Learning a new language can be a challenging yet rewarding experience. If you’re studying Bosnian and have reached the B1 level, congratulations! You’ve made significant progress. At this stage, expanding your vocabulary is crucial for improving your conversational skills and understanding more complex texts. In this article, we will cover 50 essential words you need to know for Bosnian at the B1 level. These words will help you navigate various everyday situations and enrich your language skills.
Everyday Verbs
1. **Razumjeti** – To understand
– “Da li me razumijete?” (Do you understand me?)
2. **Govoriti** – To speak
– “Mogu li govoriti sa menadžerom?” (Can I speak to the manager?)
3. **Pisati** – To write
– “Pisao sam pismo jučer.” (I wrote a letter yesterday.)
4. **Čitati** – To read
– “Volim čitati knjige.” (I love to read books.)
5. **Putovati** – To travel
– “Putovat ćemo u Hrvatsku sljedeće sedmice.” (We will travel to Croatia next week.)
6. **Učiti** – To learn
– “Učim bosanski jezik.” (I am learning the Bosnian language.)
7. **Slušati** – To listen
– “Slušam muziku.” (I am listening to music.)
8. **Kuhati** – To cook
– “Kuham večeru za prijatelje.” (I am cooking dinner for friends.)
Common Nouns
9. **Kuća** – House
– “Ovo je moja kuća.” (This is my house.)
10. **Stan** – Apartment
– “Živim u stanu.” (I live in an apartment.)
11. **Automobil** – Car
– “Imam novi automobil.” (I have a new car.)
12. **Posao** – Job
– “Tražim posao.” (I am looking for a job.)
13. **Škola** – School
– “Moje dijete ide u školu.” (My child goes to school.)
14. **Grad** – City
– “Sarajevo je glavni grad Bosne i Hercegovine.” (Sarajevo is the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina.)
15. **Država** – Country
– “Bosna i Hercegovina je lijepa država.” (Bosnia and Herzegovina is a beautiful country.)
16. **Vrijeme** – Time/Weather
– “Kakvo je vrijeme danas?” (What is the weather like today?)
Useful Adjectives
17. **Lijep** – Beautiful
– “Ovo je lijep dan.” (This is a beautiful day.)
18. **Topao** – Warm
– “Danas je topao dan.” (Today is a warm day.)
19. **Zanimljiv** – Interesting
– “Ovaj film je zanimljiv.” (This movie is interesting.)
20. **Težak** – Difficult
– “Ovo pitanje je teško.” (This question is difficult.)
21. **Brz** – Fast
– “On je vrlo brz.” (He is very fast.)
22. **Spor** – Slow
– “Internet je danas spor.” (The internet is slow today.)
23. **Skup** – Expensive
– “Ova haljina je skupa.” (This dress is expensive.)
24. **Jeftin** – Cheap
– “Ovaj proizvod je jeftin.” (This product is cheap.)
Common Adverbs
25. **Uvijek** – Always
– “Uvijek dolazim na vrijeme.” (I always arrive on time.)
26. **Često** – Often
– “Često idem u park.” (I often go to the park.)
27. **Ponekad** – Sometimes
– “Ponekad gledam TV.” (Sometimes I watch TV.)
28. **Rijetko** – Rarely
– “Rijetko putujem.” (I rarely travel.)
29. **Nikad** – Never
– “Nikad ne jedem brzu hranu.” (I never eat fast food.)
30. **Dobro** – Well
– “On govori dobro bosanski.” (He speaks Bosnian well.)
31. **Loše** – Badly
– “Osjećam se loše.” (I feel bad.)
Essential Pronouns
32. **Ja** – I
– “Ja sam student.” (I am a student.)
33. **Ti** – You (singular informal)
– “Ti si moj prijatelj.” (You are my friend.)
34. **On/ona/ono** – He/She/It
– “On je doktor.” (He is a doctor.)
35. **Mi** – We
– “Mi volimo sport.” (We love sports.)
36. **Vi** – You (plural or formal singular)
– “Vi ste učitelj.” (You are a teacher.)
37. **Oni/one/ona** – They
– “Oni su učenici.” (They are students.)
Important Prepositions
38. **U** – In
– “Živim u Sarajevu.” (I live in Sarajevo.)
39. **Na** – On
– “Knjiga je na stolu.” (The book is on the table.)
40. **Iz** – From
– “Dolazim iz Amerike.” (I come from America.)
