Unlock your Serbian

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

Or book an individual lesson our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

Nevena (00:00)
Zdravo svima, ja sam Nevena.
Hi everyone, I’m Nevena.

Jelena (00:02)
Ja sam Jelena.
I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:04)
I dobrodošli u novu epizodu Unlock Your Serbian sa Jelenom i Nevenom.
And welcome to a new episode of Unlock Your Serbian with Jelena and Nevena.

Jelena (00:09)
Tako je. Dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o jednoj temi koju ste vi izabrali. A  to su uloge muškarca i žene u Srbiji.
That’s right. Welcome to another episode of our podcast, and today we’re talking about a topic that you chose. And that is the roles of men and women in Serbia.

Nevena (00:28)
Ovu temu su izabrali naši članovi na Patreonu. Kada ne možemo da odlučimo između nekoliko tema koje bismo želele da radimo u jednoj epizodi, uvek pitamo naše članove na Patreonu i slušamo naravno njihovo mišljenje. I ovog puta većina, mada je bilo blizu, ali većina ljudi je ipak izabrala da govorimo o ulogama koje imaju muškarci i žene u srpskom društvu. I mislim da je ovo jedna jako interesantna tema i možda nije toliko pozitivna koliko bi bilo idealno.
Our Patreon members chose this topic. When we can’t decide between several topics we would like to do in an episode, we always ask our Patreon members and of course listen to their opinion. And this time the majority, although it was close, still chose that we talk about the roles that men and women have in Serbian society. And I think this is a very interesting topic, and maybe it isn’t as positive as it would be ideal.

Jelena (01:07)
Možda nije toliko pozitivna, sada ćemo da vidimo zašto jeste, a zašto nije. I imam prvo pitanje za tebe. Da li misliš da je društvo u Srbiji generalno tradicionalno? Da li misliš da danas u 2026. godini, se čuvaju te neke tradicionalne vrednosti kada se radi o položaju žene i o položaju muškarca?
Maybe it isn’t that positive; now we’ll see why it is and why it isn’t. And I have my first question for you: Do you think society in Serbia is generally traditional? Do you think that today, in 2026, those traditional values are still… preserved when it comes to the position of women and the position of men?

Send us your questions!

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

Or book an individual lesson our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

Nevena (00:00)
Zdravo svima, ja sam Nevena.
Hello everyone, I’m Nevena.

Jelena (00:02)
Ja sam Jelena.
I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:03)
I dobrodošli u novu epizodu Unlock Your Serbian sa Jelenom i Nevenom.
And welcome to a new episode of Unlock Your Serbian with Jelena and Nevena.

Jelena (00:07)
Tako je, dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta. Danas razgovaramo o jednoj temi koju ste vi izabrali. Danas razgovaramo o muško-ženskim ulogama, dakle gender roles u Srbiji.
That’s right, welcome to another episode of our podcast. Today we’re talking about a topic that you chose. Today we’re talking about male–female roles, that is, gender roles in Serbia.

Nevena (00:35)
Ovu temu su izabrali naši članovi na Patreonu. Kada nismo sigurne koju temu da izaberemo, mi pitamo naše članove na Patreonu šta žele da slušaju u sledećoj epizodi podkasta.
Our Patreon members chose this topic. When we’re not sure which topic to choose, we ask our Patreon members what they want to listen to in the next podcast episode.

Jelena (00:58)
Tako je i zato danas razgovaramo o ulozi muškarca i o ulozi žene u srpskom društvu. Nevena, šta ti misliš, da li su ljudi u Srbiji tradicionalni? Dakle, da li žena ima tradicionalnu ulogu i da li muškarac ima tradicionalnu ulogu u srpskoj porodici?
That’s right, and that’s why today we’re talking about the role of men and the role of women in Serbian society. Nevena, what do you think—are people in Serbia traditional? That is, does a woman have a traditional role and does a man have a traditional role in the Serbian family?

Become a member on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) to continue reading the transcript!

Send us your questions!

