One of the most exciting things about learning a language is the moment a real person steps into the lesson - not a grammar rule, not a vocabulary list, but a human being with a name, a job, a family, and a story. That is exactly what this interactive video lesson gives you. Today we are going to meet an inspector, and by the end of the lesson you will be able to talk about people in Serbian: who they are, how old they are, where they work, and whether they have a family.
This lesson is part of the Serbian101 course and it builds directly on the vocabulary you have already seen. If you are a complete beginner, do not worry - the words are introduced clearly and the examples are kept simple. Take your time, watch the video more than once if you need to, and enjoy meeting our inspector.
What is this lesson?
This is an interactive video lesson that introduces a character - an inspector - and uses his story to teach you some of the most useful everyday vocabulary in Serbian. The lesson focuses on describing a person: their age, their profession, their marital status, and their family. These are exactly the kinds of things that come up in real conversations almost immediately, whether you are meeting someone for the first time, filling in a form, or simply making small talk.
The format is interactive, which means you are not just a passive viewer. You will be asked questions and given a chance to respond before the answer appears. This active engagement makes the vocabulary stick much more effectively than simply reading a list. By the time you finish the lesson, the key words will feel familiar and natural rather than memorized.
The key words
Before you watch, take a moment to look over the vocabulary from the lesson. You will find all of these words in the video, and knowing them in advance will help you follow the story more easily.
| Serbian | English |
|---|---|
| on | he |
| iz | from |
| godina | year |
| godine | years |
| imati | to have |
| on ima | he has |
| star | old |
| inspektor | inspector |
| raditi | to work |
| on radi | he works |
| oženjen | married (for a man) |
| udata | married (for a woman) |
| dete | child |
| deca | children |
| sin | son |
| ćerka | daughter |
A small but important note on oženjen and udata: Serbian, like many languages, uses different words for "married" depending on whether the subject is a man or a woman. A man is oženjen (literally, he has taken a wife). A woman is udata (literally, she has been given away). You will hear both in the video and in everyday conversation.
Hear it
Watch the lesson now. Try to answer the questions as they appear before the answer is revealed. The more actively you engage, the more the words will stick.
More Serbian examples
Here are some example sentences using the vocabulary from the lesson. Read each one carefully, notice how the words change depending on the context, and try saying them aloud.
On ima cetrdeset godina.
He is forty years old.
On radi u Beogradu.
He works in Belgrade.
On je oženjen i ima dvoje dece.
He is married and has two children.
Njegova ćerka je student.
His daughter is a student.
Let us extend the story a little with a few more sentences that use the same vocabulary in slightly different ways. These are not in the video, but they follow naturally from it.
On je inspektor iz Novog Sada.
He is an inspector from Novi Sad.
Koliko godina ima njegov sin?
How old is his son? (Literally: How many years does his son have?)
Njegova žena je udata lekar.
His wife is a married doctor. (Here "udata" would not normally be used this way - in natural speech you would just say "Njegova žena je lekar." This example illustrates that "udata" stands alone: "Ona je udata" - She is married.)
Ona je udata i ima jedno dete.
She is married and has one child.
Deca idu u školu svaki dan.
The children go to school every day.
How to describe people in Serbian - a quick guide
Once you have the vocabulary from this lesson, you can start building short descriptions of any person. Here is the basic pattern:
To say someone's name: On se zove Marko. (His name is Marko. Literally: He calls himself Marko.)
To say where someone is from: On je iz Beograda. (He is from Belgrade.)
To say someone's age: On ima trideset pet godina. (He is thirty-five years old.)
To say someone's job: On je inspektor. (He is an inspector.)
To say someone is married: On je oženjen. / Ona je udata.
To say someone has children: On ima dvoje dece. (He has two children.)
Put it all together and you get a natural introduction:
On se zove Marko. On je iz Beograda. Ima cetrdeset godina. On je inspektor. Oženjen je i ima dvoje dece - sina i ćerku.
His name is Marko. He is from Belgrade. He is forty years old. He is an inspector. He is married and has two children - a son and a daughter.
Try writing a similar paragraph about yourself or someone you know. Use the vocabulary from the table above and change only the details. This kind of personal practice is one of the fastest ways to make new words your own.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Serbian use different words for "married" depending on gender?
Serbian, like many Slavic languages, is a highly gendered language. Almost every noun, adjective, and past-tense verb changes its form depending on whether it refers to a masculine or feminine subject. The distinction between oženjen (married, for a man) and udata (married, for a woman) is a natural part of this system. Once you get used to thinking about gender agreement, these distinctions start to feel very logical rather than confusing.
How do you say the ages in Serbian?
Serbian uses the verb imati (to have) rather than the verb "to be" when talking about age. So instead of "He is forty years old," you say On ima cetrdeset godina - literally "He has forty years." The word godina (year) changes form depending on the number: one year is godina, two to four years uses godine, and five or more years uses godina again (the genitive plural). It takes a little practice but the pattern becomes clear quickly.
What is the difference between "dete" and "deca"?
Dete is the singular form - one child. Deca is the plural form - children. This is a standard singular/plural pair, but it is worth noting because the two forms look quite different. Serbian has several nouns like this where the plural looks very unlike the singular. The good news is that deca is used so frequently that you will learn it very quickly.
Is this lesson suitable for absolute beginners?
Yes. The lesson is designed to be accessible to learners with very little prior knowledge of Serbian. All the key words are introduced clearly in the video, and the interactive format means you are guided through the content step by step. If you have completed a few lessons of Serbian101, you will find the vocabulary familiar and the new words very manageable.
Can I use this vocabulary to describe a woman instead of a man?
Absolutely. Most of the vocabulary works the same way. The main change is that instead of oženjen you use udata, and any adjectives will take their feminine forms. For example: Ona je inspektorka iz Beograda. Ima trideset osam godina. Udata je i ima jedno dete. (She is an inspector from Belgrade. She is thirty-eight years old. She is married and has one child.) The course covers feminine forms in more detail in later lessons.
I really hope you enjoy meeting our inspector and that the interactive format makes the vocabulary feel lively and real. Learning languages is always easier when there is a person at the heart of the story. Leave a comment below if you want to write a short description of someone using the vocabulary from this lesson - I would love to read them.
Srećno i do sledećeg puta,
Marina Petrovic
Want to keep building your everyday vocabulary? Visit More everyday Serbian for more words, phrases, and practice exercises.