Are you planning to taste the magic of Bosnian food this vacation? Then you have come to the right place. Going to a traditional Bosnian restaurant, you will need some help with food vocabulary. So, to make you a pro speaker in the Bosnian language before your vacation, today’s blog has prepared specific content on how to order food in Bosnian. If you want to know more about that, continue reading!
While Bosnian restaurants have people who understand English well, you will never experience an authentic dining experience unless you get ready from the roots. Despite the availability, learning how to order food in the Bosnian language will only help you show some respect for their culture and make your dining experience more delicious and original.
Moreover, if you are a keen language learner, the following phrases and questions will surely develop your vocabulary skills and make your speech delivery more fluent. So, if you are thrilled to learn more, let’s start without delay!
Dining Etiquettes In Bosnian Culture
Before we hop into the primary food vocabulary, we should have a quick peek at some common dining etiquette followed in Bosnia. Traveling to a new country, it is important that you know their manners and follow them. While Bosnia has accustomed itself to tourist mechanisms, it is kind to show respect for their traditions. So, below are some things you must keep in mind while visiting a Bosnian food restaurant.
1. If you find sharing your food with people a little annoying, let go of that habit while you are in Bosnia. Bosnian people share and pick off each other’s food from the plates without thinking too much. While it might seem rude for someone to take your fried rice and have a spoon, your Bosnian mates will not hesitate.
2. Another common thing in Bosnian tables is that you are always served twice the amount of food than what you can eat. It is their way of showing love and welcoming people. While it can be rude to waste food, you can ask them for a separate plate to keep the extra servings aside before you start eating.
3. Another important thing that you must remember is that Bosnians find it very impolite when people talk while chewing food. You either chew your food first and then speak or don’t speak while chewing.
4. If you have a habit of lying down when eating lunch, forget about it. In Bosnia, it is considered rude to eat while lying down or reclining. So, sit straight while consuming your cheese fries because the Bosnians will frown upon you otherwise.
5. Since the majority of the population in Bosnia follows Islamic culture, you have to be careful when it comes to consuming pork. Don’t offer pork to anyone and everyone. Also, be careful with alcohol. However, once you land in the country, you will discover that many Bosnians drink and smoke during their leisurely time.
Order Food In Bosnian
Now, we will start with the basic phrases that you must know to order food and get your required dish correctly. Follow them carefully and memorize them by heart.
Entering The Restaurant
Here, we will learn all the phrases you will need while entering the restaurant. This will help you communicate and ask your questions.
Hello! How Are You?
The first thing you need to know is how to greet. Bosnian people greet each other as a sign of respect and friendliness. So, once you enter the restaurant, you should greet the staff members with Zdravo! Kako si? They will appreciate your efforts and will give you a warmer response. This is also a basic greeting phrase that you must save in your memory.
Zdravo! Kako si?
Do You Have Free Tables?
While small cafes might not require you to ask this question, whenever you visit a busy or proper restaurant, you will have to look for the receptionist and ask Imate li slobodne stolove? Doing so will allow the staff to let you know if they have empty tables for you or not. You can also use the phrase Treba mi sto za… if you want to be more specific. It says, “I need a table for…”
Imate li slobodne stolove?
Can I Get The Menu, Please
Once you find your table and are seated, it is time to scroll through the menu. While most restaurants will have a menu placed on the table, if you don’t see one, you can use the phrase Mogu li dobiti jelovnik, molim. This will allow the waitperson to provide you with the menu.
Mogu li dobiti jelovnik, molim.
Do You Have An English Menu?
While Bosnia is sure to have English menus in most places, sometimes you might find a completely Bosnian menu. So, to make it convenient for yourself, you can just call the staff and ask if they have an English menu by saying Imate li engleski meni?
Imate li engleski meni?
Ordering Food In Bosnian
Now we will go through the phrases you will need to order food once you are done deciding what you want to eat. Read them carefully and order your desired food without any confusion.
