Let’s talk about people and professions in Serbian. These words and phrases will help you when talking about yourself and others, or when you’re planning to apply for a new job abroad.
| Serbian Cyrillic / Latin | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| људскo бићe / ljudsko biće [Sg] | lyoo-the-skoh bee-tseh | human (being) |
| људска бића / ljudska bića [Pl] | lyoo-the-skah bee-tsah | human (beings) |
| особа / osoba [Sg] | oh-sob-ah | person |
| особe / osobe [Pl] | oh-sob-eh | persons |
| људи / ljudi | ly-oo-dee | people / humans |
| жена / žena [Sg] | zheh-nah | woman |
| женe / žene [Pl] | zheh-neh | women |
| мушкарац / muškarac [Sg] | moosh-kahr-ahc | man |
| мушкарци / muškarci [Pl] | moosh-kahr-cy | men |
| дете / dete [Sg] | deh-teh | child |
| деца / deca [Pl] | deh-tcah | children |
| девојчица / devojčica [Sg] | deh-wohj-chee-tcah | girl |
| девоjчице / devojčice [Pl] | deh-wohj-chee-tceh | girls |
| дечак / dečak [Sg] | deh-chahc | boy |
| дечаци / dečaci [Pl] | deh-cha-cy | boys |
People who work as health workers in Serbian are very respectful among people. The situation was just like that before this pandemic.
| Serbian Cyrillic / Latin | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| доктор / doktor [M]докторка [F] лекар / lekar [M]лекарка / [F] |
doc-tohrleh-car doc-tohr-khleh-car-kah |
doctor |
| лекар специјалиста / lekar specijalista | leh-car seh-cee-ahlee-stah | specialist doctor |
| хирург / hirurg | hee-roorg | surgeon |
| медицинска сестра / medicinska sestra | med-ee-ceen-skah seh-strah | nurse |
| педијатријск сестра /pedijatrisjka sestra | peh-dee-yatree-yskah seh-strah | pediatric nurse |
| геријатријска сестра /gerijatrijska sestra | geh-ree-yah-tree-yskah seh-strah | geriatric nurse |
| negovatelj negovateljica | neh-goh-vah-telyneh-goh-vah-tely-tsah | caregiver |
| лаборант / laborant | lab-or-ah-nt | lab technician |
| зубар / zubarзубарка [F] | zoo-barzoo-bar-kah | dentist |
| апотекар [M]апотекарка [F] | apho-teh-carahpo-teh-car-kah | pharmacist |
| ветеринар / veterinar | vet-ehree-nahr | veterinarian |
| Serbian Cyrillic / Latin | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| полицајац / policajac [M]полицајка / policajka [F] | poh-lee-tca-yatc-po-lee-tcah-jkah | policeman policewoman |
| ватрогасац / vatrogasac | vah-troh-gah-sahtc | firefighter |
| војник / vojnik | voh-yneec | soldier |
| пилот / pilot | pee-lot | pilot |
| астронаут / astronaut | astro-nah-uth | astronaut |
Unlike health workers, employees in education are not particularly valued members of society in Serbia. This is a very strange trend in the past few years which cannot be explained in a simple way. I will not bother you with that...I just wanted to point out that jobs in education in Serbia are underpaid and unpopular. I hope that this situation will change in near future.
