How to Compliment in Serbian: Master These 6 Types od Serbian Compliments

Written by: Milica Bokšan

There are numerous Serbian compliments you can use to flatter someone.

What is the tricky part? Well, you should know when and how to use one.

That’s why this blog post will be your confidential guide and first help!

Let’s start with the basics, and later, I will show you some more advanced Serbian compliments!

#1 Serbian Compliments: Beautiful in Serbian

If you want to know how to compliment in Serbian how someone looks, there are a couple of variations you can use to say that he or she looks beautiful.

The translation of the English word ‘really beautiful’ in Serbian would be prelepo.

But here’s what else you can say in Serbian, and it will have the same or similar meaning:

• sjajno (great)
• divno (wonderful)
• odlično (great)
• fantastično (fantastic)

So, if you want to say to someone You look beautiful in Serbian, you need to choose which word you will use and then say it like this:

• Izgledaš prelepo!

Or you can compliment someone’s hair or clothes like this:

• Kosa ti je divna! (= Your hair is wonderful!)
• Ta košulja ti odlično stoji! (= That shirt looks great on you.)
• Sijaš! (= You’re glowing!)

Bonus: Did you know that there are many Serbian slang words?

When teenagers want to compliment in Serbian someone’s appearance (or anything else, for that matter), they will use Serbian slang words like:

• vrh
• top

For example:

• Izgledaš top! (indirect translation: ‘Wow, you look goood!’)

#2 Serbian Compliments: Praising Someone’s Personality

When we like someone’s personality, we usually want to tell them our opinion.

So, here’s how to make a compliment in Serbian for someone’s character:

• On je baš dobra osoba! (= He is such a good person!)
• Marija je jako fina. (= Marija is very kind.)
• Ti si divan prijatelj! (= You’re a wonderful friend!)

#3 Serbian Compliments: Praising Someone’s Intellect

We all love to be around fun and smart people, so don’t hesitate to mention that you’re amazed by someone’s intellect characteristic!

Here’s how you can do that:

• Ti si jako duhovit. (= You have a great sense of humor.)
• Ovo je bilo jako pametno! (= That was really smart move!)
• Ta ideja je genijalna! (= That idea is genius!)
• Pa, ti si genije! (= Wow, you’re a genius!)
• Petra uvek uspe da pronađe rešenje! (= Petra always manages to find a solution!)
• Mudro zboriš! (= You’re speaking wisely! (Use this one when someone says/observes something very smart or finds a really smart solution)
• Pametno moje! (= lit. You are my smart one!)

#4 Serbian Compliments: Praising Someone’s Skills or Achievements

Another thing that can amaze us is someone’s skill. Especially when the skill really stands out.

When complimenting someone’s skills or achievements, we can use what we learned in the first paragraph about ‘How to say beautiful in Serbian’.

It will be much more transparent with examples:

• Ova slika je prelepa, pravo umetničko delo! ( = This painting is beautiful, a real piece of art!)
• Odlično kuvaš! ( = Your cooking is amazing!)

If we are really delighted with a dish, for example, we can say:

• Ovo je najbolje jelo koje sam ikad probala. ( = This is the best dish I have ever tried.)
• Ovo je preukusno. (= This is really delicious.)
• Baš je prste da poližeš! (= lit. It’s (that good) that you lick (your) fingers. (This one is often used by Serbian natives!))

Bonus: We often use some idioms that include food. You can find them here!

In Serbia, when our colleagues achieve some great results, we can say:

• Svaka čast! Ovo je bio izuzetan posao. ( = Amazing/Bravo! This was a great job.)

If your coworker helped you to finish some task, you can say:

• Hvala, to mi je baš pomoglo! (= Thank you, that was a huge help!)

#5 Serbian Compliments: Praising Serbian Hospitality

Hospitality is one of the main characteristics of Serbian identity.

It’s significant for us that our guests feel welcome and comfortable!

But we also like to hear from our guests that they had a great time, so don’t hesitate to tell us. 🙂

Here are a couple of examples:

• Bilo mi je divno! (= I had a wonderful time .)
• Super smo se proveli! (= We had a great time.)
• Vi ste odlični domaćini! (= You are great hosts!)
• Hvala što ste nas ugostili. (= Thanks for having us (over).)

#6 Serbian Compliments: Flattering Someone You Like

If you like a Serbian man or woman, you can tell them some nice things to show them your affection.

Here are some compliments you can address to your crush:

• Imaš prelepe oči. (= You have really beautiful eyes.)
• Obožavam da provodim vreme sa tobom. (= I adore spending time with you.)
• Baš mi se dopada tvoja energija. (= I really like your energy.)
• Tvoj osmeh mi je ulepšao dan. (= Your smile made my day.)

If you want to master love phrases in Serbian, you can find them here!

How to Answer to the Serbian Compliments

Great, now you know how to compliment in Serbian!

You just need to choose which compliment fits the situation in which you want to use it.

But what should you say if someone compliments you?

The most basic answer is:

• Hvala puno! ( = Thank you a lot!)

You can also say:

• Hvala, to mi baš znači! ( = Thank you, it means a lot to me!)

If you want to compliment someone as well, you can say:

• Hvala, takođe! ( = Thank you, you too!)

If a certain compliment made a significant impression on you, you can say:

• Ovo je najlepši kompliment koji sam ikad dobio! ( = This is the best compliment I ever heard!)

Knowing these answers is enough to show gratitude for any compliment you get.

The Importance of Compliments in Serbian Culture

In Serbian culture, compliments are used to build stronger relationships. They are used in various contexts, from casual to more formal ones.

Complimenting someone on their appearance, personality, or achievements is important, but the sincerity behind the compliment plays a significant role in how it is received.

So, don’t overdo giving compliments; just be honest, and Serbian people will appreciate that.

Since most compliments are tied to physical appearance, we cover them in our Serbian Pre-Intermediate (A2.1) self-study course, check it out!