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

Book a Serbian lesson with Jelena or Nevena on our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

Nevena (00:00)
Zdravo svima, ja sam Nevena.
Hello everyone, I’m Nevena.

Jelena (00:02)
Ja sam Jelena.
I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:03)
I dobrodošli u novu epizodu Unlock Your Serbian sa Jelenom i Nevenom.
And welcome to a new episode of Unlock Your Serbian with Jelena and Nevena.

Jelena (00:08)
Tako je, dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i pre nego što počnemo sa današnjom temom, mi vam želimo srećnu Novu godinu, puno sreće, zdravlja, uspeha i svega što vi poželite. A danas razgovaramo o životu u Beogradu.
That’s right, welcome to another episode of our podcast, and before we start with today’s topic, we wish you a happy New Year, lots of happiness, health, success, and everything you wish for. And today we’re talking about life in Belgrade.

Nevena (00:31)
Da, pre svega srećna nova godina i srećni praznici. Mislim da je ovde veoma jasno koji je najvažniji praznik u Srbiji. Zato što je sada bio i Božić koji se slavi 25. Decembra, i posle toga Nova godina i za nas treba još da bude i Božić 7. januara, ali ono što je meni bilo jako smešno jeste da sam dobila mnogo mnogo mnogo više poruka i ja sam poslala mnogo mnogo više poruka kada se promenio dan, dakle kada je došao prvi januar nego što sam slala 25. i verovatno više nego što ću slati 7. januara, tako da ovo je definitivno najvažniji praznik za nas u Srbiji i zato želimo svima vama da poželimo najlepšu srećnu novog godinu 2026.
Yes, first of all, happy New Year and happy holidays. I think it’s very clear here which the most important holiday in Serbia. Since there was also Christmas which is celebrated on December 25th. And after that New Year, and for us there still also needs to be Christmas on the 7th of January, but what was really funny to me is that I received many, many, many more messages and I sent many, many more messages when the day changed, that is, when the first of January came, than I sent on the 25th, and probably more than I will send on the 7th of January, so this is definitely the most important holiday for us in Serbia and that’s why we want to wish all of you the very happiest New Year 2026.

Become a member on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) to continue reading the transcript!

Send us your questions!

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

 our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

Nevena (00:00)
Zdravo svima, ja sam Nevena.
Hello everyone, I’m Nevena.

Jelena (00:01)
Ja sam Jelena.
I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:02)
I dobrodošli u novu epizodu Unlock Your Serbian sa Jelenom i Nevenom.
And welcome to a new episode of Unlock Your Serbian with Jelena and Nevena.

Jelena (00:08)
Tako je, dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podcasta i pre ove epizode želimo da kažemo srećna Nova godina svima. Želimo vam puno sreće, zdravlja i uspeha u 2026. godini.
That’s right, welcome to another episode of our podcast, and before this episode we want to wish everyone a happy New Year. We wish you lots of happiness, health, and success in 2026.

Nevena (00:38)
Razgovarale smo u jednoj od prošlih epizoda da je Nova godina najvažniji praznik ili jedan od najvažnijih praznika i zato želimo odmah da kažemo svima srećna Nova Godina i sve najbolje u 2026. godini. 

We said in one of the previous episodes that New Year is the most important holiday or one of the most important holidays, and that’s why we want to immediately wish everyone a happy New Year and all the best in 2026.

 Jelena (01:01)

Danas, želimo da razgovaramo o Beogradu i o životu u Beogradu.

Today, we want to talk about Belgrade and life in Belgrade.

Nevena (01:10)

Jelena, kada čuješ reč Beograd, šta je tvoja prva asociacija? Šta je prvo što vidiš u glavi kada čuješ reč Beograd?
Jelena, when you hear the word Belgrade, what is your first association? What is the first thing you see in your head when you hear the word Belgrade?

 Jelena (01:24)
Moja prva asociacija je Genex Kula. Genex Kula je jedna velika zgrada u Beogradu koju vidimo kada dolazimo u Beograd sa Prva velika zgrada koju vidimo kada idemo u center Beograda sa aerodroma je ova Genex kula i zato je to moja prva asociacija.
My first association is the Genex Tower. The Genex Tower is a big building in Belgrade that we see when we come to Belgrade from… The first big building we see when we go to the center of Belgrade from the airport is this Genex Tower, and that’s why it’s my first association.

