Common Serbian greetings
Zdravo is a safe, friendly hello. Ćao is more casual and can mean either hi or bye. Time-specific greetings sound natural in polite or unfamiliar situations.
| Serbian Latin | Serbian Cyrillic | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zdravo | Здраво | Hello | Friendly and widely useful |
| Ćao | Ћао | Hi / Bye | Casual |
| Dobro jutro | Добро јутро | Good morning | Morning |
| Dobar dan | Добар дан | Good day | Daytime and polite situations |
| Dobro veče | Добро вече | Good evening | Evening |
| Laku noć | Лаку ноћ | Good night | When parting for the night |
| Doviđenja | Довиђења | Goodbye | Neutral or polite |
Ask how someone is and introduce yourself
Informal vs. polite “you”
Use ti with one person informally and vi for politeness or more than one person. That is why both Kako si? and Kako ste? are useful.
Small polite phrases with a big effect
| Phrase | Cyrillic | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hvala | Хвала | Thank you |
| Molim | Молим | Please / You're welcome |
| Izvinite | Извините | Excuse me / Sorry (polite) |
| Nema na čemu | Нема на чему | You're welcome |
| Vidimo se | Видимо се | See you |
Practice greetings as short exchanges instead of isolated lines. For example: Zdravo! Kako si? — Dobro sam, hvala. A ti?