When we learn or inherit a language, we are not only absorbing its vocabulary and grammar, but also its worldview. Learning Serbian, or any other language for that matter, brings with it all the jokes, traditions, weird idioms (we already talked about here), expectations, trauma, pride, and so much more. In this article, we wanted to discuss what we actually inherit when we inherit a language.
What We Absorb Without Knowing
As one of the interesting aspects of inheriting through language, we would like to point out to:
- Our mothers cleaning the house before a trip. Yeah. Serbian mothers are something else. Before going on a holiday, they would insist on cleaning the whole house, washing everything from the laundry basket, and sorting all the dishes. What is that all about? Are we expecting some ghosts to visit while we’re away?!
- Overfeeding guests. This is another essential inherited quality of all Serbian people. Guests must leave full. It doesn’t matter if they ate before coming. They will leave, gaining 2 kg if necessary. Love is shown and shared through a full stomach.
- Being hyper-aware of appearances. Everything needs to be tidy. Your hair washed. Your clothes ironed. Your bed made. Absolutely spotless. Deal with it.
Language reflects this with phrases like:
Serbian expression | Translated |
Sramota! | Shameful! |
Šta će ljudi reći?! | What will the people say?! |
Red mora da se zna. | The order must be known. |
Silently Being Woman
It is impossible to ignore the womanhood of it all. Women inherit not just the language, but the expectations embedded in how they speak, act, and take up space. They are taught to be polite, to sacrifice, and carry emotional labor wrapped up in language codes.
- Girls are praised for being quiet and helpful
- They are inspired to be caring and forgiving
- They get reprimanded if they act wild, carefree, and selfish
Language reflects this with phrases like:
Serbian phrase | Translated |
Kako to sediš, skupi noge! | Look at how you’re sitting, close your legs! |
Ti si velika, ne možeš u krilo. | You are big, you can’t sit in my lap. |
Tako se devojčice ne ponašaju. | Girls don’t behave like that. |
Knowing vs. Choosing
Language can be used as a tool of soft control – it passively teaches what is expected without having to say it directly. Luckily, the newer generation of girls does not take these language traps to heart. Inheritance changes with them.
Newer generations are aware of the unspoken rules that language is pressuring them with. They follow some and question others. Cleaning before a trip? – Sure, but also laugh about it.
The biggest difference is: there is room to choose. Which inherited phrases and modes of operation are we leaving behind, and which ones are we keeping? If these phrases are culturally rich, yet don’t imply shame, then they can stay.
Liberty Through Language
Learning the Serbian language could be your perfect chance to separate the beauty from the baggage that goes with it. Being a learner of Serbian as a foreign language means you do not flinch when someone says: Sramota! because you haven’t lived under its rule. Language simply becomes a space to connect, create, and redefine identity, not repeat bad patterns.
If you want to see what we have to offer, you can contact us! We would love to hear from you! On our blog, you can find more introspective texts about all things Serbian, and our materials page will surely keep you occupied and intrigued by this rich language and its inheritance.