Become a member on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) to continue reading the transcript!

Send us your questions!

Srećna Nova godina i srećan (srpski-pravoslavni) Božić!

In Serbia, we usually give presents on New Year's Eve, and not on Christmas. In the spirit of this tradition, we wanted to gift you the learning materials we usually prepare only for our members: transcripts, vocabulary lists, and grammar exercises!

Download the materials for both the beginner and the advanced episode on this link - https://www.patreon.com/posts/our-gift-to-you-146916921

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

U ovoj epizodi razgovaramo o novogodišnjim odlukama ciljevima i svim onim mislima koje nam prolaze kroz glavu krajem decembra i početkom januara. 

Pričamo o tome  zašto smo ponekad mentalno već „uveliko“ u novoj godini i kako nas Nova godina tera da razmišljamo o promenama. Delimo i lična iskustva o decembru kao mesecu koji može biti i lep i težak: praznici, lampice, očekivanja, ali i usamljenost, nostalgija i pritisak da sve mora da krene od 1. januara. Razgovaramo o tome zašto nam novogodišnje odluke često ne uspeju i zašto možda nije loša ideja da malo usporimo.

U epizodi se osvrćemo i na jednu veliku promenu iz ove godine – nastanak podkasta Unlock Your Serbian – i delimo naše želje i ideje za narednu godinu.

Pratite nas na društvenim mrežama - Instagram, TikTok i YouTube!

Send us your questions!

Srećna Nova godina i srećan (srpski-pravoslavni) Božić!

In Serbia, we usually give presents on New Year's Eve, and not on Christmas. In the spirit of this tradition, we wanted to gift you the learning materials we usually prepare only for our members: transcripts, vocabulary lists, and grammar exercises!

Download the materials for both the beginner and the advanced episode on this link - https://www.patreon.com/posts/our-gift-to-you-146916921

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon.

Join our group calls taking place every Saturday at 5 pm CET by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnlockYourSerbian

U ovoj epizodi razgovaramo o novogodišnjim odlukama i ciljevima. Pričamo o tome šta mislimo na kraju decembra i na početku januara i kako se tada osećamo.

Razgovaramo o tome zašto smo ponekad već u mislima u novoj godini i zašto Nova godina često znači promene. Delimo i naša lična iskustva o decembru. Decembar može da bude lep mesec zbog praznika, lampica i slavlja, ali može da bude i težak. 

Pričamo i o novogodišnjim odlukama i zašto one često ne traju dugo. Razmišljamo da li je u redu da ne žurimo i da promene pravimo polako.

U ovoj epizodi govorimo i o jednoj velikoj promeni iz ove godine – kako je nastao podkast Unlock Your Serbian. Delimo naše želje i ideje za sledeću godinu i pozivamo vas da razmislite o svojim ciljevima.

Pratite nas na društvenim mrežama - Instagram, TikTok i YouTube!

Send us your questions!

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon.

Book a Serbian lesson with Jelena or Nevena on our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

(00:00) Nevena
Zdravo svima, ja sam Nevena.
Hello everyone, I’m Nevena.

(00:01) Jelena
Ja sam Jelena.
I’m Jelena.

(00:02) Nevena
I dobrodošli u novu epizodu Unlock Your Serbian sa Jelenom i Nevenom.
And welcome to a new episode of Unlock Your Serbian with Jelena and Nevena.

(00:07) Jelena
Dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o rečima koje ste često čuli u srpskom jeziku ali koje vam niko nikada nije objasnio.
Welcome to another episode of our podcast, and today we’re talking about words you’ve often heard in Serbian, but that no one has ever explained to you.

(00:23) Nevena
Hajde prvo da krenemo od kratkih reči koje mogu i ne moraju da imaju neko značanje, odnosno koje mogu i ne moraju da imaju smisla. I to su reči kao što su pa, ma, bre, ajde, ae itd.
Let’s first start with short words that may or may not have some meaning, that is, that may or may not make sense. These are words like pa, ma, bre, ajde, ae, etc.

