How to Say You’re Welcome in Serbian

You’re welcome in Serbian is a way to respond when someone says thank you.

Learning a couple of basic phrases such as hello, goodbye, thank you, and you’re welcome in Serbian or maybe even the most common Serbian Christmas greetings, can be very useful for those who have Serbian friends or emotional partners from this beautiful country. So, if you happen to be visiting Serbia, you will notice that people there are very vocal, and they love to talk. I’m sure that you will pick up the basic phrases in no time since you can hear them basically everywhere you go.

Knowing how to say you’re welcome in the Serbian language (and “thank you” for that matter) will show native speakers that you are friendly, polite, and kind…just like they are.

Additionally, the locals know that foreigners sometimes struggle with their language, so they will be thrilled to hear you speak Serbian and be happy to help you speak their mother language even better. Let’s start by teaching you how to say “you’re welcome” in Serbian… and ‘thank you’ as well.

How do you say thank you in Serbian?

Saying thank you in Serbian is an easy thing to remember, which is great for beginners. It consists of a single word, and that is:

Хвала (Cyrillic Letters)

Hvala (Latin Alphabet)

The first thing you need to understand about thank you in Serbian is that you may say it when communicating with people regardless of their gender. That basically means that it is a universal expression, and you will be using it everywhere you go (if you want to be polite). After all, native speakers use this phrase every single day. You may hear it in grocery stores, restaurants, and so on. For instance, if you are buying fresh produce at the market and the salesperson hands you back the change, you could let them know that you are happy with the purchase by saying ‘hvala’.

More ways to say thank you in Serbian

If you happen to be in a situation where you feel like ‘hvala’ is simply not enough, there are some additional Serbian phrases you can use. If a person has gone out of their way to be nice to you, say the following:

Много вам хвала (Cyrillic Letters)

Mnogo vam hvala (Latin Alphabet)

This phrase means ‘Thank you very much’ and it’s considered to be kind of formal. Serbians often use it when speaking to someone they don’t personally know, but they were kind to them.

Много ти хвала (Cyrillic Letters)

Mnogo ti hvala (Latin Alphabet)

As you can see, this is a variation of the previously mentioned phrase. However, it is more informal. The phrase has the same meaning. It is used when thanking your friends, family, coworkers, or acquaintances.

Хвала лепо (Cyrillic Letters)

Hvala lepo (Latin Alphabet)

This phrase fits both formal and informal conversations. It sends a message of extra gratitude to the person you are talking to. Translating it to English is a bit tricky, but essentially it means ‘Thanks a lot’.

How to reply when someone says thank you in Serbian?

Knowing how to say you’re welcome in Serbian (as a reply to thank you) is equally important. If you regularly communicate with the native speakers of the Serbian language, you might have already heard these phrases, or you are at least familiar with them. There are a couple of ways to respond to ‘thank you’, so here they are:

Молим (Cyrillic Letters)

Molim (Latin Alphabet)

This is the most common reply, and it is widely used among native speakers. It is both formal and informal. It means ‘You are welcome’.

Нема на чему (Cyrillic Letters)

Nema na čemu (Latin Alphabet)

This phrase is not as common as the previous one, but you might still hear it occasionally. It is slightly more formal. Nevertheless, you may use it when speaking to your friends too. When translated into English, this phrase means “Don’t worry about it” or “There is nothing to thank me for” if you want the literal translation.

Молим, и други пут. (Cyrillic Letters)

Molim, i drugi put. (Latin Alphabet)

Translating this one into English is a bit tricky, but I will try with something like “You are welcome — and next time as well”

Or if you’re a really good friend of thе person you are talking to, you can also say:

Знам да би ит и исто урадио за мене. (Cyrillic Letters)

Znam da bi ti isto uradio za mene. (Latin Alphabet)

This sentence means “I know you would do the same thing for me” in English.

Why polite words matter

Now that you know that polite words in Serbian are not so hard to learn, there is no excuse for not including them in your vocabulary when talking to your coworkers, friends, neighbors, etc. They are a sign of respect and good manners all around the world. ‘Hvala’ fits every situation, so use it when speaking to the people around you. Always remember that you can brighten someone’s day by being well-mannered and polite.

The importance of basic phrases

The majority of Serbian people have at least a basic knowledge of English. They can easily understand you even if you stick to English when talking to them. But remember one thing, the older population is not so well versed in English, so memorizing phrases such as “hvala” and “molim” can help you out a lot. It is a sign of politeness and respect, which is always a good thing.

If you want to learn more Serbian words, expressions, and phrases through engaging and easy lessons, check out the Ling App. This application can help you get a hang of the essential Serbian words and phrases.

Next, let’s learn some more Serbian phrases and words, such as how to say no in Serbian.

Original blog post: https://ling-app.com/sr/how-to-say-youre-welcome-in-serbian/