Emergency

1. Помоћ!

   PO-moć

   Help!

   Usage

   Shouted when you need immediate help in an emergency

   Grammar Note

   помоћ is the noun "help." ћ represents a soft palatal sound. Used as an urgent single-word cry for help

2. Зовите полицију!

   ZO-vi-te po-LI-ci-ju

   Call the police!

   Usage

   Requesting police assistance in a crime or dangerous situation

   Grammar Note

   зовите is the formal imperative of звати (to call). полицију is the accusative of полиција (police)

3. Позовите хитну помоћ!

   PO-zo-vi-te HIT-nu PO-moć

   Call an ambulance!

   Usage

   Requesting an ambulance in a medical emergency

   Grammar Note

   хитна помоћ literally means "urgent help" and refers to emergency medical services. хитну is feminine accusative

4. Изгубио/Изгубила сам пасош

   iz-GU-bio / iz-GU-bi-la sam PA-soš

   I have lost my passport

   Usage

   Reporting a lost passport to police or embassy (men say изгубио, women изгубила)

   Grammar Note

   Serbian perfect: auxiliary сам + l-participle. изгубио (masculine), изгубила (feminine)

5. Опљачкали су ме

   op-ljač-KA-li su me

   I have been robbed

   Usage

   Reporting a robbery or theft to police

   Grammar Note

   опљачкали су ме: "they have robbed me." Serbian often uses 3rd plural for an unspecified agent

6. Потребна ми је помоћ лекара

   po-TREB-na mi je PO-moć LE-ka-ra

   I need a doctor's help

   Usage

   Expressing the urgent need for medical assistance

   Grammar Note

   потребна ми је: "it is needed to me." ми is dative. лекара is genitive of лекар (doctor)

7. Алергичан/Алергична сам на пеницилин

   a-LER-gi-čan / a-LER-gič-na sam na pe-ni-ci-LIN

   I am allergic to penicillin

   Usage

   Informing medical staff about a penicillin allergy (men say алергичан, women алергична)

   Grammar Note

   алергичан is masculine. Female: алергична сам. на + accusative expresses "to/toward"

8. Где је најближа болница?

   GDE je NAJ-bli-ža BOL-ni-ca

   Where is the nearest hospital?

   Usage

   Asking for the nearest hospital in an urgent situation

   Grammar Note

   болница is a feminine noun, so the superlative adjective is feminine: најближа

9. Пожар! Зовите ватрогасце!

   PO-žar! ZO-vi-te va-tro-GAS-ce!

   Fire! Call the firefighters!

   Usage

   Alerting people to a fire and calling for emergency services

   Grammar Note

   ватрогасце is the accusative plural of ватрогасац (firefighter). Accusative is used for direct objects

10. Молим вас, хитно ми треба преводилац

    MO-lim vas, HIT-no mi TRE-ba pre-VO-di-lac

    I urgently need an interpreter

    Usage

    Requesting an interpreter urgently when facing a language barrier in an emergency

    Grammar Note

    ми треба: dative construction "to me is needed." хитно is an adverb from хитан (urgent)

11. Престаните!

    Pres-ta-ni-te!

    Stop it!

    Usage

    A flat refusal to a pushy tout, a follower, or unwanted contact. The point is that you can show it on screen without saying a word

    Grammar Note

    Polite-form (Ви) imperative, but unmistakably a hard refusal; to call for bystanders use "Помоћ!"

12. Не дирајте ме!

    Ne di-raj-te me!

    Don't touch me!

    Usage

    Refuses physical contact outright; if someone is handling your belongings, "Не дирајте моје ствари!"

    Grammar Note

    "Не" plus the polite imperative forms a prohibition; "ме" is the short accusative "me"

13. Украли су ми ствари

    U-kra-li su mi stva-ri

    My things have been stolen

    Usage

    Reports a theft to police or hotel reception. "Опљачкали су ме" means being mugged, so use this one for pickpocketing or a stolen bag

    Grammar Note

    Impersonal third-person plural ("they stole"); swap in the item, e.g. "Украли су ми новчаник" (wallet) or "телефон" (phone)

14. Лопов

    Lo-pov

    Thief

    Usage

    Point at this to say that someone has stolen from you

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun, plural "лопови"; the act of theft itself is "крађа"

15. Разбојништво

    Raz-boj-niš-tvo

    Robbery

    Usage

    Taking property by force or threat; this is the offence name in the Serbian criminal code

    Grammar Note

    Neuter noun. Разбојништво is the legal term for robbery; theft without force is крађа.

