš u inostranstvu ili učiš strani jezik, ovo je epizoda za tebe!

(English below)

Transcript, vocabulary, and grammatical exercises are free and available on our Patreon! - click here

In this episode, we talk about what it’s like to live in a foreign language.
We share our experience of living abroad, the languages we use every day, and the ones we’re still learning.
We also talk about how we learn new words and what we do when we don’t understand something.
If you live abroad or enjoy learning languages, this episode is for you!

Send us your questions!

Zdravo i dobrodošli u podkast "Unlock your Serbian" sa Jelenom i Nevenom!

U ovom novom i jedinstvenom podkastu ćemo razgovarati o svakodnevnim temama koje su korisne za svakog ko uči srpski kao strani jezik, i za sve one koji već žive u Srbiji ili planiraju da se presele. 

Međutim, ovo nije samo još jedan podkast za učenje jezika. 

Ovaj podcast je namenjen svima. 

Bilo da ste početnik koji tek kreće da uči srpski jezik, ili ste napredni učenik koji želi da usavrši svoje znanje slušanjem, ovaj podcast je napravljen za vas. Svake nedelje dobijate dve epizode na istu temu koju ćemo mi, izvorni govornici, obraditi na različitim nivoima – na početnom (A1–B1.1) i naprednom (B1.2–C1).

Na ovaj način možete da:

• poredite iste razgovore na različitim nivoima,
• postepeno povećavate razumevanje,
• jasno vidite svoj napredak.

Vidimo se uskoro!

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 (00:08)
Dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o Božiću i Novoj godini u Srbiji.
Welcome to another episode of our podcast, and today we’re talking about Christmas and New Year in Serbia.

Nevena (00:21)
U Srbiji je Nova godina veći praznik od Božića. Mi u Srbiji više slavimo Novu godinu nego Božić.
In Serbia, New Year is a bigger holiday than Christmas. In Serbia we celebrate New Year more than Christmas.

Jelena (00:36)
Da, i mi u Srbiji prvo slavimo Novu godinu, pa onda Božić, zato što je Božić u Srbiji 6. i 7. januara, a ne 24. i 25. decembra. I za novu godinu mi imamo poklone, imamo jelku, I imamo Deda Mraz. Kažemo da Deda Mraza dolazi za Novu godinu i daje poklone deci.
Yes, and in Serbia we celebrate New Year first, and then Christmas, because Christmas in Serbia is on January 6th and 7th, not December 24th and 25th. And for New Year we have gifts, we have a tree, and we have Santa Claus. We say that Santa Claus comes for New Year and gives gifts to children.

Nevena (01:19)
A Jelena, ako mi slavimo Božić 7. januara, šta radimo 25. decembra u Srbiji?
And Jelena, if we celebrate Christmas on January 7th, what do we do on December 25 in Serbia?

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

Send us your questions!

Use the code "SRPSKI2025" for a 10% discount on your first month of our weekly group calls on Patreon! - patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian

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.
Hello everyone, I’m Nevena.

Jelena (00:02)

Ja sam Jelena.
 I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:03)

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

Jelena (00:08)

Dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o romantičnim vezama u Srbiji.
Welcome to another episode of our podcast, and today we are talking about romantic relationships in Serbia.

Nevena (00:19)

Naslov ove epizode je dating u Srbiji, ali mi u Srbiji ne kažemo dating, mi kažemo zabavljanje.
The title of this episode is dating in Serbia, but in Serbia we don’t say dating, we say zabavljanje (“being in a relationship”).

Jelena (00:32)

Tako je, mi kažemo oni se zabavljaju kada su dečko i devojka u romantičnoj vezi. Mi takođe možemo da kažemo oni izlaze zajedno.
That’s right – we say they are dating (oni se zabavljaju) when a boy and a girl are in a romantic relationship. We can also say they are going out together.

Nevena (00:52)

Tako je. Kao što kažemo izlazim na kafu, kažemo i ja izlazim sa dečkom ili ja izlazim sa devojkom, i mi možemo da idemo na sastanak ili na dejt.
Exactly. Just like we say “I’m going out for coffee,” we also say “I’m going out with a boyfriend/girlfriend,” and we can go on a sastanak or a date.  

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

Send us your questions!

Use the code "SRPSKI2025" for a 10% discount on your first month of our weekly group calls on Patreon! - patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian

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.
Hello everyone, I’m Nevena.

Jelena (00:02)

Ja sam Jelena.
 I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:03)

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

Jelena (00:08)

Dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o romantičnim vezama u Srbiji.
Welcome to another episode of our podcast, and today we are talking about romantic relationships in Serbia.

Nevena (00:19)

Naslov ove epizode je dating u Srbiji, ali mi u Srbiji ne kažemo dating, mi kažemo zabavljanje.
The title of this episode is dating in Serbia, but in Serbia we don’t say dating, we say zabavljanje (“being in a relationship”).

Jelena (00:32)

Tako je, mi kažemo oni se zabavljaju kada su dečko i devojka u romantičnoj vezi. Mi takođe možemo da kažemo oni izlaze zajedno.
That’s right – we say they are dating (oni se zabavljaju) when a boy and a girl are in a romantic relationship. We can also say they are going out together.

Nevena (00:52)

Tako je. Kao što kažemo izlazim na kafu, kažemo i ja izlazim sa dečkom ili ja izlazim sa devojkom, i mi možemo da idemo na sastanak ili na dejt.
Exactly. Just like we say “I’m going out for coffee,” we also say “I’m going out with a boyfriend/girlfriend,” and we can go on a sastanak or a date. 

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), and don't forget to check out our group calls taking place every Saturday for both beginners and advanced students! - 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)
Je, dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o godišnjim dobima u Srbiji koja smo imali nekada, pre deset godina ili čak pre dvadeset godina i godišnjim dobima koja imamo danas.
 Yes, welcome to another episode of our podcast and today we’re talking about the seasons in Serbia that we used to have, ten or even twenty years ago, and about the seasons we have today.

