Bosnian phrases | Most common phrases for everyday life

Bosnian phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in Bosnian with translation. | Free & useful

Bosnian phrases are short expressions or idioms often used in speech to be polite, express gratitude, greet or say goodbye or simply to have a pleasant conversation.

They are an important part of Bosnian culture and can be useful in different situations, both in private and business life.

Bosnian phrases you should know

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Greet someone in Bosnian

If you want to greet someone in Bosnian, it’s actually quite easy:

English	Bosnian	IPA
Welcome! in Bosnian	Dobrodošli!	[dǒbrodoʃli]
Good day to you! in Bosnian	Dobar dan!	[dǒbar dâːn]
Good morning to you! in Bosnian	Dobro jutro!	[dǒbro júːtro]
Good evening! in Bosnian	Dobra večer!	[dǒbra ʋɛ̌tʃɛr]
Good to see you. in Bosnian	Drago mi je što te vidim.	[drǎːɡo mi je ʃtǒ te ʋîdim]
I’m glad to see you. in Bosnian	Drago mi je da te vidim.	[drǎːɡo mi je da te ʋîdim]

If you are greeted in Bosnian, the best way to respond is as follows:

English	Bosnian	IPA
Have a nice day too! in Bosnian	I tebi lijep dan!	[i tɛ̌bi liěːp dǎːn]
Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. in Bosnian	Hvala, i meni je drago da te vidim.	[xʋǎːla i měni je drǎːɡo da te ʋîdim]

How is my dialogue partner?

As in any other country, it is polite to start by asking where the person you are talking to is located. Here’s how you do it:

English	Bosnian	IPA
How are you doing? in Bosnian	Kako si?	[kǎko si]
Are you doing well? in Bosnian	Jesi li dobro?	[jěsi li dǒbro]

If you are asked how you feel, you can answer with the following phrases:

English	Bosnian	IPA
Thank you for asking, I am fine.	Hvala na pitanju, dobro sam.	[xʋǎːla na pǐt͡ʃanju dǒbro sam]
Thank you, I am fine.	Hvala, dobro sam.	[xʋǎːla dǒbro sam]
Thank you, I am not doing so well.	Hvala, nisam baš dobro.	[xʋǎːla nǐsam baʃ dǒbro]
Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing?	Hvala, dobro sam. Kako si ti?	[xʋǎːla dǒbro sam kǎko si ti]

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How do I say goodbye to someone in Bosnian?

Saying goodbye to a friend or stranger in Bosnian is not that difficult. Just use the following phrases:

English	Bosnian	IPA
Goodbye! in Bosnian	Doviđenja!	[dôʋid͡ʑeɲa]
Take care of yourself! in Bosnian	Čuvaj se!	[t͡ʃûʋaj sɛ]
Goodbye in Bosnian	Zbogom	[zbôɡom]
See you tomorrow in Bosnian	Vidimo se sutra	[ʋîdimo sɛ sûtɾa]
See you soon in Bosnian	Vidimo se uskoro	[ʋîdimo sɛ ûskoro]
See you later in Bosnian	Vidimo se kasnije	[ʋîdimo sɛ kǎsniɛ]
Good night in Bosnian	Laku noć	[lǎku nôːt͡ɕ]
Sleep well in Bosnian	Spavaj lijepo	[spǎʋaj liěːpo]
Talk to you later. in Bosnian	Čujemo se kasnije.	[t͡ʃûjɛmo sɛ kǎsniɛ]
Nice to have met you! in Bosnian	Drago mi je što smo se upoznali!	[drǎːɡo mi je ʃtǒ smo sɛ ûpoznaːli]

How do I introduce myself in Bosnian?

When travelling in Bosnia, sooner or later you will come into contact with local people. Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself in Bosnian and know who you’re talking to.

