Ways to say it
| Serbian | Note |
|---|---|
| српски | Cyrillic, masculine |
| srpski | Latin, masculine |
The term is used to denote the Serbian language or as an adjective to describe things related to the language. For example, when referring to something pertaining to the country of Serbia or the Serbian people, the related form србијански is often used, while српски or србијански can also describe things pertaining to Serbia and Serbians.
Which one should you use?
While српски is the standard adjective used for the language, србијански is used specifically to mean pertaining to the country of Serbia, such as the Serbian government or Serbian geography. Additionally, србијански or српски can be used to describe things pertaining to Serbia and its people.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the northern province of Vojvodina, the term Vojvođanski is used to describe the Serbian dialect of that region.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form српски is masculine singular. This form is used when the word functions as a noun or as an adjective modifying a masculine noun, such as jezik (language).
Did you know?
- The Serbian language is characterized by a phenomenon called pitch accent, where the meaning of a word can change based on whether the tone of the vowel rises or falls.
- Unlike many other European languages, Serbian is a 'phonemic' language, meaning it follows a strict rule where one letter always corresponds to one sound.
- The word српски is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *sьrbьskъ, which traces its lineage back to ancient Slavic tribal names.
Examples in context
- Српски је веома леп језик.Serbian is a very beautiful language.This sentence demonstrates the use of српски to describe the language.Tatoeba #13629549 by cafoc64474, translation #3476781 by Ricardo14
- Учим српски.I am learning Serbian.This sentence shows how to use српски when stating you are learning the language.Tatoeba #13629540 by cafoc64474, translation #8389411 by Adelpa
- Jugoslavija tvrdi da nije odgovorna za aktivnosti Srpskih paravojnih formacija u Bosni koji su ubili hiljade, porušili gradove, i proterali 1,3 miliona ljudi u izbeglištvo za poslednja tri meseca.Yugoslavia says it's not responsible for the actions of Serbian militias in Bosnia which have killed thousands, ruined cities, and turned 1.3 million people into refugees over the last three months.This sentence uses the Latin form srpski in a descriptive context.Tatoeba #3297920 by neron, translation #30167 by frpzzd
- Da li govorite srpski?Do you speak Serbian?
- Interesuje me srpski jezik.I am interested in the Serbian language.
Example conversation
Marko and Ana are talking about their language classes.
- MarkoДа ли учиш српски?Are you learning Serbian?
- AnaДа, српски је заиста занимљив.Yes, Serbian is really interesting.
- MarkoЈе ли српски тежак за тебе?Is Serbian difficult for you?
- AnaГраматика за српски је тешка.The grammar for Serbian is hard.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “serbian” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries српски, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