Nevena (00:29)
A kao što ste čuli u prethodnim epizodama, samo za nekoliko dana počinjemo sa našim grupnim pozivima i za početnike i za napredne učenike. I u subotu 6. decembra, u pet sati po centralnom evropskom vremenu, održaćemo naš prvi grupni poziv. U toku ovog poziva mi ćemo napraviti jedan Google dokument gde ćemo pisati reči, izraze, fraze i tako dalje, kojima ćete vi imati pristup i nakon poziva i gde ćete moći i vi da dodate vaše beleške, vaše nove reči, vaše pitanja i tako dalje, o kojima možemo da razgovaramo ili na sledećem pozivu ili u našoj Discord grupi kojoj imaju pristup svi naši Patreon članovi.
 And as you heard in previous episodes, in just a few days we’re starting our group calls, both for beginners and advanced learners. On Saturday, December 6th, at 5 p.m. Central European Time, we’ll hold our first group call. During this call we’ll create a Google document where we’ll write words, expressions, phrases, and so on, which you will be able to access even after the call, and where you can also add your own notes, your new words, your questions, etc., which we can then talk about either in the next call or in our Discord group, which all our Patreon members can access.

Jelena (01:19)
Dakle, ako ste član našeg konverzacijskog nivoa na Patreonu, 10 minuta pre početka poziva ćemo objaviti Google Meet link na koji možete da se konektujete za ovaj poziv. Za sve ostale slušaoce koji nisu član konverzacijskog nivoa na Patreonu, na ostalim nivoima imate pristup transkriptu ove epizode, gramatičkim vežbanjima kao i vokabularu. Imate takođe pristup dužim verzijama epizoda koje traju od 5 do 20 minuta, što je praktično kao cela jedna nova epizoda.
 So, if you are a member of our conversation tier on Patreon, we’ll post the Google Meet link 10 minutes before the call starts, and you can join through that link. For all other listeners who are not on the conversation tier, on the other tier

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), and don't forget to check out our group calls taking place every Saturday for both beginners and advanced students! - 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 am Nevena.

Jelena (00:02)

Ja sam Jelena.
 I am 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 još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o godišnjim dobima u Srbiji, danas i u prošlosti.
Welcome to another episode of our podcast, and today we are talking about the seasons in Serbia, today and in the past.

Nevena (00:26)

Godišnja doba su leto, jesen, zima i proleće. I mi ćemo danas razgovarati o tome kako su izgledala godišnja doba pre 20 godina i kako izgledaju danas. A pre nego što počnemo sa ovom temom, sledeće nedelje, 6. decembra imaćemo naš prvi grupni poziv na našem Patreonu. Ovaj poziv je i za početnike i za napredne učenike i biće u 5 sati posle podne po centralnom evropskom vremenu. Mi ćemo imati Google dokument gde ćemo pisati nove reči, nove fraze i vi ćete moći u svakom momentu da imate pristup ovom dokumentu. Dakle, vi možete da pišete nove reči, možete da čitate stare reči i možete da nas pitate sve što želite.
The seasons are summer, autumn, winter, and spring. And today we will talk about what the seasons looked like 20 years ago and what they look like now. Before we start this topic, next week, on December 6th, we will have our first group call on our Patreon. This call is for both beginners and advanced learners and it will be at 5 PM Central European Time. We will have a Google document where we will write new words and new phrases, and you will have access to this document at any moment. You can write new words, read the old ones, and ask us anything you want.

Jelena (01:42)

Ako ste član na našem Patreonu, na konverzacijskom nivou, dakle na poslednjem nivou, videćete link Google Meet za ovaj poziv 6. decembra u 5 sati posle podne. Na našem Patreonu možete takođe da vidite transkript ove epizode, vokabular vezan za ovu epizodu kao i gramatička vežbanja.
If you are a member of our Patreon, on the conversation level—the highest level—you will see the Google Meet link for this call on December 6th at 5 PM. On our Patreon you can also see the transcript of this episode, vocabulary related to this episode, as well as grammar exercises.

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), and don't forget to check out our group calls taking place every Saturday for both beginners and advanced students! - 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, dobro došli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas kao i uvek razgovaramo o jednoj veoma zanimljivoj temi, a to je srpski mentalitet.
That’s right, welcome to another episode of our podcast, and today, as always, we are talking about a very interesting topic, and that is the Serbian mentality.

Nevena (00:21) 

Kada kažemo ove dve reči, srpski mentalitet, šta je prvo što ti padne na pamet, Jelena?
When we say these two words, “Serbian mentality”, what is the first thing that comes to your mind, Jelena?

Jelena (00:29) 

Nevena, meni pada na pamet jedna veoma specifična scena, a to je kafana, živa muzika, neki tamburaši i ljudi koji sede za stolom i piju vino, nešto jedu i pevaju svi zajedno i jako su opušteni. To je jedna celokupna scena kao iz nekog filma koja meni pada na pamet kada mi neko kaže srpski mentalitet.
Nevena, what comes to my mind is one very specific scene, and that is a kafana, live music, some tambura players, and people sitting at a table drinking wine, eating something and all singing together and being very relaxed. It’s a whole scene like from a movie that comes to my mind when someone says “Serbian mentality”.

Nevena (00:58) 

I da li bi rekla da je deo mentaliteta to što moramo stano da izlazimo sa prijateljima, što moramo stano da pijemo alkohol, volimo da jedemo dobru hranu, da li je to deo mentaliteta?
And would you say that part of the mentality is that we constantly have to go out with friends, that we constantly have to drink alcohol, that we like to eat good food – is that part of the mentality?

Jelena (01:13) 

To je definitivno veliki, veliki deo srpskog mentaliteta.
That is definitely a big, big part of the Serbian mentality.

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), and don't forget to check out our group calls taking place every Saturday for both beginners and advanced students! - 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 još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo ponovo o jednoj veoma zanimljivoj temi, a to je srpski mentalitet.
 That’s right, welcome to another episode of our podcast and today we’re talking again about a very interesting topic, the Serbian mentality.

Nevena (00:22)
A ako želite da razgovarate sa nama i sa drugim ljudima koji uče srpski jezik o srpskom mentalitetu i o mnogim temama, možete da učestvujete na našim grupnim pozivima, dakle na našim grupnim razgovorima, svake subote od prvog decembra.
 And if you want to talk with us and other people learning Serbian about the Serbian mentality and many other topics, you can join our group calls—our group conversations—every Saturday from the first of December.

Jelena (00:50)
Ove grupne pozive možete da nađete na našem Patreonu, a takođe na našem Patreonu možete da imate dužu verziju ove epizode kao i bonus material sa vokabularom i gramatičkim vežbanjima iz ove epizode.
 You can find these group calls on our Patreon, and on our Patreon you can also get a longer version of this episode as well as bonus material with vocabulary and grammar exercises from this episode.