(00:42) Jelena
Ja mislim da ove reči mi zapravo koristimo često, ali da niko nikad ne objašnjava šta one znače. Ja mislim da ste se vi do sada čuli ove reči pa, ma, bre i tako dalje. Ali da li zapravo znate šta one znače i kada ih koristimo u srpskom. Ako želite da čujete sve ove reči možete da postanete naš član na Patreonu gde imate pristup dužoj verziji ove epizode kao i vokabularom i gramatičkim vežbama za svaku epizodu.
I think we actually use these words often, but no one ever explains what they mean. I think you’ve heard these words by now—pa, ma, bre, and so on. But do you actually know what they mean and when we use them in Serbian? If you want to hear all these words, you can become our member on Patreon, where you get access to a longer version of this episode, as well as vocabulary and grammar exercises for each episode.

(01:23) Nevena
I baš smo o ovim rečima i razgovarali sada u subotu na našim grupnim pozivima koji se održavaju redovno svake subote u 5 sati po Centralnom Evropskom vremenu posle smo ih naravno sve zapisali u naš Google dokument kome imaju pristup svi naši članovi gde mogu i oni da dodaju pitanja, da dodaju svoje reči želite i vi da razgovarate uživo sa nama svake subote dođite na naš Patreon link je u opisu ovog profila i takođe na patreon.com / unlock your Serbian.
And we were actually talking about these very words just this Saturday during our group calls, which take place regularly every Saturday at 5 p.m. Central European Time. Afterwards, we of course wrote them all down in our Google document, which all our members have access to, and where they can also add questions and their own words. If you’d like to talk live with us every Saturday too, join us on our Patreon — the link is in this profile’s description and also at patreon.com/unlockyourserbian.

Become a member on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) to continue reading the transcript!

Send us your questions!

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon.

Book a Serbian lesson with Jelena or Nevena on our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

Nevena (00:00) 

Zdravo svima, ja sam Nevena.
Hi everyone, I’m Nevena.

Jelena (00:01) 

Ja sam Jelena.
I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:02) 

I dobrodošli u novu epizodu Unlock Your Serbian sa Jelenom i Nevenom.
And welcome to a new episode of Unlock Your Serbian with Jelena and Nevena.

Jelena (00:07) 

Dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta. U ovoj razgovaramo o malim rečima u srpskom jeziku koje ste čuli ali možda ne znate šta znače.
Welcome to another episode of our podcast. In this one, we talk about small words in Serbian that you’ve heard but maybe don’t know what they mean.

Nevena (00:26) 

A ako želite da vežbate ove male reči i mnoge druge reči iz slenga i iz generalno-srpskog jezika svake subote u 5 sati po centralnom evropskom vremenu možete da razgovarate sa nama uživo u našem grupnom pozivu.
And if you want to practice these small words and many other slang words and general Serbian words, every Saturday at 5 PM Central European time you can talk with us live in our group call.

Jelena (00:50) 

Ako ste naš član na Patreonu na konverzacijskom nivou, videćete svake subote Google Meet link za ove pozive.
If you are our member on Patreon at the conversation level, you’ll see the Google Meet link for these calls every Saturday.

Become a member on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) to continue reading the transcript!

Send us your questions!

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon.

Book a Serbian lesson with Jelena or Nevena on our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

Nevena (00:00)
Zdravo svima, ja sam Nevena.
Hello everyone, I’m Nevena.

Jelena (00:01)
Ja sam Jelena.
I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:02)
I dobrodošli u novu epizodu Unlock Your Serbian sa Jelenom i Nevenom.
And welcome to a new episode of Unlock Your Serbian with Jelena and Nevena.

Jelena (00:06)
Tako je, dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o praznicima na kraju godine, to jest o Novoj godini i o Božiću.
That’s right, welcome to another episode of our podcast, and today we’re talking about end-of-year holidays, that is, New Year and Christmas.