I Would Like To Order
Once you have scrolled through the menu and decided what you want to have, you can signal the waitperson and say Htio bih naručiti. This will allow the waitperson to note your order. Sometimes the staff may come to you themselves and ask želite li naručiti? – Would you like to order, to which you can say da– Yes.
želite li naručiti?
What Do You Recommend?
While the guide to Bosnian food by Ling will always help you discover the best food items to try in Bosnian restaurants, from breakfast to dinner, there is a chance that you might get confused about what to order. In such cases, the best thing to do is ask for recommendations from the locals by saying Šta preporučate? Since locals know best, asking for suggestions from the staff will help you grab a bite of their specialty.
Šta preporučate?
What Is This?
Visiting a new restaurant with a completely different cuisine is confusing at times. Even the simplest of dishes might have names that are hard to recognize. So, use the phrase Šta je ovo? and let the staff deal with your questions. Asking about dishes will only make your choice more precise and clear.
Šta je ovo?
Do You Have…?
When you already have a dish in mind that you want to try, it is better to first inquire if the restaurant has that item currently or not. Knowledge about the availability will narrow down your choices and give you clear options. So, use the phrase Imas li…? and let the staff check the availability of the dishes you want.
Imas li
Do You Serve Alcohol?
Since Bosnia is a country with a major Islamic population, this question is very important. Most people don’t consume and offer alcohol because of Islamic traditions that prohibit liquor consumption. So, if you want to grab a glass of beer or wine, you must first ask if the restaurant serves alcohol with the phrase Poslužujete li alkohol? Doing this will prevent any unnecessary clashes.
Poslužujete li alkohol?
I Would Like To Have…
Once you are done with all your questions and have decided on your dishes, it is time to say Voleo bih da imam… and start mentioning your items. This is to allow the waitperson to note down the final order.
Voleo bih da imam
That’s All
And lastly, you can confirm the order list by saying To je sve. This will signal the waitperson that your order is complete and will proceed to tell you the wait time. In case you want the staff to repeat your order list, you can use the phrase možete li ponoviti narudžbu?– Can you please repeat the order?
To je sve
Možete li ponoviti narudžbu?
Bill And Payment
Now let us move to the section where you will ask for bills and payment resources.
Can I Get The Bill, Please?
After you are done devouring the delicious Bosnian food, it is time to ask for the bill. While some restaurants provide you with the bill when they see that you are done eating, most of the time, you have to call the waitperson and ask for it by saying Mogu li dobiti račun, molim?
Mogu li dobiti račun, molim?
Do You Accept Card Payments?
If you have cash, you are good to go. However, if you have less cash and want to make your payment through a card, Da li prihvatate plaćanje karticom? is the right phrase for you. While most restaurants do accept card payment in Bosnian, you will get to know otherwise if you ask this question.
Da li prihvatate plaćanje karticom?
Thank You For Your Service
Before you leave the restaurant, there is one thing that you need to do. While you can tip them if you like, thanking them with kind words like Hvala Vam na Vašoj usluzi is a must. This will bring a smile to their face and make their day brighter. It is a genuine gesture of thankfulness for their service that you must keep in mind.
Hvala Vam na Vašoj usluzi
More Related Phrases In Bosnian
Here is a list of more food and restaurant-related phrases that will come in handy during your restaurant trip. Make sure to give them a good read to have the best time.
Learn With The Ling App
So, now that you know all the phrases related to ordering food in Bosnian, nothing can stop you from having an amazing and authentic time at Bosnian restaurants. The locals will surely appreciate your efforts and greet you with warm responses. However, if you want to deliver your Bosnian speech more fluently, the Ling app is here to help.
The Ling app is one of the best apps that you can use to learn a new language. It covers 60+ languages with content on topics such as love words, greetings, introductions, quotes, and more. All you need to do is download the app from App Store or Play Store and use it on your chosen device.
The best part of the app is the AI Chatbot that offers interactive lessons. Participating in that will improve your communication and make retention easy. So, if you are ready to learn Bosnian more, download the Ling app now!