Nevena (01:17)
Link je u opisu ove epizode i takođe na patreon.com/unlockyourserbian. Jelena, šta prvo vidiš u glavi kada čuješ reči srpski mentalitet? Šta je tvoja prva asocijacija?
 The link is in the description of this episode and also at patreon.com/unlockyourserbian. Jelena, what do you first picture in your mind when you hear the words “Serbian mentality”? What’s your first association?

Jelena (01:41)
Kada čujem reči srpski mentalitet, moja prva asocijacija, to jest moja prva misao, je jedna srpska kafana.
 When I hear the words “Serbian mentality”, my first association—my first thought—is a Serbian kafana.

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

Send us your questions!

Srećna Nova godina i srećan (srpski-pravoslavni) Božić!

In Serbia, we usually give presents on New Year's Eve, and not on Christmas. In the spirit of this tradition, we wanted to gift you the learning materials we usually prepare only for our members: transcripts, vocabulary lists, and grammar exercises!

Download the materials for both the beginner and the advanced episode on this link - https://www.patreon.com/posts/our-gift-to-you-146916921

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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

U ovoj epizodi razgovaramo o novogodišnjim odlukama ciljevima i svim onim mislima koje nam prolaze kroz glavu krajem decembra i početkom januara. 

Pričamo o tome  zašto smo ponekad mentalno već „uveliko“ u novoj godini i kako nas Nova godina tera da razmišljamo o promenama. Delimo i lična iskustva o decembru kao mesecu koji može biti i lep i težak: praznici, lampice, očekivanja, ali i usamljenost, nostalgija i pritisak da sve mora da krene od 1. januara. Razgovaramo o tome zašto nam novogodišnje odluke često ne uspeju i zašto možda nije loša ideja da malo usporimo.

U epizodi se osvrćemo i na jednu veliku promenu iz ove godine – nastanak podkasta Unlock Your Serbian – i delimo naše želje i ideje za narednu godinu.

Pratite nas na društvenim mrežama - Instagram, TikTok i YouTube!

Send us your questions!

Srećna Nova godina i srećan (srpski-pravoslavni) Božić!

In Serbia, we usually give presents on New Year's Eve, and not on Christmas. In the spirit of this tradition, we wanted to gift you the learning materials we usually prepare only for our members: transcripts, vocabulary lists, and grammar exercises!

Download the materials for both the beginner and the advanced episode on this link - https://www.patreon.com/posts/our-gift-to-you-146916921

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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

U ovoj epizodi razgovaramo o novogodišnjim odlukama i ciljevima. Pričamo o tome šta mislimo na kraju decembra i na početku januara i kako se tada osećamo.

Razgovaramo o tome zašto smo ponekad već u mislima u novoj godini i zašto Nova godina često znači promene. Delimo i naša lična iskustva o decembru. Decembar može da bude lep mesec zbog praznika, lampica i slavlja, ali može da bude i težak. 

Pričamo i o novogodišnjim odlukama i zašto one često ne traju dugo. Razmišljamo da li je u redu da ne žurimo i da promene pravimo polako.

U ovoj epizodi govorimo i o jednoj velikoj promeni iz ove godine – kako je nastao podkast Unlock Your Serbian. Delimo naše želje i ideje za sledeću godinu i pozivamo vas da razmislite o svojim ciljevima.

Pratite nas na društvenim mrežama - Instagram, TikTok i 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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

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 još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i pre nego što počnemo sa današnjom temom, mi vam želimo srećnu Novu godinu, puno sreće, zdravlja, uspeha i svega što vi poželite. A danas razgovaramo o životu u Beogradu.
That’s right, welcome to another episode of our podcast, and before we start with today’s topic, we wish you a happy New Year, lots of happiness, health, success, and everything you wish for. And today we’re talking about life in Belgrade.

Nevena (00:31)
Da, pre svega srećna nova godina i srećni praznici. Mislim da je ovde veoma jasno koji je najvažniji praznik u Srbiji. Zato što je sada bio i Božić koji se slavi 25. Decembra, i posle toga Nova godina i za nas treba još da bude i Božić 7. januara, ali ono što je meni bilo jako smešno jeste da sam dobila mnogo mnogo mnogo više poruka i ja sam poslala mnogo mnogo više poruka kada se promenio dan, dakle kada je došao prvi januar nego što sam slala 25. i verovatno više nego što ću slati 7. januara, tako da ovo je definitivno najvažniji praznik za nas u Srbiji i zato želimo svima vama da poželimo najlepšu srećnu novog godinu 2026.
Yes, first of all, happy New Year and happy holidays. I think it’s very clear here which the most important holiday in Serbia. Since there was also Christmas which is celebrated on December 25th. And after that New Year, and for us there still also needs to be Christmas on the 7th of January, but what was really funny to me is that I received many, many, many more messages and I sent many, many more messages when the day changed, that is, when the first of January came, than I sent on the 25th, and probably more than I will send on the 7th of January, so this is definitely the most important holiday for us in Serbia and that’s why we want to wish all of you the very happiest New Year 2026.

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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

 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 (00:01)
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 (00:08)
Tako je, dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podcasta i pre ove epizode želimo da kažemo srećna Nova godina svima. Želimo vam puno sreće, zdravlja i uspeha u 2026. godini.
That’s right, welcome to another episode of our podcast, and before this episode we want to wish everyone a happy New Year. We wish you lots of happiness, health, and success in 2026.

Nevena (00:38)
Razgovarale smo u jednoj od prošlih epizoda da je Nova godina najvažniji praznik ili jedan od najvažnijih praznika i zato želimo odmah da kažemo svima srećna Nova Godina i sve najbolje u 2026. godini. 

We said in one of the previous episodes that New Year is the most important holiday or one of the most important holidays, and that’s why we want to immediately wish everyone a happy New Year and all the best in 2026.

 Jelena (01:01)

Danas, želimo da razgovaramo o Beogradu i o životu u Beogradu.

Today, we want to talk about Belgrade and life in Belgrade.

Nevena (01:10)

Jelena, kada čuješ reč Beograd, šta je tvoja prva asociacija? Šta je prvo što vidiš u glavi kada čuješ reč Beograd?
Jelena, when you hear the word Belgrade, what is your first association? What is the first thing you see in your head when you hear the word Belgrade?