English	Bosnian	IPA
My name is Jonas.	Zovem se Jonas.	[zǒʋem sɛ jônas]
What is your name?	Kako se zoveš?	[kǎko sɛ zǒʋeʃ]
What is your surname?	Kako ti je prezime?	[kǎko ti je prêzime]
What is your first name?	Kako ti je ime?	[kǎko ti je ǐme]
What is your surname?	Kako ti je prezime?	[kǎko ti je prêzime]

If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:

English	Bosnian	IPA
Where do you come from?	Odakle si?	[ǒdaklɛ si]
I am from London.	Ja sam iz Londona.	[jâ sam iz lǒndona]
Are you from Birmingham?	Jesi li iz Birminghama?	[jěsi li iz bǐrminɡhama]
No, I’m from Madrid.	Ne, ja sam iz Madrida.	[nê, jâ sam iz madrîda]
Great, I’m from Madrid too.	Super, i ja sam iz Madrida.	[sûpɛr i jâ sam iz madrîda]
Where do you live?	Gdje živiš?	[ɡd̞ě ʒǐʋiʃ]
I live in Berlin.	Živim u Berlinu.	[ʒǐʋim u berlǐnu]

If you have problems with your Bosnian, it is good to know which languages are still spoken:

English	Bosnian	IPA
Do you speak English?	Govoriš li engleski?	[ɡǒʋoriʃ li êŋgleski]
Yes, I speak English.	Da, govorim engleski.	[dâ ɡǒʋorim êŋgleski]
Yes, I speak some English.	Da, govorim malo engleskog.	[dâ ɡǒʋorim mâlo êŋgleskoɡ]
No, I do not speak any English.	Ne, ne govorim engleski.	[nê ne ɡǒʋorim êŋgleski]
I only speak English.	Govorim samo engleski.	[ɡǒʋorim sâmo êŋgleski]
I understand some Bosnian.	Razumijem malo bosanskog.	[razǔmijɛm mâlo bǒsanskoɡ]

Useful sentences with ‘I am…’

The following sentences will help you orientate yourself in Bosnian and express your wishes and concerns:

English	Bosnian	IPA
I am English in Bosnian	Ja sam Englez.	[jâ sam êŋɡlez]
I am injured in Bosnian	Povrijeđen sam.	[pǒʋrijeʤɛn sam]
I am here in Bosnian	Ovdje sam.	[ǒʋdje sam]
I am hungry in Bosnian	Gladan sam.	[ɡlǎdan sam]
I am thirsty in Bosnian	Žedan sam.	[ʒědan sam]
I am a single person in Bosnian	Slobodan sam.	[slǒbodan sam]
I need help! in Bosnian	Trebam pomoć!	[trěbam pǒmoɕ]
I am tired in Bosnian	Umoran sam.	[ûmoran sam]
I am happy in Bosnian	Sretan sam.	[srětan sam]
I am sad in Bosnian	Tužan sam.	[tǔʒan sam]
I am in love in Bosnian	Zaljubljen sam.	[zalʎǔbljɛn sam]
I am ill in Bosnian	Bolan sam.	[bǒlan sam]
I am ready in Bosnian	Spreman sam.	[sprěman sam]
I am busy in Bosnian	Zauzet sam.	[zǎuzɛt sam]
I am lost in Bosnian	Izgubljen sam.	[ǐzɡubljɛn sam]
I am a tourist in Bosnian	Turista sam.	[turǐsta sam]
I am new here in Bosnian	Nov sam ovdje.	[nǒʋ sam ǒʋdje]
I am confident in Bosnian	Samouvjeren sam.	[samǒuʋjɛrɛn sam]
I am proud in Bosnian	Ponosan sam.	[pǒnosan sam]
I am a teacher in Bosnian	Nastavnik sam.	[nǎstaʋnik sam]
I am late in Bosnian	Kasnim.	[kǎsniːm]
I am 30 years old in Bosnian	Imam trideset godina.	[ǐmam trǐdɛsɛt ɡǒdina]
I am in a hurry in Bosnian	Žurim.	[ʒǔrim]
I am happy in Bosnian	Sretan sam.	[srětan sam]
I am surprised in Bosnian	Iznenađen sam.	[iznɛnǎʤɛn sam]
I am angry in Bosnian	Ljut sam.	[ʎût sam]

Apologising in Bosnian

Here’s how to apologise to a Bosnian speaker:

English	Bosnian	IPA
I apologise	Izvinjavam se.	[izʋǐɲaʋam sɛ]
Sorry, that was not the intention.	Izvini, to nije bila namjera.	[izʋǐni to nǐjɛ bǐla nǎmjɛra]
Sorry, I did not do it on purpose.	Izvini, nisam to namjerno uradio.	[izʋǐni nǐsam to nǎmjɛrno ǔraːdio]
Sorry, that was very clumsy of me.	Izvini, to je bilo vrlo nespretno od mene.	[izʋǐni to jɛ bǐlo ʋr̂lo nɛsprɛ́tno od mɛ̂nɛ]

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More information about the Bosnian Intermediate Course.

