Learn Serbian
with Ling

Language students describe Serbian as being one of the hardest languages to learn, almost as challenging as category four languages like Chinese or Arabic. If you’re feeling overwhelmed as a beginner, make sure to follow these tips to ease your language learning journey.

• Grammar: Serbian sentences follow the Subject-Verb-Object pattern. The nouns, verbs, pronouns, and adjectives all have distinctive grammatical patterns in Serbian, which is a complete and inclusive language.  
• Vocabulary: Memorize basic vocabulary first, such as greetings, directions, familial words, and so on. There is so much vocabulary, so practice with quizzes and flashcards from the Ling App to remember them easier.
• Speaking/Listening – In terms of pronunciation, Serbian speakers tend to enunciate every letter. Follow their lead and make sure you know the dialectal differences between Torlakian and Shtokovian.
• Reading/Writing– For the Serbian writing system, the locals mainly use Latin (abeceda) and Serbian Cyrillic (azbuka) interchangeably. Both alphabets can be found on street signs, buses, and government-based documents. Serbian locals suggest reading Serbian words in the exact way they are written. Note that some letters in Serbian do not appear in English.

No one can become a master of a new skill or language overnight. But is it necessary to go to Serbia to become fluent in Serbian? Absolutely not! If you want to become proficient in Serbia, there are tons of online Serbian resources available. To help narrow down your choices, we highly encourage you to use the Ling App.

In addition to using an online learning resource, you can learn Serbian easier by:

• Learning the alphabet first. Without an idea of how to read or write Serbian Cyrillic, you’ll be stuck in Serbian A1 level.
• Practicing writing sentences that incorporate gender noun endings and cases. Serbia, much like other Indo-European languages, has three genders.
• Studying Serbian history. A lot of the cultural aspects of the Serbian language evolved from its long line of geopolitical changes.
• Practice learning to speak Serbian with native speakers. It can also help if you find friends who want to learn Serbian with you.
• Not stressing over minor mistakes. Learning a new language is tough for everyone, but as long as you put in the time and effort you will see results.

According to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), it takes the average learner around 1,100 hours to become proficient in Serbian. However, your progress truly depends on your commitment to the language. You can’t expect to become fluent in Serbian if you only practice 5 minutes a day, right?

For Serbian, you’ll need to dedicate at least 44 weeks, or two years, of consistent practice to achieve fluency. To make the starting process easier, we recommend paying attention to the most frequently used Serbian words in your first month of learning. That way, as you advance through Serbian language lessons, you won’t be clueless to basic vocabulary.

The average duration it’ll take to become fluent in a new language is something everyone wants to know, and that’s understandable. Most of us have routines and schedules to keep, so we need to know if learning a new language is a realistic goal. We’re here to tell you that you can learn any language you want, no matter your schedule. As long as you’re passionate and dedicated, there’s no need to be intimiated by the number of hours.

Serbian is the official language of Serbia, a Southeastern and Central European country with a population of approximately seven million people.

Putting aside its difficulty, Serbian is one of the most exciting languages to learn, and here’s why.

• Help You Learn Other Slavic Languages

Serbian is an excellent starting point for studying Slavic languages. If you’re proficient in Serbian, chances are that you’ll be able to learn Croatian, Bulgarian, or Russian much easier.

• Get To Know Serbian People

Communicating directly with the locals is a great way to practice your speaking skills and form long-lasting relationships. Serbians will be both impressed by your skills and greatly appreciate your dedication to learning their language and Serbo-Croatian history.

• Discover Serbian Literature, Arts, Music, And More

Serbian literature is a testament to the rich history of the country. If you are genuinely interested in the Serbian language and connecting with locals, you should take the time to learn about the country, religion, and beliefs. One look at the art and literature will have you blown away.