Ready to spend a beautiful time in Bosnia but don’t know how to spell out some of the common and short Bosnian phrases? Well, don’t worry. If you are here to learn some basic phrases in the Bosnian language, you have hit the jackpot. With all the must-know phrases in the South Slavic language to correct pronunciations, you will get to learn everything in this blog today!
I know learning a new language can be a big hassle. Especially if you have only a short period left before you start your journey! However, it is not impossible and is absolutely essential. Although Bosnian people are not foreign to the English language, in most homestays and guest houses, you will find only local language-speaking people. Most people speak Bosnian, and you will get overwhelmed if you end up with no idea about their language. Hence, you must mug up at least a few words and phrases that the locals use in daily life.
Learning a language is not only an asset for yourself, but it is also a way of showing respect for their culture and language. Bosnian people love to see new people getting accustomed to their native culture. So, if you go packed with some daily fluent phrases, you will surely impress all the locals! If you are interested, let’s get started!
The Bosnian Language
Before we jump into the words and phrases, let us have a glance at the nature of the Bosnian language.
The Bosnian language belongs to the South Slavic group of the Slavic language branch of the Indo-European language family. When Yugoslavia got divided, the official language known as the Serbo-Croatian, the then language of the Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks, and Montenegrins, split into three distinct languages. Croatia got its Croatian language, Serbia got its Serbian language, and Bosnia got Bosnian language. However, even though all three nations have quite different cultures and practices now, their language still shares a common sound system, vocabulary, and grammar. So, if you are known to any of the two languages, Bosnian can become a little easier for you.
The Bosnian language has a complex dialect and is the same for the other two languages. However, it is said that Bosnia is still much easier to learn and write than the other Slavic languages and is not impossible. Although Bosnian might sound complicated if you speak English as your native language, many language learners find it quite rewarding and interesting.
Especially when it comes to tourist needs, you don’t have to struggle a lot. The sentence structure of the Bosnian language is quite easy and simple. You just need to place the right words, and the locals will understand you. Only the accent and some letters in the Bosnian alphabet can sound complicated, but if you want to learn, you can surely do so. Being in a foreign country, knowing some of the basic phrases will become an asset for you to tour around without worrying about the language barrier. In case you want to learn Bosnian from its roots and become a pro speaker, you can check out the Ling app!
Short Bosnian Phrases
Now let us get into the short phrases that will help you communicate easily with the locals and let you have a relaxing trip in Bosnia. I have divided the phrases under specific categories so that it is easy for you to learn and look for the ones that you need urgently. So, let’s get started.
Basic Greeting Phrases
Without any doubt, the first list of phrases will cover the basic greeting phrases, which you can use as soon as you get to your homestay. Since most owners speak only Bosnian, this will help you introduce yourself and get acquainted. Doing so will impress the owners on the very first meet, which can bring in a lot of extra benefits.
| English | Bosnian | Sound |
| Hello ma’am/ sir | Zdravo gospođo/gospodine | / |
| How are you? | Kako ste? | |
| I am fine, thank you | Ja sam dobro, hvala | |
| My name is… | Moje ime je… | |
| What is your name? | kako se zovete | |
| Where are you from? | Odakle si? | |
| I am from… | Ja sam iz… | |
| Nice to meet you | Drago mi je | |
| Good day | Dobar dan | |
| Good morning/ Good night | Dobro jutro/ laku noć | / |
| Good afternoon/ Good evening | Doh bahr dahn/ Dobro veče | / |
| We should meet again | Trebali bi se ponovo sresti | |
| Sleep well | Lijepo spavaj | |
| See you tomorrow | Vidimo se sutra | |
| Have a nice day | Ugodan dan | |
| Thank you for having us | Hvala vam što ste nas primili | |
| Good to see you | Dobro je vidjeti te | |
| Good bye | Zbogom |
Socialising Bosnian Phrases
After you are done strolling around the city, you can come home and join the locals. Locals usually sit around a bonfire or with a cup of tea in the evening on their lawns and share their stories. So, if you want to have a wholesome time, learn these phrases to be able to interact and share your thoughts with the locals.
| English | Bosnian | Sound |
| Where were you? | Gdje si bio? | |
| I am back | Vratio sam se | |
| Do you want tea? | Hoćeš čaj? | |
| What did you do today? | Šta si radio danas? | |
| Where is the toilet? | Gdje je wc | |
| How was your day? | Kakav je bio tvoj dan? | |
| Can I join you? | Mogu li vam se pridružiti? | |
| Excuse me | Oprostite | |
| Thank you/ You’re welcome | Hvala ti/ Nema na čemu! | / |
| What are your hobbies? | Koji su tvoji hobiji? | |
| Do you like… | Da li vam se sviđa… | |
| I don’t understand | Ne razumijem | |
| Do you speak English? | Govorite li engleski | |
| You have a nice house | Imaš lijepu kuću | |
| Thank you for cleaning my room | Hvala vam što ste očistili moju sobu | |
| Can we hang out more? | Možemo li se više družiti? | |
| I really like you | Stvarno mi se sviđaš | |
| You look so beautiful | Izgledaš prelijepo | |
| Bosnia is so beautiful | Bosna je tako lijepa |
Mealtime Basic Phrases
Another set of useful phrases is for mealtime. Since you are new to the country and its rules, you will have some confusion regarding food items, lunchtime, or even the type of food that you want to have. So, to make things easier, here are some basic questions and answers list that will make your mealtime perfect.