16. Џепарош

    Dže-pa-roš

    Pickpocket

    Usage

    The thief who lifts things out of pockets

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun built on "џеп" (pocket); it is a narrower kind of "лопов" (thief)

17. Отмица

    Ot-mi-ca

    Kidnapping

    Usage

    Carrying a person off by force and holding them; a hijacking is also "отмица"

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun. Отмица is also used as the name of the kidnapping offence.

18. Пожар! Бежите!

    PO-žar! BE-ži-te

    Fire! Run!

    Usage

    Used to alert others to a fire and tell them to get out

    Grammar Note

    "Пожар" means fire. "Бежите" is the plural/polite imperative of "бежати" (to flee from danger), with the imperative ending -ите

19. Лопов! Ухватите га!

    LO-pov! U-hva-ti-te ga

    Thief! Catch him!

    Usage

    Used to call on bystanders when you catch someone stealing

    Grammar Note

    "Лопов" means thief. "Ухватите" is the plural/polite imperative of "ухватити" (to catch), with the ending -ите. "га" is the accusative clitic "him"

20. Где је полицијска станица?

    GDE je po-li-CIJ-ska STA-ni-ca

    Where is the police station?

    Usage

    Used to ask the way to a police station, e.g. to report a crime

    Grammar Note

    "Где је + noun phrase?" means "Where is …?". "Полицијска станица" is "police station"; the adjective "полицијска" agrees with the feminine noun "станица". Serbian uses "станица" here, unlike Croatian "postaja"

21. Потребна ми је потврда о крађи

    PO-treb-na mi je pot-VR-da o KRA-đi

    I need a theft report

    Usage

    Used at a police station to ask for written proof of a theft, e.g. for an insurance claim

    Grammar Note

    "Потребна ми је + feminine noun" means "I need …"; "потребна" agrees with the feminine noun "потврда" (certificate). In "потврда о крађи", "крађи" is the locative of "крађа" (theft); о + locative means "about/of"

22. Да ли неко говори јапански?

    da li NE-ko go-VO-ri ja-PAN-ski

    Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?

    Usage

    Used to look for someone who can interpret when you cannot make yourself understood

    Grammar Note

    "Да ли … говори + language" asks whether someone speaks a language; the subject is "неко" (someone). "јапански" is the adjective "Japanese" and also names the language

23. Ова особа је без свести

    O-va O-so-ba je bez SVES-ti

    This person is unconscious

    Usage

    Used to tell paramedics or bystanders that someone has passed out

    Grammar Note

    "Ова особа" means "this person" (demonstrative ова + feminine noun особа). "Без свести" means "unconscious"; без governs the genitive. "Свест" is the ekavian form (ijekavian: свијест)

24. Неко се дави!

    NE-ko se DA-vi

    Someone is drowning

    Usage

    Used to raise the alarm when you see someone in the water

    Grammar Note

    "Неко" is the indefinite pronoun "someone". "Давити" means to choke; the reflexive "давити се" means drowning in water

25. Претукли су ме

    pre-TUK-li su me

    I was beaten

    Usage

    Used to report an assault to the police or to medical staff

    Grammar Note

    "3rd person plural past + ме (me)" reports what happened to you without naming the agent. "Претући" is the perfective of "тући" (to beat) with the prefix пре-

26. Изболи су ме

    iz-BO-li su me

    I was stabbed

    Usage

    Used to tell paramedics or police that you have been stabbed

    Grammar Note

    "3rd person plural past + ме (me)" reports what happened to you without naming the agent. "Избости" is the perfective of "бости" (to pierce) with the prefix из-, meaning to stab in several places

27. Провалили су ми у собу

    pro-VA-li-li su mi u SO-bu

    My room was broken into

    Usage

    Used to report to police or hotel staff that your room was broken into while you were out

    Grammar Note

    "3rd person plural past + су + dative ми (to me)" reports the offence, with the victim in the dative. "Собу" in "у собу" is the accusative of "соба" (room); у + accusative means "into"

