Written by: Olivera Tolimir
You might think warm weather is coming to an end in Serbia. Fifteen years ago, you would be right. But following climate changes, summer weather in Serbia now lasts well into the end of September. Sometimes, the first half of October is also warm and pleasant.
About that, it’s time to learn discussing your summer vacation plans. And if you’ve already had your vacation in Serbia or anywhere else, you’ll finally be able to talk about it. In Serbian, of course.
So, let’s go through the most important vocabulary and phrases for traveling in Serbia!
Kofer za letovanje u Srbiji (A Suitcase for a Vacation in Serbia)
What’s the first thing we all do before the vacation? We pack our suitcases, of course! Do you know to make a list for a vacation in Serbia? Get ready to learn!
Još nisam spakovao/spakovala kofer!
I haven’t packed my suitcase yet!
Don’t be confused about the two versions of the verb spakovati. We used past tense here, and Serbian past tense has different forms in masculine and feminine gender. So, if you’re a man, you’ll use the first variation (Još nisam spakovao kofer). If you’re a woman, use the second form (Još nisam spakovala kofer).
Sve sam spakovao/spakovala!
I’ve packed everything!
Spisak stvari za letovanje u Srbiji:
(A list of things for summer vacation in Serbia:)
- majice (T-shirts)
- šorcevi (shorts)
- haljine (dresses)
- suknje (skirts)
- duks (a hoodie)
- donji deo trenerke (sweatpants)
- donji veš (underwear)
- čarape (socks)
- patike (sneakers)
- sandale (sandals)
- japanke (flip flops)
- peškir za plažu (a beach towel)
- kupaći (kostim) (a bathing suit)
- knjiga (a book)
- sunčane naočare (sunglasses)
- krema za sunčanje (sunscreen)
- pasoš (a passport)
Prevozna sredstva (Means of transport):
A friend might ask you what means of transport you used for your vacation in Serbia. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
- auto(mobil) (a car)
- avion (an airplane)
- voz (a train)
- autobus (a bus)
What if you’d like to ask at what time your train or bus leaves? Do you know whom to call? Try with:
- železnička stanica (a train station)
- autobuska stanica (a bus station)
- aerodrom (airport).
If you plan to drive your car to the airport and then park it there, you’ll need parking. Luckily for you, we use the same word in Serbian (parking).
All right, you know the vocabulary now, but what about the examples of whole sentences? Here they are.
Dobar dan. Kada polazi voz/autobus za Beograd?
(Good afternoon. When does the train/bus for Belgrade leave?)
Da li autobus za Novi Sad kasni (u polasku)?
(Is the bus for Novi Sad late?)
Serbian buses aren’t often late. It happens when the weather is unpredictable or after a car accident. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for trains. They’re unpredictable and not so fast, except if you’re going from Belgrade to Novi Sad and vice versa. On that part of the railway runs a fast train (its name is Soko).
Kada stiže autobus iz Kragujevca?
(When does the bus from Kragujevac arrive?)
Smeštaj (Accommodation)
So, your vacation in Serbia has officially started. You made it to the right bus/train/airplane and arrived at your dream destination. Now, you’re directed toward your accommodation. Let’s see what are the types of accommodation first!
Types of Accommodation:
(Vrste smeštaja)
- hotel
- hostel
- motel
- stan na dan (flat per day)
- apartman (an accommodation that includes one or more bedrooms, a bathroom, and a small kitchen)
Types of Stay
There’s a variety of different types of stay. For example, there are bed and breakfasts, half board, full board, all-inclusive, etc.
So, here are Serbian terms for all of them:
- noćenje s doručkom (bed and breakfast)
- polupansion (half board)
- pun pansion (full board)
- all-inclusive (we use the English word for this one!)
At the Accommodation
(U smeštaju)
During the accommodation in Serbia, it’s useful to know Serbian words and phrases to communicate with the staff. However, if this is too much for you to memorize at once, don’t worry. Hotel staff usually speaks English well, so there won’t be much trouble either way.
- prijavljivanje (check-in) *Nowadays, young people mostly use the English word check-in instead of prijavljivanje. The same goes for the next word – check-out.
- odjavljivanje (check-out)
- soba (a room)
- recepcija (reception desk)
- bračni krevet (a double bed)
- singl krevet (a single bed)
- bazen (a pool)
- spa (spa)
- masaža (a massage)
- restoran (a restaurant)
- švedski sto (a buffet)
- kontinentalni doručak (a continental breakfast)
- kreditna kartica (a credit card)
- gotovina/keš (cash)
Molim Vas jednu sobu s bračnim krevetom.
(A room with a double bed, please.)
U koliko sati je prijavljivanje?
(At what time is the check-in?)
Koji mi je broj sobe?
(What’s my room number?)
Da li je za doručak švedski sto?
(Is there a buffet for breakfast?)
Da li je moguće kasno prijavljivanje?
(Is late check-in possible?)
Nazvaću recepciju.
(I’ll call the reception desk.)
Da li je restoran u sklopu hotela?
(Is a restaurant part of the hotel?)
Da li u okolini ima dobrih restorana?
(Are there any good restaurants nearby?)
Da li plaćate gotovinom ili karticom? / Keš ili kartica?
(Are you paying by cash or card? / Cash or card?)
Da li hotel nudi bazen i spa?
(Does the hotel offers a pool and spa?)
Želim da zakažem masažu.
(I’d like to book a massage.)
Na plaži (At the Beach)
Although Serbia is a continental country, there are plenty of beautiful places to enjoy lakes and riverside. Here are some words and phrases to help you navigate your way through a Serbian vacation at a beach.
- ležaljka (a sunbed)
- suncobran (a parasol)
- pesak (sand)
- sok (a juice)
- pljeskavica (a burger)
- koktel (a cocktail)
- sunčanje (sunbathing)
- kupanje (being in the water)
- plivanje (swimming)
- uživanje (enjoyment)
- odmaranje (resting)
Baš uživamo na plaži!
(We’re enjoying ourselves very much at the beach!)
Naručiću sebi pljeskavicu. Da li i ti želiš nešto?
(I’ll order a burger for myself. Do you want something?)
Kupi mi neki koktel, a deci dva soka.
(Buy me a cocktail and two juices for the children.)
Koliko koštaju ležaljka i suncobran?
(How much do a sun bed and a parasol cost?)
Idem malo da plivam.
(I’m going for a swim.)
Would you like to communicate better during your Serbian vacation? Choose one of our great Serbian teachers and book a private Serbian lesson!
