When you start learning a new language, there are a few things you pick up on first. Most of the time, they are greeting words, common expressions, curse words, and slang. Knowing a language, but not being familiar with its slang, is a no-no in these streets, so we are here to teach you all things Serbian slang that you need to be a real burazer when you speak
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Phrases That Instantly Make You Sound Native Category: Nema veze, Ma daj, Ajde bre, E, ajmo
You know how it is here, we don’t gatekeep! We are giving you the real deal right off the bat. Here are some of the most common slang expressions that, if you use them in front of Serbian people, it goes without saying that they will be impressed!
| Phrase in Serbian | Phrase(s) in English | In use | In use translated |
| Nema veze. | It doesn’t matter.It’s okay.Don’t sweat it. | Marko: Nisam ti doneo knjigu.Marija: Nema veze. Donesi sutra. | Marko: I didn’t bring you the book.Marija: It’s okay. Bring it tomorrow. |
| Ma daj!/A daj! | Oh, come on!Come on!Seriously?! | Marko: Opet sam zaboravio da ti donesem knjigu.Marija: A daj! | Marko: I forgot to bring you the book again. Marija: Seriously?! |
| Ajde bre! | Oh please! Get outta here! |
Marko: Marija, ja sam opet ostavio knjigu kod kuće.Marija: Ma ajde bre! | Marko: Marija, I left the book at home again. Marija: Oh, please! It doesn’t matter. |
| E, ajmo! | Let’s go!Come on, let’s go. | Marko: Marija, hajmo do mene po knjigu.Marija: E, ajmo | Marko: Marija, let’s go to my place to get the book. Marija: Come on, let’s go. |
Family & Friends Category: Brate, Burazer, Ortak, Ćale, Keva
The next category we have created has everything to do with friendships and familial relationships, or does it? You see, just like in the English language, Serbian people love to use the word bro to refer to their, well, bros – a.k.a friends. Look at the table below for further information:
| Word in Serbian | Word in English | In use | In use translated |
| Brat/Brate | Bro/brother | Stojan: Brate, ajmo do grada. | Stojan: Bro, let’s go to downtown. |
| Burazer | Bro/brother | Stojan: Milan je moj burazer. Znamo se od 2. razreda osnovne škole. | Stojan: Milan is my bro. We’ve known each other since the second grade of middle school. |
| Ortak | Friend/buddy | Stojan: Milan je moj najbolji ortak. | Stojan: Milan is my best friend. |
| Ćale | Father | Stojan: Moj ćale radi kao policajac. | Stojan: My father works as a policeman. |
| Keva | Mother | Stojan: Moja keva je advokat. | Stojan: My mother is a lawyer. |
Abstract Nouns Category Smor, Haos, Ludilo
In the last category for this blog post, we have put abstract nouns. These can be the trickiest to use and figure them out fully. We are going to help you do just that!
| Phrase in Serbian | Phrase in English | In use | In use translated |
| Smor | Boring | Lenka: Al’ je smor ova predstava. | Lenka: This theater play is boring. |
| Haos | Eventful, wild, phenomenal, amazing, great, etc. It’s important to note that the word chaos (haos) has two completely different connotations depending on the context. The first is its literal meaning of chaos, and the second is used in slang and carries a completely different meaning. |
Lenka: Žurka je bila haos! | Lenka: The party was wild! |
| Ludilo | Amazing, phenomenal, wild, great, etc. Similarly to ‘haos’, in its literal sense, ‘ludilo’ means craziness. In slang, though, it is used to depict something crazy good! |
Lenka: Kakav kolač si napravila mama, ludilo! | Lenka: The cake you made mom, phenomenal! |
‘Speak Slang So the Whole World Understands You’
We hope that we managed to make learning the Serbian language and slang easier and more comprehensive for you through our guides. There is only so much we can do in this one article. However, if you are interested in more, you can always check out our blog, our authentic Serbian language learning materials, or visit our page and see what kind of lessons we offer to learners.
And what we teach: ludilo!