28. Та особа је кривац

    Ta O-so-ba je KRI-vac

    That person is the culprit

    Usage

    Used to point out the offender to the police

    Grammar Note

    "Та особа" means "that person" (demonstrative та + feminine noun особа). "Кривац" is the one at fault, the culprit

29. Преварили су ме

    pre-VA-ri-li su me

    I was deceived

    Usage

    Used to report a scam or a rip-off to the police

    Grammar Note

    "3rd person plural past + ме (me)" reports what happened to you without naming the agent. "Преварити" is the perfective verb for deliberately deceiving someone; its noun is "превара" (fraud)

30. Украли су ми новчаник

    U-kra-li su mi nov-ČA-nik

    My wallet was stolen

    Usage

    Used to report a stolen wallet to the police

    Grammar Note

    "3rd person plural past + су + dative ми (to me)" reports a theft, with the victim in the dative. "Новчаник" (wallet) is derived from "новац" (money); as a masculine inanimate noun its accusative equals the nominative

31. Заборавио/Заборавила сам нешто

    za-bo-RA-vio / za-bo-RA-vi-la sam NEŠ-to

    I forgot something

    Usage

    Used to tell shop or station staff that you have left something behind

    Grammar Note

    The Serbian perfect is "сам + l-participle": men say "Заборавио сам", women "Заборавила сам". "Нешто" is the indefinite pronoun "something", here the object (accusative)

32. Ударио ме је аутомобил

    U-da-rio me je au-to-MO-bil

    I was hit by a car

    Usage

    Used to report that a car has hit you

    Grammar Note

    "Аутомобил" means car. The past participle (ударио) agrees with the subject "аутомобил" (masculine), so it does not change with the speaker's gender. "Ме" is the accusative clitic "me"

33. Бежите кроз излаз у случају опасности!

    BE-ži-te kroz IZ-laz u SLU-ča-ju o-PAS-nos-ti

    Please escape through the emergency exit

    Usage

    Used to direct others to the escape route in a fire or other emergency

    Grammar Note

    "Излаз у случају опасности" is the sign wording for "emergency exit". "Кроз" is a preposition governing the accusative ("through"). "Бежите" is the plural/polite imperative of "бежати" (to flee), with the ending -ите

34. Пазите!

    PA-zi-te

    Watch out!

    Usage

    Used to warn someone of immediate danger

    Grammar Note

    "Пазите" is the plural/polite imperative of "пазити" (to be careful), with the ending -ите. "Пазити на …" means to watch out for something; here it is used on its own as a warning with no object

35. Пожурите, молим вас

    po-ŽU-ri-te, MO-lim vas

    Please hurry

    Usage

    Used to ask emergency services or anyone else to move quickly

    Grammar Note

    "Plural imperative + молим вас (please)" makes a polite request. "Пожурити" is the perfective of "журити" (to hurry) with the prefix по-

36. Дођите одмах, молим вас

    DO-đi-te OD-mah, MO-lim vas

    Please come right away

    Usage

    Used to ask someone to come immediately in an emergency

    Grammar Note

    "Plural imperative + молим вас (please)" makes a polite request. "Дођите" is the plural/polite imperative of "доћи" (to come); "одмах" means "right away"

37. Хитно је

    HIT-no je

    It's an emergency

    Usage

    Used on the phone or at a counter to say that the situation is urgent

    Grammar Note

    "Хитно је" means "it is urgent". The sentence is impersonal with no subject, so the adjective takes the neuter form "хитно"

38. Одведите ме у болницу, молим вас

    Od-VE-di-te me u BOL-ni-cu, MO-lim vas

    Please take me to a hospital

    Usage

    Used to ask a taxi driver or a passer-by to take you to a hospital

    Grammar Note

    "Plural imperative + молим вас (please)" makes a polite request. "Одведите" is the plural/polite imperative of "одвести" (to take someone somewhere), with the ending -ите. "У болницу" is the accusative of direction (у + accusative = "into")

39. Дошло је до саобраћајне незгоде

    DO-šlo je do sa-o-bra-ĆAJ-ne ne-ZGO-de

    There has been a traffic accident

    Usage

    Report that a road accident has happened, to the emergency line or to bystanders. The emergency number in Serbia is 112

    Grammar Note

    "Дошло је до …" is an impersonal way of saying "… has occurred". The preposition "до" governs the genitive, so "саобраћајна незгода" (traffic accident) becomes "саобраћајне незгоде"

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