 Jelena (01:24)
Moja prva asociacija je Genex Kula. Genex Kula je jedna velika zgrada u Beogradu koju vidimo kada dolazimo u Beograd sa Prva velika zgrada koju vidimo kada idemo u center Beograda sa aerodroma je ova Genex kula i zato je to moja prva asociacija.
My first association is the Genex Tower. The Genex Tower is a big building in Belgrade that we see when we come to Belgrade from… The first big building we see when we go to the center of Belgrade from the airport is this Genex Tower, and that’s why it’s my first association.

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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

Or book an individual lesson 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 (00:02)
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 (00:09)
Tako je. Dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o jednoj temi koju ste vi izabrali. A  to su uloge muškarca i žene u Srbiji.
That’s right. Welcome to another episode of our podcast, and today we’re talking about a topic that you chose. And that is the roles of men and women in Serbia.

Nevena (00:28)
Ovu temu su izabrali naši članovi na Patreonu. Kada ne možemo da odlučimo između nekoliko tema koje bismo želele da radimo u jednoj epizodi, uvek pitamo naše članove na Patreonu i slušamo naravno njihovo mišljenje. I ovog puta većina, mada je bilo blizu, ali većina ljudi je ipak izabrala da govorimo o ulogama koje imaju muškarci i žene u srpskom društvu. I mislim da je ovo jedna jako interesantna tema i možda nije toliko pozitivna koliko bi bilo idealno.
Our Patreon members chose this topic. When we can’t decide between several topics we would like to do in an episode, we always ask our Patreon members and of course listen to their opinion. And this time the majority, although it was close, still chose that we talk about the roles that men and women have in Serbian society. And I think this is a very interesting topic, and maybe it isn’t as positive as it would be ideal.

Jelena (01:07)
Možda nije toliko pozitivna, sada ćemo da vidimo zašto jeste, a zašto nije. I imam prvo pitanje za tebe. Da li misliš da je društvo u Srbiji generalno tradicionalno? Da li misliš da danas u 2026. godini, se čuvaju te neke tradicionalne vrednosti kada se radi o položaju žene i o položaju muškarca?
Maybe it isn’t that positive; now we’ll see why it is and why it isn’t. And I have my first question for you: Do you think society in Serbia is generally traditional? Do you think that today, in 2026, those traditional values are still… preserved when it comes to the position of women and the position of men?

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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

Or book an individual lesson 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 još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta. Danas razgovaramo o jednoj temi koju ste vi izabrali. Danas razgovaramo o muško-ženskim ulogama, dakle gender roles u Srbiji.
That’s right, welcome to another episode of our podcast. Today we’re talking about a topic that you chose. Today we’re talking about male–female roles, that is, gender roles in Serbia.

Nevena (00:35)
Ovu temu su izabrali naši članovi na Patreonu. Kada nismo sigurne koju temu da izaberemo, mi pitamo naše članove na Patreonu šta žele da slušaju u sledećoj epizodi podkasta.
Our Patreon members chose this topic. When we’re not sure which topic to choose, we ask our Patreon members what they want to listen to in the next podcast episode.

Jelena (00:58)
Tako je i zato danas razgovaramo o ulozi muškarca i o ulozi žene u srpskom društvu. Nevena, šta ti misliš, da li su ljudi u Srbiji tradicionalni? Dakle, da li žena ima tradicionalnu ulogu i da li muškarac ima tradicionalnu ulogu u srpskoj porodici?
That’s right, and that’s why today we’re talking about the role of men and the role of women in Serbian society. Nevena, what do you think—are people in Serbia traditional? That is, does a woman have a traditional role and does a man have a traditional role in the Serbian family?

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

Send us your questions!

 U ovoj epizodi analiziramo kako izgledaju studentski dani u Srbiji i inostranstvu kroz naša dva potpuno različita iskustva. Razgovaramo o tome zašto studiranje nekome donosi uživanje i nova prijateljstva, dok drugima, poput studiranja prava na stranom jeziku, može izazvati stres i anksioznost. Takođe, razgovaramo i o svakodnevnoj rutini, predavanjima u amfiteatrima i izazovima sa kojima se suočavaju studenti koji se zbog fakulteta sele u nove gradove. Naš cilj je da vam približimo akademski život u Srbiji i pomognemo vam da razumete kulturne razlike u obrazovanju. 

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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

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 (00:01) 

Ja sam Jelena. 
I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:02) 

I dobro došli 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, dobro došli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o studiranju i generalno studentskim danima kako je to kada smo mi student u Srbiji, ali takođe i u drugim državama Evrope. That’s right, welcome to another episode of our podcast and today we are talking about studying and generally about student days, what it's like when we are students in Serbia, but also in other European countries.

Nevena (00:25) 

U jednoj od naših prethodnih epizoda razgovarale smo o školama i naša prvobitna ideja je bila da pokrijemo i fakultete, dakle i studiranje u istoj epizodi, ali kao po običaju zapričale smo se i na kraju smo morale epizodu da prepolovimo, dakle, morale smo da podelimo epizodu u dva dela. I danas je definitivno taj drugi deo. I hajde da krenemo sa jednim važnim pitanjem, kada kažemo studiranje i studentski dani, šta je tvoja prva asociacija? Šta ti prvo pada na pamet? In one of our previous episodes we talked about schools and our original idea was to cover universities as well, so studying in the same episode, but as usual we got to talking and in the end we had to cut the episode in half, so, we had to divide the episode into two parts. And today is definitely that second part. And let's start with an important question, when we say studying and student days, what is your first association? What is the first thing that comes to mind?

Jelena (01:05) 

Stres, aksioznost, su neki pojmovi koji mi padaju na pamet. Ovo sad nije bilo mnogo pozitivno, naravno ima i pozitivnih stvari kada razmišljamo fakultetu, ali definitivno jedna od prvih stvari na koje pomislim je stres. Stress, anxiety, are some terms that come to mind. This now wasn't very positive, of course there are positive things when we think about university,

Send us your questions!

U ovoj epizodi razgovaramo o studiranju i fakultetu u Srbiji. Pričamo o tome kako izgleda prijemni ispit i šta sve studenti moraju da uče. Nevena deli svoja lepa iskustva sa studija u Beogradu, dok Jelena priča o stresu i studiranju na stranom jeziku u Francuskoj. Govorimo o studentskoj rutini, ispitima, ali i o kafi tokom pauza i potrazi za stanom.