| English | Bosnian | Sound |
| When is lunch time? | Kada je vrijeme ručka? | |
| Do you serve dinner? | Služiš li večeru? | |
| What do you have for lunch? | Šta imaš za ručak? | |
| I don’t eat meat | Ne jedem meso | |
| I am vegan | Ja sam vegan | |
| Do you have alcohol? | Da li imate alkohol? | |
| I would love to taste it | Voleo bih da ga probam | |
| Is it homemade? | Je li domaće? | |
| The food is delicious | Hrana je ukusna | |
| Do you have something traditional? | Imate li nešto tradicionalno? | |
| I can’t east spicy | Ne mogu da budem ljuto | |
| Can I have water? | Mogu li dobiti vodu? | |
| Do you have beef? | Imate li govedinu? | |
| What is this? | Šta je ovo? | |
| I don’t like it | Ne sviđa mi se | |
| You are an amazing cook | Ti si sjajan kuvar | |
| I love the food | Volim hranu | |
| I ate well | Dobro sam jeo | |
| Thank you for the food | Hvala ti za hranu |
Short Shopping Phrases
As a tourist, you are bound to buy a lot of things in the foreign market. So, to help you bargain the best and find the perfect pieces for you and your family, this section is filled with all the essential shopping phrases that you will need. Learn them to have an amazing shopping spree.
| English | Bosnian | Sound |
| How much is this? | Koliko je ovo? | |
| Do you have more? | Imate li još? | |
| What is the cheapest? | Šta je najjeftinije? | |
| Can you reduce the price? | Možete li smanjiti cijenu? | |
| I want different color | Želim drugu boju | |
| I want different design | Želim drugačiji dizajn | |
| Can you pack these | Možeš li ovo spakovati | |
| Is it made in Bosnia? | Da li je napravljeno u Bosni? | |
| What is the last price? | Koja je zadnja cijena? | |
| Do you accept dollars? | Da li prihvatate dolare? | |
| I love the material | Sviđa mi se materijal | |
| Do you accept card? | Da li prihvatate karticu? | |
| I don’t have cash | Nemam gotovinu | |
| It is too expensive | Preskupo je | |
| The color is bad | Boja je loša |
Emergency Bosnian Phrases
Before we conclude, you must learn some emergency phrases. You never know when there might be a crisis. So, to make quick access to help at urgent times possible, here are some phrases that will work for you.
| English | Bosnian | Sound |
| I need an ambulance | Treba mi hitna pomoć | |
| I need a doctor | Treba mi doktor | |
| Can you please help me | Možete li mi pomoći | |
| I need help | Treba mi vaša pomoć | |
| Can you assist me? | Možete li mi pomoći? | |
| Are you a mechanic? | Jesi li ti mehaničar? | |
| Catch the thief | Uhvatite lopova | |
| Everyone run | Svi trčite | |
| I need a room | Treba mi soba | |
| Is this place safe? | Je li ovo mjesto sigurno? | |
| Do you have medicines? | Imate li lijekove? | |
| Call the police | Zovi policiju | |
| Where is the hospital? | Gdje je bolnica? | |
| Help me please | Pomozi mi molim te | |
| Save me | Spasi me |
General Short Bosnian Phrases
To make things more inclusive, here is a list of some common and general short phrases that you can use as you see fit.
| English | Bosnian | Sound |
| Take care | Čuvaj se | |
| Let’s go | Idemo | |
| Are you ready? | Da li si spreman? | |
| What’s up? | Šta ima? | |
| Hold on | Čekaj | |
| Have fun | Zabavi se | |
| Happy journey | Sretan put | |
| See you | Vidimo se |
Learn With Ling App!
Phew! I know that was a lot to take in. From learning mealtime phrases to emergencies, it is not a day’s work to retain all of that. However, if you keep up with your regular practice, you will surely become fluent in the language before your journey. In case you want to learn more for a safer and more exciting trip, download the Ling app from App Store or Play Store.
Ling is one of the best language learning apps that have content in 60+ languages, covering different topics like food, culture, polite lines, travel, etc. All you have to do is download the app and get access to all the special features that will help you become a pro-Bosnian speaker.
The best part of the app is the AI Chatbot that gives interactive lessons. It will improve your communication and also help you retain as much as you need. So, what are you waiting for? Download the Ling app now!