| Serbian Cyrillic / Latin | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| васпитач / vaspitač | vah-spee-tach | educator or teacher in kindergarten and pree-school |
| учитељ / učitelj [M]учитељица / učiteljica [F] | oo-chee-telyoo-chee-tely-cah | teacher (first 4 grades) |
| наставник / nastavnik [M] наставница / nastavnica [F] | nah-sath-vneeknah-sath-vnee-tcah | teacher (5th - 8th grade) |
| професор / profesor [M] професорица / profesorica[F] | proh-fehs-ohrproh-fehs-ohr-eetcah | professor (high school and university) |
| педагог / pedagog | peh-dah-gohg | pedagogue / counselor |
| психолог / psiholog | psee-hoh-log | psychologist |
| социјални радник /socijalni radnik | soh-cee-ah-lnee rah-dneec | social worker |
| хранитељ / hranitelj | hrah-nee-tely | foster parent |
| Serbian Cyrillic / Latin | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| инжињер / inžiner [M]инжињерка / inžinerка [F] | een-zhee-nyeereen-zhee-nyeer-kah | engineer |
| архитекта / arhitekta | ahr-hee-tehk-tah | architect |
| дизајнер ентеријера /dizajner enterijera | dee-zah-yner ehn-teh-ree-yeh-rah | interior designer |
| дизајнер екстеријера / dizajner eksterijera | dee-zah-yner eh-ksteh-ree-yeh-rah | exterior designer |
| кућепазитељ / kućepazitelj | koo-tse-pah-zee-tely | caretaker |
| чистачица / čistačica | chee-stah-chee-tcah | cleaning lady |
| молер /moler | painter | |
| електричар / električar | eleh-tree-chahr | electrician |
| водоинсталатер /vodoinstalater | voh-doh-instah-lahter | plumber |
| столар-тесар / stolar-tesar | stoh-larhr teh-sahr | carpenter |
| бравар / bravar | brah-vahr | locksmith |
| заваривач / zavarivač | zah-vah-ree-vahch | welder |
| зидар / zidar | zee-dahr | mason |
| армирач / armirač | ahr-mee-rah-ch | reinforcer |
This is an extremely popular industry in Serbia. There are many specific jobs within this big market but I tried to make a shortlist of the most popular professions.
| Serbian Cyrillic / Latin | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| програмер / programer | proh-grah-mehr | software developer |
| графички дизајнер / grafički dizajner | grah-fee-ch-cee dee-zah-jnehe | graphic designer |
| inženjer elektrotehnike i računarstva | een-gener eh-lektro-teh-nee-keh ee rachun-nar-stvah | electrical and computer engineer |
| мултимедијални техничар / multimedijalni tehničar | muh-lee-med-ee-ahl-nee teh-nee-char | multimedia technician |
| Serbian Cyrillic / Latin | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| економиста / ekonomista | eco-noh-mee-stah | economist |
| књиговођа / knjigovođа | kny-goh-vodj-ah | accountant |
| адвокат / advokat | ah-dvoh-caht | lawyer |
| јавни тужилац / javni tužilac | jah-vnee too-zylahc | public attorney |
| судија / sudija | soo-dee-yah | judge |
People from those professions are always wanted on the labor market.
| Serbian Cyrillic / Latin | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| продавац / prodavac [M]продавачица / prodavačica [F] | proh-dah-vatcproh-dah-vach-ee-tcah | salesman saleswoman |
| пекар / pekar | peh-kahr | baker |
| месар / mesar | meh-sahr | butcher |
| кувар / kuvar [M]куварица / kuvarica [F] | coo-vahrcoo-vahr-ree-tcah | cook |
| шеф кухиње / šef kuhinje | shehf koo-hee-nyeh | chef |
| возач / vozač | voh-zatc | driver |
| возач камиона / vozač kamiona | voh-zach kah-mee-oh-nah | truck driver |
| возач аутобуса /vozač autobusa | voh-zach ah-oo-toh-buh-sah | bus driver |
| аутомеханичар /automehaničar | ah-oo-toh-meh-ah-nee-chahr | car mechanic |
| магационер / magacioner | mah-gah-tcee-oh-nehr | storekeeper |
| конобар / konobar [M]конобарица / konobarica [F] | koh-noh-barkoh-noh-bar-ee-tsa | waiter |
The film and music industry in Serbia is pretty powerful and important. It employs a large number of people.