41. **Sa** – With
– “Idem sa prijateljima.” (I am going with friends.)
42. **Za** – For
– “Ovo je za tebe.” (This is for you.)
43. **Do** – Until
– “Radim do pet sati.” (I work until five o’clock.)
Common Conjunctions
44. **I** – And
– “Imam psa i mačku.” (I have a dog and a cat.)
45. **Ali** – But
– “Želim doći, ali ne mogu.” (I want to come, but I can’t.)
46. **Jer** – Because
– “Sretan sam jer je sunčano.” (I am happy because it is sunny.)
47. **Ako** – If
– “Ako bude kiše, ostajemo kući.” (If it rains, we stay at home.)
Necessary Questions
48. **Kako?** – How?
– “Kako si?” (How are you?)
49. **Šta?** – What?
– “Šta radiš?” (What are you doing?)
50. **Gdje?** – Where?
– “Gdje je autobuska stanica?” (Where is the bus station?)
Understanding and using these 50 essential words will greatly improve your Bosnian language skills at the B1 level. Each of these words is a building block that will help you create more complex sentences and engage in more meaningful conversations. Practice using them in context, and don’t hesitate to incorporate them into your daily language practice. The more you use these words, the more natural they will become, aiding you in your journey towards fluency in Bosnian.
Contextual Usage
To further enhance your understanding, let’s look at these words in various contexts. Below are a few example sentences that incorporate multiple words from our list.
1. **Traveling and Directions**
– “Kada putujem u novi grad, uvijek pitam lokalne ljude: Gdje je najbolji restoran?” (When I travel to a new city, I always ask local people: Where is the best restaurant?)
– “Ako razumijete znakove, možete lako pronaći put do hotela.” (If you understand the signs, you can easily find the way to the hotel.)
2. **Daily Activities**
– “Svako jutro slušam muziku dok kuham doručak.” (Every morning I listen to music while I cook breakfast.)
– “Ponekad idem u park jer volim biti na svježem zraku.” (Sometimes I go to the park because I like to be in the fresh air.)
3. **Work and Study**
– “Radim u velikoj firmi, ali tražim novi posao jer želim promjenu.” (I work in a big company, but I am looking for a new job because I want a change.)
– “Učim bosanski jezik jer želim bolje razumjeti kulturu.” (I am learning the Bosnian language because I want to better understand the culture.)
Building Conversations
Engaging in conversations is one of the best ways to practice and retain new vocabulary. Here are some dialogue examples using the words we’ve covered:
1. **At a Restaurant**
– Konobar: “Šta želite naručiti?”
– Vi: “Želio bih probati lokalno jelo. Možete li preporučiti nešto?”
– Konobar: “Preporučujem ćevape. Vrlo su ukusni i popularni.”
Translation:
– Waiter: “What would you like to order?”
– You: “I would like to try a local dish. Can you recommend something?”
– Waiter: “I recommend ćevapi. They are very tasty and popular.”
2. **Meeting New People**
– Osoba A: “Kako se zovete?”
– Osoba B: “Zovem se Ana. Drago mi je što sam vas upoznala.”
– Osoba A: “I meni je drago. Odakle ste?”
– Osoba B: “Dolazim iz Hrvatske, ali živim u Bosni.”
Translation:
– Person A: “What is your name?”
– Person B: “My name is Ana. Nice to meet you.”
– Person A: “Nice to meet you too. Where are you from?”
– Person B: “I am from Croatia, but I live in Bosnia.”
Practice Makes Perfect
The key to mastering these essential words is consistent practice. Here are a few tips to help you integrate these words into your daily routine:
1. **Flashcards**: Create flashcards with the Bosnian word on one side and the English translation on the other. Test yourself regularly.
2. **Language Apps**: Use language learning apps that allow you to practice vocabulary through interactive exercises.
3. **Journaling**: Keep a journal in Bosnian. Try to write a few sentences every day using the new words you’ve learned.
4. **Conversations**: Find a language exchange partner or join a language learning group. Practice speaking with others as much as possible.
5. **Media**: Watch Bosnian movies, listen to Bosnian music, and read Bosnian news articles. Try to identify and understand the words you’ve learned.
Conclusion
Learning a new language is a journey that requires patience, dedication, and practice. By focusing on these 50 essential words, you’ll build a strong foundation that will help you progress to higher levels of proficiency in Bosnian. Keep practicing, stay curious, and most importantly, enjoy the process of learning. Sretno! (Good luck!)
