What is the weather like in Serbian? - guess the phrases
Weather is one of those universal conversation topics that crosses every cultural barrier. Whether you are in Beograd in January or Novi Sad in August, the weather is always worth commenting on - and Serbs, like people everywhere, have a rich and expressive vocabulary for it.
This lesson was originally built around a short video featuring Ivan, who read out eight weather phrases for learners to guess and match. That video is no longer available, but all eight phrases are here, along with a guessing activity, a full vocabulary table, and plenty of context to make them stick.
The guessing activity - can you match the phrases?
Below are Ivan's eight original phrases. Before reading the translations, cover the right-hand column (or scroll slowly) and try to guess the meaning of each one from context, cognates, or any Serbian you already know. Even a good guess that turns out to be wrong is excellent learning.
| # | Serbian phrase | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunčano je. | It is sunny. |
| 2 | Tmurno je i uskoro ce oluja. | It is gloomy and a storm is coming soon. |
| 3 | Juče je bilo jako hladno a danas je sve zaledeno. | Yesterday it was very cold and today everything is frozen. |
| 4 | Jutro ce biti maglovito. | The morning will be foggy. |
| 5 | Posle kiše se vidi duga. | After the rain you can see a rainbow. |
| 6 | Oblačno je. | It is cloudy. |
| 7 | Pao je sneg. | It snowed. / Snow has fallen. |
| 8 | Hladno je i vetrovito. | It is cold and windy. |
Breaking down the most interesting phrases
Some of Ivan's eight phrases contain grammar worth pausing over:
- "Tmurno je i uskoro ce oluja." - "Tmurno" (gloomy, overcast) is a weather adjective used predicatively with "je" (is). "Uskoro" means "soon" and "ce" is the future auxiliary - "ce oluja" is a slightly colloquial shorthand for "oluja ce doći" (the storm will come).
- "Juče je bilo jako hladno a danas je sve zaledeno." - A lovely two-part sentence: "juce je bilo" (yesterday it was - past tense using "biti") contrasted with "danas je" (today it is). "Zaledeno" (frozen, iced over) comes from "led" (ice).
- "Posle kiše se vidi duga." - "Posle" (after) takes the genitive, so "kisa" (rain) becomes "kiše". "Se vidi" is the reflexive passive - "it sees itself" = "it can be seen". "Duga" means both rainbow and long (adj.) - in this context, it is unmistakably the rainbow.
- "Pao je sneg." - "Pao" is the past participle of "pasti" (to fall), masculine singular. "Sneg" (snow) is masculine. This is the standard Serbian way to say "it snowed" - literally "snow fell".
Core weather vocabulary
| Serbian | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| vreme | weather / time | neuter |
| kisa | rain | feminine |
| sneg | snow | masculine |
| vetar | wind | masculine |
| oblak | cloud | masculine |
| magla | fog | feminine |
| oluja | storm | feminine |
| led | ice | masculine |
| duga | rainbow | feminine |
A note on the original video
The original version of this lesson featured a short video recording of Ivan reading all eight phrases aloud, with learners invited to pause and guess the meaning before each translation was revealed. That video is no longer accessible. The eight phrases above are preserved exactly as Ivan presented them, and the guessing-game structure is replicated in the table format. If you have a language exchange partner or a Serbian-speaking friend, asking them to read these phrases aloud for you to guess is a perfect way to recreate the original activity.
Frequently asked questions
How do I ask "what is the weather like?" in Serbian?
"Kakvo je vreme?" - literally "What kind of weather is it?" - is the standard question. You will also hear "Kako je vreme?" (How is the weather?) which is equally natural. Both invite the kind of answers Ivan demonstrated in the eight phrases above.
What does "je" do in weather phrases like "Sunčano je"?
"Je" is the third-person singular of the verb "biti" (to be) - it means "is". Weather phrases in Serbian follow the pattern: [weather adjective/adverb] + "je". So "Sunčano je" = "It is sunny", "Hladno je" = "It is cold", "Vetrovito je" = "It is windy". The subject is implied (the weather / it) and "je" carries the copula role.
Why does "kisa" become "kiše" in "posle kiše"?
Because "posle" (after) is a preposition that always takes the genitive case. "Kisa" (rain) is a feminine noun ending in "-a", which shifts to "-e" in the genitive singular. So "posle kiše" = "after rain". The same rule applies to all feminine "-a" nouns after "posle": "posle zime" (after winter), "posle kiše" in written form, and so on.
Is "duga" really the same word as "long" (the adjective)?
Yes - "dug/duga/dugo" is the adjective meaning "long", and "duga" as a noun means rainbow. The two are etymologically related: a rainbow is the "long arc" across the sky. Context makes the meaning clear - "duga" after "vidi se" is always the rainbow, not a grammatical statement about length.
How do I say "it is going to rain" in Serbian?
"Padace kisa" (rain will fall) or "Bice kiše" (there will be rain - genitive after existential "biti") are both natural. For imminent rain you might also hear "Sprema se kisa" - literally "rain is preparing itself", which is a wonderfully vivid colloquial expression.
Weather phrases are perfect for real-world practice because you use them every single day. From tomorrow morning, try describing the weather outside your window in Serbian - even one sentence. "Hladno je i oblacno" or "Sunčano je, lepo vreme!" - that tiny daily habit builds fluency faster than you would believe.
For a fuller weather vocabulary list and more everyday Serbian phrases, head over to the Serbian vocabulary hub - all organized by topic and ready to explore.
- Marina Petrovic