Serbian Greetings & First Phrases
Ten phrases carry a whole first conversation. Serbian, like its Slavic neighbours, splits them into two registers: informal (ти — friends, family, people your age) and formal (Ви — strangers, shops, anyone older). Choose the right one and you already sound polite.
Serbian is written in both Cyrillic and Latin, and every table below shows both. If the Cyrillic is new to you, spend ten minutes with the two Serbian scripts first — thirty letters, one sound each, no surprises.
Saying Hello
| Cyrillic | Latin | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Здраво! | Zdravo! | Hi! — friends and people your age |
| Ћао! | Ćao! | Hi / bye — very casual, from Italian ciao |
| Добар дан! | Dobar dan! | Good day — always safe, the default |
| Добро јутро! | Dobro jutro! | Good morning — early only |
| Добро вече! | Dobro veče! | Good evening |
Добар дан is your default. It works at the bakery, at the kiosk, with your landlord, and with your friend's grandmother. When in doubt, добар дан.
Добар дан! Једну кафу, молим.
Good day! One coffee, please.
Note: Latin: Dobar dan! Jednu kafu, molim. — greeting plus order: your first complete café sentence.
Please, Thank You, Sorry
| Cyrillic | Latin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Хвала | Hvala | Thank you (warmly: хвала лепо) |
| Молим | Molim | Please — and 'you're welcome', and 'pardon?' |
| Извините | Izvinite | Sorry / excuse me (formal) |
| Извини | Izvini | Sorry (to a friend) |
| Нема на чему | Nema na čemu | You're welcome — 'it was nothing' |
Молим is the hardest-working word in Serbian: it means please, answers хвала, and — said with rising intonation — asks someone to repeat themselves.
Извините, молим вас!
Excuse me, please!
Note: Latin: Izvinite, molim vas! — the standard way to get a stranger's attention on the street or in a shop.
— Хвала лепо! — Молим, нема на чему.
— Thank you very much! — You're welcome, don't mention it.
Note: Latin: — Hvala lepo! — Molim, nema na čemu. Both replies work; Serbs often say them together.
Introducing Yourself
| Cyrillic | Latin | English |
|---|---|---|
| Како се зовеш? | Kako se zoveš? | What's your name? (informal) |
| Како се зовете? | Kako se zovete? | What's your name? (formal) |
| Зовем се Ана. | Zovem se Ana. | My name is Ana. |
| Одакле си? | Odakle si? | Where are you from? (informal) |
| Ја сам из Србије. | Ja sam iz Srbije. | I'm from Serbia. |
| Драго ми је! | Drago mi je! | Nice to meet you! |
Зовем се… is literally "I call myself…" — the same reflexive pattern you'll meet across the Slavic family. Seal any introduction with драго ми је ("it's dear to me").
A full first exchange — tap the speaker icons to hear each line:
💬 Meeting someone at a kafić
Здраво! Ја сам Марко. Како се зовеш?
Hi! I'm Marko. What's your name?
Здраво, Марко! Зовем се Јелена.
Hi, Marko! My name is Jelena.
Драго ми је, Јелена. Одакле си?
Nice to meet you, Jelena. Where are you from?
Из Новог Сада. А ти?
From Novi Sad. And you?
Ја сам из Београда.
I'm from Belgrade.
Notice Ја сам Марко — introductions often skip зовем се entirely. "I am Marko" is just as natural as "My name is Marko."
Ти or Ви?
Serbian has two words for you, and the choice matters:
| Form | Use with | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ти (ti) | friends, family, children, peers | Како си? — How are you? |
| Ви (Vi) | strangers, elders, officials, at work | Како сте? — How are you? |
The verb changes with the pronoun: Како си? to a friend, Како сте? to your professor. Answer either with Добро сам, хвала — I'm fine, thanks.
— Како сте? — Добро сам, хвала. А Ви?
— How are you? (formal) — I'm fine, thanks. And you?
Note: Latin: — Kako ste? — Dobro sam, hvala. A Vi? Returning the question is expected.
Saying Goodbye
| Cyrillic | Latin | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Довиђења! | Doviđenja! | Goodbye — the polite default |
| Ћао! / Здраво! | Ćao! / Zdravo! | Bye — casual, both work on the way out |
| Лаку ноћ! | Laku noć! | Good night — only when leaving for the night |
| Видимо се! | Vidimo se! | See you! |
| Пријатно! | Prijatno! | Have a nice one — also 'enjoy your meal' |
Довиђења is literally "until seeing (each other)" — the exact twin of Russian до свидания and French au revoir.
Common Mistakes
- Using здраво with officials or elders. Здраво is friendly but informal. At the post office, the doctor's, or with anyone older — добар дан.
- Switching to ти too early. Wait for the older person or host to offer it («Можемо на ти»). Jumping to ти uninvited reads as pushy, not friendly.
- Answering хвала with хвала. The reply to хвала is молим or нема на чему — echoing "thanks" back sounds odd in Serbian.
- Saying добро јутро all morning. After about 10 a.m. it starts sounding ironic — switch to добар дан.
- Overthinking ћ vs ч. Many native speakers barely distinguish them in casual speech. Say something between "ch" sounds and move on — you'll be understood.
What You Can Do Now
You can greet anyone at the right level of politeness, order a coffee with молим, introduce yourself two different ways, ask where someone is from, and leave gracefully with довиђења or видимо се. That's a real first conversation in Serbian — run the dialogue above out loud until it flows, then practice below.