Educational Terms in Serbian

Basic Educational Terms

The foundation of any educational vocabulary starts with basic terms such as school, teacher, and student. In Serbian, “school” is translated to škola. The role of a “teacher” is referred to as nastavnik for a male and nastavnica for a female. “Student” can be either student (male) or studentkinja (female).

Idem u školu svakog dana. (I go to school every day.)
Naš nastavnik matematike je veoma strog. (Our math teacher is very strict.)
Studentkinja sam na Univerzitetu u Beogradu. (I am a student at the University of Belgrade.)

Classroom Language

Understanding the terms used within the classroom can greatly improve your ability to follow lessons and interact in a learning environment. Key terms include “lesson” (čas), “homework” (domaći zadatak), and “exam” (ispit).

Da li si uradio domaći zadatak? (Did you do your homework?)
Sutra imamo ispit iz istorije. (We have a history exam tomorrow.)
Čas engleskog jezika počinje u devet sati. (English lesson starts at nine o’clock.)

Academic Levels

The Serbian education system is structured into various academic levels, and understanding these can be useful. “Primary school” is known as osnovna škola, “high school” as srednja škola, and “university” as univerzitet.

Završila sam osnovnu školu sa odličnim uspehom. (I finished primary school with excellent grades.)
Učenici srednje škole često imaju mnogo obaveza. (High school students often have many responsibilities.)
Studiram pravo na univerzitetu. (I am studying law at the university.)

Types of Schools

In Serbia, there are also different types of schools catering to various educational needs and interests, such as “technical school” (tehnička škola), “art school” (umetnička škola), and “music school” (muzička škola).

Moj brat ide u tehničku školu. (My brother goes to a technical school.)
Umetnička škola razvija kreativne sposobnosti učenika. (Art school develops students’ creative abilities.)
Sviram klavir u muzičkoj školi. (I play the piano in music school.)

Higher Education

When discussing higher education, several terms are frequently used. “Faculty” is called fakultet, “master’s degree” is master studije, and “PhD” or “doctorate” is doktorat.

Upisala sam fakultet prošle godine. (I enrolled in faculty last year.)
Završavam master studije sledeće godine. (I am finishing my master’s degree next year.)
Radim na doktoratu iz biologije. (I am working on a PhD in biology.)

Educational Authorities

In any discussion about education, it’s important to know who governs and regulates the educational institutions. The “Ministry of Education” is referred to as Ministarstvo prosvete.

Ministarstvo prosvete je uvelo nove standarde za srednje obrazovanje. (The Ministry of Education has introduced new standards for secondary education.)

By familiarizing yourself with these terms and their practical applications in sentences, your journey of learning Serbian will be enriched, making interactions in educational settings more engaging and effective. Whether you’re discussing academic achievements, educational policies, or simply planning your educational path in Serbia, these terms will be fundamental components of your vocabulary.