Nevena (00:20)
Ali zapravo Božić u Srbiji nije krajem godine, zato što Božić u Srbiji slavimo 7. januara, kao što verovatno većina vas zna. Zato što ili živite u Srbiji ili znate ljude iz Srbije, ali za one za koje je ovo nova informacija — u Srbiji se 25. decembra ne dešava ništa.
But actually, Christmas in Serbia is not at the end of the year, because in Serbia we celebrate Christmas on January 7th, as most of you probably know. Either because you live in Serbia or you know people from Serbia, but for those for whom this is new information — in Serbia, nothing happens on December 25th.

Jelena (00:44)
Kako ništa, Nevena? U Srbiji se 25. decembra dešava novogodišnja euforija.
What do you mean nothing, Nevena? In Serbia, on December 25th, New Year’s euphoria happens.

Nevena (00:51)
Da, i to je upravo ime koje mi koristimo, odnosno pridev koji koristimo — novogodišnji, ne božićni. Što mislim da je jako specifično i nešto što treba da objasnimo, jer kada govorimo o praznicima kraja godine i početka nove godine, mi zapravo često govorimo: novogodišnja atmosfera, novogodišnji vašar, novogodišnja euforija i tako dalje.
Yes, and that is exactly the word we use, the adjective we use — New Year’s, not Christmas. I think this is very specific and something that needs to be explained, because when we talk about the holidays at the end of the year and the beginning of the new year, we often say: New Year’s atmosphere, New Year’s fair, New Year’s euphoria, and so on.

Nevena (01:56)
Ali ljudi generalno rade i 24. i 25. decembra normalno. Mi nemamo odmor, tada; mi ne radimo 31. 1. i 6. i 7. januara.
But people generally work normally on both December 24th and 25th. We don’t have a holiday then; we don’t work on the 31st, the 1st, and the 6th and 7th of January.

Become a member on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) to continue reading the transcript!

Send us your questions!

If you want to listen to the longer version of this episode, read the transcript, have vocabulary lists and grammar exercises, consider becoming a member of the Unlock your Serbian community on Patreon.

Book a Serbian lesson with Jelena or Nevena on our website (unlockyourserbian.com)

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!

Nevena (00:00)
Zdravo svima, ja sam Nevena.
Hi everyone, I’m Nevena.

Jelena (00:01)
Ja sam Jelena.
I’m Jelena.

Nevena (00:02)
I dobrodošli u novu epizodu Unlock Your Serbian sa Jelenom i Nevenom.
And welcome to a new episode of Unlock Your Serbian with Jelena and Nevena.

Jelena (00:08)
Dobrodošli u još jednu epizodu našeg podkasta i danas razgovaramo o Božiću i Novoj godini u Srbiji.
Welcome to another episode of our podcast, and today we’re talking about Christmas and New Year in Serbia.

Nevena (00:21)
U Srbiji je Nova godina veći praznik od Božića. Mi u Srbiji više slavimo Novu godinu nego Božić.
In Serbia, New Year is a bigger holiday than Christmas. In Serbia we celebrate New Year more than Christmas.

Jelena (00:36)
Da, i mi u Srbiji prvo slavimo Novu godinu, pa onda Božić, zato što je Božić u Srbiji 6. i 7. januara, a ne 24. i 25. decembra. I za novu godinu mi imamo poklone, imamo jelku, I imamo Deda Mraz. Kažemo da Deda Mraza dolazi za Novu godinu i daje poklone deci.
Yes, and in Serbia we celebrate New Year first, and then Christmas, because Christmas in Serbia is on January 6th and 7th, not December 24th and 25th. And for New Year we have gifts, we have a tree, and we have Santa Claus. We say that Santa Claus comes for New Year and gives gifts to children.

Nevena (01:19)
A Jelena, ako mi slavimo Božić 7. januara, šta radimo 25. decembra u Srbiji?
And Jelena, if we celebrate Christmas on January 7th, what do we do on December 25 in Serbia?

Become a member on Patreon (patreon.com/UnlockYourSerbian) to continue reading the transcript!

Send us your questions!