| Serbian Cyrillic / Latin | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| диригент / dirigent | dee-ree-gehnt | conductor |
| фотограф / fotograf | foto-graph | photographer |
| сликар / slikar | slee-car | painter |
| писац / pisac | pee-sahtc | writer |
| новинар / novinar [M]новинарка / novinarka [F] | noh-wee-nahrnoh-wee-nahr-kah | journalist |
| глумац / glumacглумица / glumica | gloo-mahcgloo-mee-tcah | actor actress |
| режисер / režiser | reh-zy-sehr | director |
| сценариста / scenarista | sceh-nahr-ee-stah | screenwriter |
| певач / pevačпевачица / pevačica | peh-vachpeh-vach-ee-tca | singer |
| музичар / muzičarмузичарка / muzičarka | moo-zee-chahrmoo-zee-chahr-kah | musician |
| фризер / frizer фризерка / frizerka | free-zehrfree-zehr-kah | hairstylist |
| Serbian Cyrillic / Latin | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| хемичар / hemičar | heh-mee-chahr | chemist |
| физичар / fizičar | fee-zee-chahr | physicist |
| математичар / matematičar | mah-teh-math-ee-chahr | математичар |
| биолог / biolog | bee-oh-log | biologist |
| историчар / istoričar | ee-sto-ree-chahr | historian |
| географ / geograf | geh-ohg-raph | geographer |
| геолог / geolog | geh-oh-log | geologist |
| археолог / arheolog | ah-rheh-oh-log | archaeologist |
| Serbian Cyrillic / Latin | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| цвећар / цвећарцвећарка / | cveh-cahr-kah | florist |
| обућар / obućar | oh-boo-tsahr | shoemaker |
| часовничар / časovničar сајџија / sajdžija | ch-ah-soh-vnee-ch-ahrsah-yh-jee-jah | watchmaker |
| kurira - dostavljača | doh-sah-vlya-ch | delivery man |
| Serbian Cyrillic / Latin | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| занимањe / zanimanje [Sg]професија / profesija [Sg] | zah-nee-mah-nyehpro-feh-see-yah | profession |
| занимањa / zanimanja [Pl]професијe / profesije [Pl] | zah-nee-mah-nyahpro-feh-see-yeh | professions |
| запосленик / zaposlenikрадник / radnik | zah-pohs-leh-neecrah-dneec | employeeworker |
| секретар / sekretarзаступник / zastupnik | sek-reh-tahrzah-stoo-pneec | clerk official |
| колега / kolega [M]колегиница / koleginica [F] | coh-leh-gahcoh-leh-gee-nee-tca | colleague |
| незапослена особа /nezaposlena osoba | neh-zah-posleh-nah ohso-bah | unemployed person / jobseeker |
| пензионер / penzioner | pehn-zee-ohn-ehr | pensioner / retiree |
| шеф / šef | sh-ehf | boss |
| директор / direktor | dee-rect-ohr | director |
| менаџер / menadžer | meh-nah-ger | manager |
| секретар / sekretar | seh-creh-tahr | secretary |
| Serbian Cyrillic / Latin | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| радити / raditi | rah-dee-tee | (to) work |
| рад / radпосао / posao | rahdpoh-sah-oh | work / job |
| радно место / radno mesto | rah-dnoh meh-stoh | workplace |
| запослење / zaposlenjeзанимање / zanimanje | zah-poh-sleh-nyehzah-nee-many-eh | employment / occupation |
| канцеларија / kancelarija | kah-nceh-lah-ree-yah | office |
| фабрика / fabrika | fah-bree-cah | factory |
| градилиште / gradilišteбауштела / bauštela | grah-dee-lee-shtehbah-uh-shteh-lah | construction site |
| плата / plata | plah-tah | salary |
| зарадити / zaraditi | zah-rah-dee-tee | (to) earn |
| тражити посао / tražiti posao | trah-zy-tee poh-sah-oh | (to) look for a job |
| пронаћи посао /pronaći posao | proh-nah-tsy poh-sah-oh | (to) find a job |
| интервју за посао / intervju za posao | een-tehr-wyou zah poh-sah-oh | job interview |
| CV биографија / biografija | see-weebioh-grah-fee-jah | CV |
| образовање / obrazovanje | obrah-zoh-vah-nyeh | education |
| искуство / iskustvo | ees-coo-stvoh | experience |
The labor market in Serbia is interesting and unpredictable. That's why we have new professions every few years and sometimes can be hard to keep track of. I hope that this article has words related to different professions that will be useful for you.
If you want to learn more expressions from this niche, date and time vocabulary, or emergency phrases, you can use Ling App and fun along the way.
