Learning a new language can be a daunting task, but starting with the basics can make it much more manageable. If you’re embarking on the journey to learn Serbian, one of the first steps is to build a solid foundation of essential vocabulary. At the A1 level, you’ll need to become familiar with basic words that can help you navigate everyday situations. This article aims to provide you with 50 essential words you need to know to kickstart your Serbian language learning journey.

Basic Greetings and Polite Expressions

1. **Zdravo** – Hello: A common way to greet someone.
2. **Dobar dan** – Good day: Used during the daytime to greet someone.
3. **Dobro jutro** – Good morning: Used in the morning.
4. **Dobro veče** – Good evening: Used in the evening.
5. **Laku noć** – Good night: Used when parting ways for the night.
6. **Hvala** – Thank you: A polite expression of gratitude.
7. **Molim** – Please/You’re welcome: Used for politeness.
8. **Izvinite** – Excuse me: Used to get someone’s attention or apologize.
9. **Da** – Yes: Affirmative response.
10. **Ne** – No: Negative response.

Basic Numbers

11. **Jedan** – One
12. **Dva** – Two
13. **Tri** – Three
14. **Četiri** – Four
15. **Pet** – Five
16. **Šest** – Six
17. **Sedam** – Seven
18. **Osam** – Eight
19. **Devet** – Nine
20. **Deset** – Ten

Common Nouns

21. **Kuća** – House: A common term for a place of residence.
22. **Stan** – Apartment: Another type of residence.
23. **Škola** – School: Where education takes place.
24. **Posao** – Job/Work: Where one works.
25. **Trgovina** – Shop/Store: A place to buy goods.
26. **Restoran** – Restaurant: Where you dine out.
27. **Voda** – Water: Essential for life.
28. **Hrana** – Food: What you eat.
29. **Auto** – Car: A common mode of transportation.
30. **Autobus** – Bus: Another mode of public transportation.

Basic Verbs

31. **Biti** – To be: An essential verb for forming sentences.
32. **Imati** – To have: Another essential verb.
33. **Raditi** – To work: What one does for a living.
34. **Ići** – To go: Used for movement.
35. **Videti** – To see: Related to vision.
36. **Čuti** – To hear: Related to hearing.
37. **Govoriti** – To speak: Essential for communication.
38. **Jesti** – To eat: What you do with food.
39. **Piti** – To drink: What you do with beverages.
40. **Spavati** – To sleep: Essential for rest.

Days of the Week

41. **Ponedeljak** – Monday: The first day of the week.
42. **Utorak** – Tuesday: The second day of the week.
43. **Sreda** – Wednesday: The middle of the week.
44. **Četvrtak** – Thursday: The fourth day of the week.
45. **Petak** – Friday: The fifth day of the week.
46. **Subota** – Saturday: The weekend begins.
47. **Nedelja** – Sunday: The last day of the week.

Basic Adjectives

48. **Lep** – Beautiful: Used to describe something attractive.
49. **Mali** – Small: Used to describe size.
50. **Veliki** – Big: Another term used to describe size.

Conclusion

Mastering these 50 essential words will provide a solid foundation for your Serbian language learning journey. With these words, you’ll be able to greet people, count, identify common places and objects, express basic actions, and describe simple characteristics. Remember, language learning is a gradual process, and building a robust vocabulary is one of the first crucial steps. Practice these words regularly, and you’ll find yourself becoming more confident in your ability to communicate in Serbian. Happy learning!