поздрав
pȍzdrāv/pôzdraːʋ/Cyrillic, masculine
The Serbian word for "greeting" is поздрав (pȍzdrāv). Wiktionary also lists pozdrav.
Meaning: acknowledgement of a persons presence or arrival (noun)
Ways to say it
| Serbian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| поздрав | pȍzdrāv | /pôzdraːʋ/ | Cyrillic, masculine |
| pozdrav | /pôzdraːʋ/ | Latin, masculine |
A поздрав is an acknowledgement of a person's presence or arrival. If you wish to use the verb form, "to greet", you would use поздрављати.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Belgrade dialect, you may hear the phrase De si used to mean "How are you".
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is pȍzdrāv.
When do people say it?
When greeting close friends or family members in Serbia, it is customary to kiss on each cheek.
Did you know?
- While поздрав is the noun for 'greeting', the most common spoken greeting among friends is Ћао, which is borrowed from the Italian 'ciao'.
- The word поздрав is built from the prefix 'po-' and the word 'zdrav', which means 'healthy'. Effectively, when you offer a greeting, you are wishing someone 'towards health'.
- When using поздрав in formal writing, it functions more like the English 'Regards' at the end of an email than an opening 'Hello'. It serves as a polite sign-off to conclude your message.
Examples in context
- Dobar dan! Kako mogu da vam pomognem?Good day! How can I help you?
- Dobar dan! Tražim informacije o turističkim atrakcijama.Good day! I am looking for information about tourist attractions.
- Zdravo, kako si?Hello, how are you?
- Ćao! Sjajno sam, hvala na pitanju. Kako si ti?Hi! I'm great, thanks for asking. How about you?
- Odlično, hvala!Great, thank you!
- Његов први поздрав је био веома кратак.His first greeting was very short.
Example conversation
Luka and Jelena meet for the first time at a business event.
- LukaДобар дан, мој поздрав за вас.Good day, my greetings to you.
- JelenaХвала, Лука. Драго ми је.Thank you, Luka. Pleased to meet you.
- LukaТакође. Да ли сте нови овде?Likewise. Are you new here?
- JelenaЈесам, ово ми је први пут.I am, this is my first time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “greeting” translations and entries поздрав, pozdrav, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pozdrav, CC BY-SA 4.0.