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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

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 am Nevena.

Jelena (00:02) 

Ja sam Jelena. I am Jelena.

Nevena (00:03) 

I dobro došli 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, dobro došli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o studiranju i fakultetu. Šta radimo kada hoćemo da idemo na fakultet u Srbiji? That's right, welcome to another episode of our podcast and today we are talking about studying and university. What do we do when we want to go to university in Serbia?

Nevena (00:25) 

U Srbiji kada završimo srednju školu, dakle kada završimo gimnaziju ili neku drugu srednju školu, mi moramo da radimo jedan test koji se zove prijemni ispit ili prijemni test. I mi, ako želimo da idemo na medicinu, ili ako želimo da studiramo matematiku, istoriju ili neki strani jezik, mi moramo da radimo različite testove. Na primer, ja sam želela da studiram filologiju i ja sam morala da radim test iz srpskog jezika i iz engleskog jezika. In Serbia, when we finish high school–meaning when we finish grammar school or some other high school–we have to take a test called an entrance exam or an entrance test. And if we want to go into medicine, or if we want to study mathematics, history, or some foreign language, we have to do different tests. For example, I wanted to study philology and I had to take a test in Serbian language and English language.

Jelena (01:12) 

Da, a ja sam studirala pravo i morala sam da radim test iz istorije, iz srpskog i iz ustava. Ustav je jedan pravni, specialni predmet. A Nevena, kada kažemo studiranje i studentski život, Šta ti prvo padne na pamet? Na šta prvo ti misliš? Yes, and I studied law and I had to take a test in history, Serbian, and the constitution. The Constitution is a legal, special subject. And Nevena, when we say studying and student life, what is the first thing that comes to mind? What do you think of first?

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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

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 (00:01) 

Ja sam Jelena. I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:02) 

I dobro došli 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, dobro došli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o slobodnom vremenu i o našim Nevena, kako ti provodiš slobodno vreme? Da li imaš neki hobi? That’s right, welcome to another episode of our podcast and today we are talking about free time and about our Nevena, how do you spend your free time? Do you have a hobby?

Nevena (00:24) 

Moram da priznam da je ovo period u kome ja ne imam vremena ni za šta i zbog toga ne mogu da se bavim svojima hobijima. Iako sam ja osoba koja je uvek imala barem tri ili četiri hobija i uvek je želela da radi milijon stvari, ali sada vajda je to odrasli život i loše planiranje vremena koje mi ne dozvoljava da se aktivno bavim pa skoro ničime. I have to admit that this is a period in which I don't have time for anything and because of that I can't engage in my hobbies. Although I am a person who always had at least three or four hobbies and always wanted to do a million things, but now I guess that's adult life and poor time planning that doesn't allow me to actively engage in almost anything.

Jelena (00:53) 

Da, ovo je interesantno. Šta se desi sa našim hobijima kada odrastemo? To jest, kada uđemo u taj odrasli život sa mnogo, mnogo obaveza kako da nađemo vremena zapravo za naše hobije. Ja to potpuno razumem, ali kada uspeš da nađeš vreme, koji je tvoj hobi, kojim možeš i dalje da se baviš? To jest, za koji nalaziš vremena. Yes, this is interesting. What happens to our hobbies when we grow up? That is, when we enter that adult life with many, many obligations, how to actually find time for our hobbies. I completely understand that, but when you manage to find time, what is your hobby that you can still engage in? That is, for which one do you find time.

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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

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 dobro došli 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 još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o slobodnom vremenu i o našim hobijima. Nevena, da li ti imaš neki hobi? That's right, welcome to another episode of our podcast and today we are talking about free time and our hobbies. Nevena, do you have a hobby?

Nevena (00:29) 

Ja u poslednje vreme, dakle poslednje dve-tri godine, nemam puno vremena za hobije i to mi se ne sviđa. Ali uvek nađem malo vremena uveče, pred spavanje, 20 minuta ili 30 minuta, dakle pola sata, da čitam knjigu. Jelena, da li znaš možda koji je moj omiljeni žanr? Lately, so for the last two or three years, I haven't had much time for hobbies and I don't like that. But I always find a little time in the evening, before bed, 20 or 30 minutes, so half an hour, to read a book. Jelena, do you maybe know what my favorite genre is?

Jelena (01:06) 

Ja nisam sigurna. Ja mislim da je tvoj omiljeni žanr istorija. I'm not sure. I think your favorite genre is history.

Nevena (01:14) 

Ja definitivno volim istoriju i takođe volim da gledam istorijske drame, dakle volim da gledam istorijske serije ili istorijske filmove, ali ovo nije moj najomiljeniji žanr. Moj omiljeni žanr je fantastika. I definitely love history and I also love watching historical dramas, so I like watching historical series or historical movies, but this is not my favorite genre. My favorite genre is fantasy.

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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

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 (00:01) 

Ja sam Jelena. 
I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:02) 

I dobro došli 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, dobro došli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta. I danas razgovaramo o mišljenjima drugih ljudi iliti šta će komšije da kažu. Nevena, šta znači na srpskom šta će komšije da kažu? That's right, welcome to another episode of our podcast. And today we are talking about other people's opinions, or "what will the neighbors say." Nevena, what does "what will the neighbors say" mean in Serbian?

Nevena (00:24) 

Ovo je jedna rečenica koju verujem da smo svi u Srbiji čuli pa barem 100.000 puta. Ovo je čuvena rečenica šta će komšije da kažu ili šta će drugi da kažu, takođe, kada razmišljamo o tome da uradimo nešto što možda nije skroz uobičajeno, nešto što nije normalno u smislu da to svi rade i tako dalje. I kada god želimo da malo skrenemo sa tog uobičajenog puta, odmah čujemo rečenicu, a šta će drugi da kažu? I takođe, ovde imamo, nije tačno izraz, ali nešto sto možemo da koristimo kao komentar, šta će da kažu Žika Pera Mika? This is a sentence that I believe we have all heard in Serbia at least 100,000 times. This is the famous sentence "what will the neighbors say" or "what will others say," also, when we think about doing something that maybe isn't completely common, something that isn't normal in the sense that everyone does it, and so on. And whenever we want to stray a little from that usual path, we immediately hear the sentence, "but what will others say?" And also, here we have, not exactly an expression, but something we can use as a comment, "what will Žika, Pera, Mika say?"

