Ways to say it
| Serbian | Note |
|---|---|
| хвала | Cyrillic |
| hvala | Latin |
The phrase хвала is the go-to expression for expressing thanks in Serbian and is appropriate in most situations. To add a touch of extra politeness, you can say Hvala lepo, which means "Thank you kindly" or "Thank you very much". For a common informal way to show appreciation, you can use Hvala puno, meaning "Thanks a lot".
Which one should you use?
While Хвала is the standard way to say "thanks", the word благодарам is a more formal but less common way to express gratitude in everyday Serbian. For specific social contexts, you can use Hvala ti to express thanks to a single person informally or Hvala vam when expressing gratitude to multiple people or when you wish to be more polite.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word хвала is a singular noun, but it is used as a standard way to say 'thanks' in both singular and plural contexts in English.
When do people say it?
When someone says хвала, the most common response is нема на чему, which literally means "there is nothing to [thank me] for". You can also use молим as a polite way to say "you're welcome".
Did you know?
- While хвала means 'thanks' today, the word literally translates to 'praise' or 'glory'. This is why the same word is used in religious contexts to praise God.
- In Serbian, the word молим used as 'you're welcome' is actually the same word used to say 'please'.
- The response нема на чему literally claims that there is 'nothing on which' to base the thanks, suggesting the favor was so small it does not even exist.
Examples in context
- Хвала за онај дан.Thanks for the other day.This example is useful for using the form хвала to refer to a specific day.Tatoeba #8876676 by Lebad, translation #8859128 by sundown
- Hvala na divnoj noći.Great thanks for a lovely night.This example shows the use of the form hvala to express thanks for a night.Tatoeba #5919255 by dzoja, translation #453888 by saasmath
- Хвала ти на објашњењу.Thanks for your explanation.This example demonstrates using the form хвала to thank someone for an explanation.Tatoeba #8894239 by Lebad, translation #1403 by CK
- Srećan rođendan! Hvala ti što si mislio/mislila na mene.Happy birthday! Thank you for thinking of me.
- Hvala na divnoj večeri!Thank you for the lovely dinner!
- Hvala na gostoprimstvu!Thank you for your hospitality!
- 37 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nikola gives Ana a book she wanted to read.
- NikolaЕво твоје књиге, Ана.Here is your book, Ana.
- AnaХвала ти, Никола!Thanks, Nikola!
- NikolaНема на чему.You're welcome.
- AnaЈедва сам је чекала.I could hardly wait for it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thanks” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