Jelena (01:20) 

Zapravo ovaj izraz, Žika, Pera, Mika možemo da koristim u raznim kontekstima. Na primer, kada dođe učenik kući iz škole i kaže roditeljima da je dobio lošu ocenu, a onda kaže da, ali i moji prijatelji su svi dobili loše ocene i onda roditelji kažu, baš me briga šta je dobio Žika, Pera, ne znam još ko. Ovo je definitivno izraz koji možemo da koristimo u bilo kom kontekstu. Ali šta će komšije da kažu ili možemo čak da kažemo: šta će reći narod, je jedan veoma srpski izraz koji sam ja sigurno da ko god da je odrastao u srpskoj porodici je već čuo i ovo je definitivno jedna opsesija ja mislim u našem narodu, dakle kod Srba, o tome da ih neko posmatra i da će neko da jednostavno govori o tome što su oni uradili, kakve su do odluke doneli, i generalno kako se ponašaju. Actually, we can use this expression, Žika, Per

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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

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 (00:01) 

Ja sam Jelena. 
I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:03) 

I dobro došli 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) 

Dobro došli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta. Danas razgovaramo o tome šta misle drugi ljudi o nama. To jest, na srpskom često kažemo šta će reći komšije ili šta će ljudi reći. Šta ovo znači, Nevena? Welcome to another episode of our podcast. Today we are talking about what other people think of us. That is, in Serbian we often say "what will the neighbors say" or "what will people say." What does this mean, Nevena?

Nevena (00:31) 

Kada govorimo o srpskom mentalitetu, često govorimo o komentarisanju. Dakle, često govorimo o komentarima na ono što mi radimo i na ono što mi želimo. U Srbiji je mnogo važno šta ljudi misle o nama. Dakle, mi često razmišljamo kada nešto radimo šta će drugi ljudi da kažu o tome što radimo. When we talk about the Serbian mentality, we often talk about commenting. So, we often talk about comments on what we do and what we want. In Serbia, it is very important what people think of us. So, we often think when we do something about what other people will say about what we are doing.

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

Send us your questions!

The cat's out of the bag: starting in March, our group lessons for beginners and lower intermediate students will begin!

If you listen to our advanced episode, and understand 50-60% of what we're saying, consider joining our two-month (nine week) B1 program and practice grammar, converastion and vocabulary with us in a structured way.

For more information visit our website: https://unlockyourserbian.com/home/bookalesson/group-lessons-conversation-practice/

If, however, you understand more that 70% and wish to practice your spoken Serbian, join our group calls every Saturday at 5 pm CET and join our community of learners! 

For more information, visit our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/UnlockYourSerbian

Send us your questions!

Applications for our group lessons (levels A1, A2 & B1) are officially open!

If you are a beginner, already understand our podcast, but wish to improve your ability to speak, use correct grammar, and learn more vocabulary, our new group lessons are the perfect choice for you:

Join our intensive two-month program: 18 structured, live lessons designed to take you exactly where you want to be. Whether you’re starting at A1 or leveling up to B1, we’ll place you in the perfect group of 3 to 5 students for maximum personal attention. You’ll get 24/7 access to our Google Classroom with all the necessary learning materials and a private group chat for all your questions.

Head to our website (https://unlockyourserbian.com/home/bookalesson/group-lessons-conversation-practice/) for more details!

Send us your questions!

The cat's out of the bag: starting in March, our group lessons for beginners and lower intermediate students will begin!

If you listen to our advanced episode, and understand 50-60% of what we're saying, consider joining our two-month (nine week) B1 program and practice grammar, converastion and vocabulary with us in a structured way.

For more information visit our website: https://unlockyourserbian.com/home/bookalesson/group-lessons-conversation-practice/

If, however, you understand more that 70% and wish to practice your spoken Serbian, join our group calls every Saturday at 5 pm CET and join our community of learners! 

For more information, visit our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/UnlockYourSerbian

Send us your questions!

Applications for our group lessons (levels A1, A2 & B1) are officially open!

If you are a beginner, already understand our podcast, but wish to improve your ability to speak, use correct grammar, and learn more vocabulary, our new group lessons are the perfect choice for you:

Join our intensive two-month program: 18 structured, live lessons designed to take you exactly where you want to be. Whether you’re starting at A1 or leveling up to B1, we’ll place you in the perfect group of 3 to 5 students for maximum personal attention. You’ll get 24/7 access to our Google Classroom with all the necessary learning materials and a private group chat for all your questions.

Head to our website (https://unlockyourserbian.com/home/bookalesson/group-lessons-conversation-practice/) for more details!

Send us your questions!

Don't miss out on the longer version of this episode, the transcript (in Serbian & in English), vocabulary lists, and grammar exercises - become a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon.

Practice your spoken Serbian in our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

Or improve your Serbian in individual lessons 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 (00:01) 

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 još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta. I danas razgovaramo o jednoj veoma lepoj temi, a to je prijateljstvo. Hoćemo da razgovaramo o tome kakve su prijateljstva u Srbiji i kako se one menjaju kroz godine. 
That’s right, welcome to another episode of our podcast. And today we’re talking about a very nice topic, which is friendship. We want to talk about what friendships are like in Serbia and how they change through the years.

Nevena (00:29) 

Ovo je veoma interesantna tema o kojoj ljudi veoma često razgovaraju kada idu u inostranstvo, kada treba da se presele i tako dalje. I uvek je veliko pitanje, da li možeš da nađeš prijatelje lokalce? Dakle, da li možeš da nađeš prijatelje koji su iz te zemlje, koji govore taj je jezik i da li možeš da se uklopiš lako ili teško u neku grupu. I generalno jedan, rekla bih, od stereotipa za Srbiju jeste da možemo lako da nađemo prijatelje ili da su Srbi jako otvoreni, druželjubivi, topli, i tako dalje. I rekla bih da je to u velikoj meri tačno, dakle rekla bih da je to poprilično ili većinski tačno. Ali takođe postoji i druga strana priče. A to je, na primer, moje lično iskustvo iz kog mogu da kažem da većina ljudi koju poznajem se i dalje druži sa ljudima koje su upoznali u osnovnoj školi. Ne znam, da li se ti slažeš? 
This is a very interesting topic that people often talk about when they go abroad, when they need to move, and so on. And it’s always a big question: can you find local friends? So, can you find friends who are from that country, who speak that language, and can you fit in easily or with difficulty into a group. And generally, one of the stereotypes about Serbia, I would say, is that we can find friends easily or that Serbs are very open, friendly, warm, and so on. And I would say that’s true to a large extent; I’d say it’s quite or mostly true. But there’s also another side to the story. And that is, for example, my personal experience from which I can say that most people I know still hang out with people they met in elementary school. I don’t know, do you agree?

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

Send us your questions!

Don't miss out on the longer version of this episode, the transcript (in Serbian & in English), vocabulary lists, and grammar exercises - become a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon.

Practice your spoken Serbian in our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

Or improve your Serbian in individual lessons 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 (00:02) 

I dobro došli 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, dobro došli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o prijateljstvima. Razgovaramo o tome ko su naši prijatelji i kako možemo da nađemo nove prijatelje. A ako ne razumete sve što govorimo u ovoj epizodi možete da čitate transkript ove epizode na srpskom i na engleskom. Ovaj transkript je na našem Patreonu i takođe gramatička vežbanja i vokabular sa kontekstom iz ove epizode. Ovo je dobar način da slušate naš podkast i učite srpski. 
That’s right, welcome to another episode of our podcast and today we are talking about friendships. We are talking about who our friends are and how we can find new friends. And if you don’t understand everything we are saying in this episode, you can read the transcript of this episode in Serbian and English. This transcript is on our Patreon, as well as grammar exercises and vocabulary with context from this episode. This is a good way to listen to our podcast and learn Serbian.

Nevena (01:08) 

Ovo je interesantna tema, zato što ljudi kada idu u drugu zemlju, na primer iz Francuske u Srbiju ili iz Rusije u Srbiju, pitaju kako mogu da nađem prijatelje lokalce? Kako mogu da nađem prijatelje iz Srbije ako ne govorim srpski dobro ili ako učim, radim i nemam mnogo vremena. 
This is an interesting topic, because when people go to another country, for example from France to Serbia or from Russia to Serbia, they ask how can I find local friends? How can I find friends from Serbia if I don't speak Serbian well or if I'm learning, working, and don't have much time?

Jelena (01:44) 

Kažemo da su ljudi u Srbiji veoma druželjubivi. Kažemo da vole da pričaju, vole da se druže i da su generalno otvoreni. Ovo je takođe možda jedan stereotip. Šta ti Nevena misliš? Da li su ljudi u Srbiji zaista otvoreni i druželjubivi? 
We say that people in Serbia are very friendly. We say they love to talk, love to hang out, and are generally open. This is also perhaps a stereotype. What do you think, Nevena? Are people in Serbia really open and friendly?

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

Send us your questions!

U ovoj epizodi analiziramo složene aspekte srpskog mentaliteta, fokusirajući se na specifičan odnos između kolektivnog osećaja žrtve i kulta heroja.

Istražujemo kako su teška istorija i gubitak nezavisnosti oblikovali današnji identitet, pretvarajući patnju u svojevrsnu vrlinu, dok istovremeno gajimo ogroman ponos prema istorijskim junacima.

Takođe razgovaramo i o svakodnevnim fenomenima poput duboko ukorenjenog sujeverja i čuvenog straha od promaje. Kroz ovaj razgovor pokušavamo da razumemo zašto su ove teme i dalje ispunjene emocijama i na koji način one definišu život u Srbiji. 

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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

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 am Nevena.

Jelena (00:02)

Ja sam Jelena.

I am Jelena.

Nevena (00:03)

I dobro došli u novo 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, dobro došli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i mi danas razgovaramo o srpskom mentalitetu. Razgovaramo ovoj temi zato što na našim konverzacijskim pozivima mnogo pričamo sa našim članovima o srpskom mentalitetu i znamo da je ovo tema koja generalno interesuje mnogo ljudi. 

That’s right, welcome to another episode of our podcast and today we are talking about the Serbian mentality. We are talking about this topic because during our conversation calls we talk a lot with our members about the Serbian mentality and we know that this is a topic that generally interests many people.

Nevena (00:32)

Ako želite i vi da učestvujete na ovim grupnim pozivima i da nam date predloge i teme o kojima želite da slušate više u našim epizodama, možete da dođete na naš patreon i svake subote sa nama i našom zajednicom da vežbate srpski jezik. Link je u opisu ove epizode i takođe na patreon.com/unlockyourserbian.

If you also want to participate in these group calls and give us suggestions and topics you want to hear more about in our episodes, you can join our Patreon and practice Serbian with us and our community every Saturday. The link is in the description of this episode and also at patreon.com/unlockyourserbian.

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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

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 (00:01)
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 (00:06)
Dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta. Danas razgovaramo o temi koju su izabrali naši članovi na Patreonu, a tema je srpska kinematografija. Pre nego što smo počele da snimamo ovu epizodu, rekla sam Neveni: „Ova tema nam svakako ne gine.” Nevena, hoćeš li da nam objasniš šta znači ovaj izraz „ne gine”?
Welcome to another episode of our podcast. Today we’re talking about a topic chosen by our Patreon members, and the topic is Serbian cinematography. Before we started recording this episode, I told Nevena: “This topic definitely won’t miss us.” Nevena, can you explain what this expression “ne gine” means?

Nevena (00:37)
Ovo je divan izraz koji nema veze sa pravim značenjem reči „ginuti”. Reč „ginuti” je jedan od mnogih sinonima za reč „umreti”. Jednom sam baš razmišljala o tome koliko mi zapravo imamo reči za pojam umiranja ili smrti, što je veoma… loše – ne znam zašto je to tako – ali „ginuti” je svakako jedna od tih reči.Međutim, kada kažemo da nam nešto „ne gine”, to nema veze sa umiranjem. To znači da će se nešto sigurno desiti u budućnosti. Na primer: Jelena i ja smo već imale ideju da snimimo epizodu o kinematografiji, ali nismo znale kada. Kada smo pitale naše članove na Patreonu, oni su izabrali ovu temu. I to je značilo da čak i da nismo sada izabrale ovu temu, mi bismo u nekom trenutku razgovarale o njoj. Dakle, ova tema nam „nije ginula”.
This is a wonderful expression that has nothing to do with the literal meaning of the verb “ginuti.” “Ginuti” is one of many synonyms for “to die.” I once thought about how many words we actually have for the concept of dying or death, which is… not great – I don’t know why that is – but “ginuti” is definitely one of those words. However, when we say something “won’t miss us” (ne gine), it has nothing to do with dying. It means something will definitely happen in the future. For example: Jelena and I already had the idea to record an episode about cinematography, but we didn’t know when. When we asked our Patreon members, they chose this topic. And that meant that even if we hadn’t chosen this topic now, we would have talked about it at some point. So this topic “was bound to happen.”

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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

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 (00:01)
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 još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta. I danas razgovaramo o srpskoj kinematografiji. Dakle, danas razgovaramo o filmovima i serijama u Srbiji.
That’s right, welcome to another episode of our podcast. Today we’re talking about Serbian cinematography. So today we’re talking about films and TV series in Serbia.

Nevena (00:29)
Ovu temu su želeli naši članovi na Patreonu. Skoro svake nedelje mi pitamo koju temu želite da radimo u sledećoj epizodi našeg i naši članovi mogu da kažu koju temu žele da slušaju. Ako želite i vi da govorite šta je za vas interesantno i zanimljivo, možete da dođete na naš Patreon. Link je u opisu ove epizode i takođe na patreon.com / unlock your Serbian.
Our Patreon members requested this topic. Almost every week we ask which topic you want us to cover in the next episode, and our members can say what they want to listen to. If you also want to share what is interesting to you, you can join us on Patreon. The link is in the description of this episode and also at patreon.com/unlock your Serbian.

Jelena (01:12)
tako je, naši članovi su želeli da slušaju o kinematografiji u Srbiji i zato mi danas razgovaramo o ovoj temi. Nevena, da li ti imaš omiljeni srpski film?
That’s right, our members wanted to listen about cinematography in Serbia, and that’s why we’re talking about this topic today. Nevena, do you have a favorite Serbian film?

Nevena (01:29)
Ja imam nekoliko omiljenih filmova iz Srbije i ovo su filmovi Lajanje na zvezde, Zona Zamfirova i Montvideo, Bog te video.
I have several favorite Serbian films, and they are Lajanje na zvezde, Zona Zamfirova, and Montevideo, Bog te video.

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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

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 (00:01)
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 (00:08)
Dobro došli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta. I danas razgovaramo o tome šta ljudi u Srbiji vole da jedu.
Welcome to another episode of our podcast. And today we’re talking about what people in Serbia like to eat.

Nevena (00:19)
Samo da napomenemo, ako zvučimo malo drugačije, to je zato što danas snimamo malo ranije nego što snimamo inače. Možemo da kažemo našim slušaocima da uvek snimamo prepodne, ali to je u određeno vreme, uglavnom 9 ili 10 ujutru, a sad smo morale da snimamo sad vremena ranije, tako da smo malo još uvek pospane.
Just to mention, if we sound a bit different, that’s because today we’re recording a bit earlier than usual.
We can tell our listeners that we always record in the morning, but at a specific time, usually around 9 or 10 a.m., and now we had to record a few hours earlier, so we’re still a bit sleepy.

Jelena (00:44)
Tako je, i dalje se budimo i pijemo prvu kafu, tako da evo možete i vi da se budite sa nama ako nas slušate ujutru, idete na posao. I mi danas razgovaramo o ovoj temi, koja je u suštini vezana za srpski mentalitet. I pre nego što smo počele da snimamo, ja sam spomenula Neveni da je danas kada mi ovo snimamo, danas i 20. januar, jedna velika slava u Srbiji, koja se zove Sveti Jovan, to je slava moje porodice. I takođe sam rekla Neveni da mi spremamo sada jedno jelo koje se zove pihtije. Ne znam da li je neko od vas probao ili čuo za pihtije. Mi možemo ukratko da objasnimo šta je ovo, ovo je jedno tradicionalno jelo i rekla bih da ga uglavnom vole ljudi starijih generacija. Da li znaš šta su pihtije u suštini Nevena?
That’s right, we’re still waking up and drinking our first coffee, so you can wake up with us if you’re listening in the morning while going to work.
Today we’re talking about a topic that’s basically connected to the Serbian mentality. And before we started recording, I mentioned to Nevena that today, when we’re recording this, it’s January 20th, a big religious celebration in Serbia called Saint John’s Day, which is my family’s slava.
I also told Nevena that we’re preparing a dish called pihtije. I don’t know if any of you have tried or heard of pihtije. We can briefly explain what it is – it’s a traditional dish, and I’d say it’s mostly liked by older generations. Do you know what pihtije are, Nevena?

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.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

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 (00:02)
Ja sam Jelena.
I’m Jelena.

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

Jelena (00:08)
Dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta. Danas razgovaramo o hrani koju Srbi najviše jedu.
 Sada je u Srbiji period kada su slave, slava je jedna porodična proslava u Srbiji.
Ovo je jedna religiozna proslava i tada zovemo goste kod nas kući. Nevena, šta tradicionalno spremamo, koju hranu pravimo za slavu?

Welcome to another episode of our podcast. Today we’re talking about the food that Serbs eat the most. Right now in Serbia it’s the period of slavas. A slava is a family celebration in Serbia.
It’s a religious celebration when we invite guests to our homes. Nevena, what do we traditionally prepare, what food do we make for a slava?

Nevena (00:48)
Slava je ili posna ili mrsna. Kada je slava posna znači da ne jedemo ne jedemo ništa od mleka, ali jedemo, na primer, ribu. A kada je slava mrsna, jedemo sve.
 Jedemo i meso, pijemo mleko i tako Na slavi ljudi često prave hranu od svinjskog mesa, dakle od svinjetine. Ovo je takođe najpopularnije meso u Srbiji.

A slava is either fasting or non-fasting. When a slava is fasting, it means that we don’t eat anything made from milk, but we do eat, for example, fish. And when the slava is non-fasting, we eat everything.
 We eat meat, drink milk, and so on. At slavas, people often make food from pork, that is, from pork meat. This is also the most popular meat in Serbia.

Jelena (01:33)
Da, svinjsko meso se jede puno u Srbiji i postoji jedno jelo koje ima uglavnom na svim slavama od svinjskog mesa i koje ja ne volim, a to jelo se zove pihtije. Ovo jelo je specifično zato što ima neki želatin, a pravi se od mesa.
Pork is eaten a lot in Serbia, and there is one dish made from pork that is usually present at almost all slavas and that I don’t like, and that dish is called pihtije. This dish is specific because it has some kind of gelatin and it’s made from meat.

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

Send us your questions!