Useful signs and notices in Bosnian

Useful signs and messages in Bosnian that you will often see.

English	Bosnian	IPA
Entrance in Bosnian	Ulaz	[ǔlaz]
Toilet in Bosnian	Toalet	[toalɛ̂t]
Exit in Bosnian	Izlaz	[ǐzlaz]
Attention! in Bosnian	Pažnja!	[pǎʒɲa]
Police in Bosnian	Policija	[poliːtsǐja]
Emergency services in Bosnian	Hitna pomoć	[xǐtnaː pǒmoːt͡ɕ]
Fire brigade in Bosnian	Vatrogasci	[ʋatroɡǎːst͡si]
Passage forbidden. in Bosnian	Zabranjen prolaz.	[zabrǎɲɛn prôlaz]
Caution! in Bosnian	Oprez!	[ǒprɛz]
This building is under video surveillance. in Bosnian	Ova zgrada je pod video nadzorom.	[ǒʋaː zɡrǎda jɛ pǒd ʋǐdeo nǎdzorom]

Numbers to 25 in Bosnian

Counting in Bosnian is not that difficult. Here are the numbers in Bosnian from 1 to 25.

English	Bosnian	IPA
One in Bosnian	Jedan	[jědan]
Two in Bosnian	Dva	[dvâ]
Three in Bosnian	Tri	[trî]
Four in Bosnian	Četiri	[t͡ʃětiri]
Five in Bosnian	Pet	[pêt]
Six in Bosnian	Šest	[ʃêst]
Seven in Bosnian	Sedam	[sědam]
Eight in Bosnian	Osam	[ǒsam]
Nine in Bosnian	Devet	[děʋet]
Ten in Bosnian	Deset	[děset]
Eleven in Bosnian	Jedanaest	[jědanaɛst]
Twelve in Bosnian	Dvanaest	[dʋǎnaɛst]
Thirteen in Bosnian	Trinaest	[trǐnaɛst]
Fourteen in Bosnian	Četrnaest	[t͡ʃětrnaɛst]
Fifteen in Bosnian	Petnaest	[pětnaɛst]
Sixteen in Bosnian	Šesnaest	[ʃěsnaɛst]
Seventeen in Bosnian	Sedamnaest	[sědamnaɛst]
Eighteen in Bosnian	Osamnaest	[ǒsamnaɛst]
Nineteen in Bosnian	Devetnaest	[děʋetnaɛst]
Twenty in Bosnian	Dvadeset	[dʋǎdeset]
Twenty-one in Bosnian	Dvadeset jedan	[dʋǎdeset jědan]
Twenty-two in Bosnian	Dvadeset dva	[dʋǎdeset dvâ]
Twenty-three in Bosnian	Dvadeset tri	[dʋǎdeset trî]
Twenty-four in Bosnian	Dvadeset četiri	[dʋǎdeset t͡ʃětiri]
Twenty-five in Bosnian	Dvadeset pet	[dʋǎdeset pêt]

The colours in Bosnian

The most common colours in Bosnian with phonetic transcription for pronunciation.

English	Bosnian	IPA
Red in Bosnian	Crvena	[tsř̩ʋena]
Blue in Bosnian	Plava	[plǎːʋa]
Green in Bosnian	Zelena	[zělena]
Yellow in Bosnian	Žuta	[ʒûːta]
Black in Bosnian	Crna	[tsř̩na]
White in Bosnian	Bijela	[běːjɛla]
Orange in Bosnian	Narandžasta	[narǎndʒasta]
Purple in Bosnian	Ljubičasta	[ʎubǐt͡ʃasta]
Pink in Bosnian	Ružičasta	[rûʒit͡ʃasta]
Brown in Bosnian	Smeđa	[směd͡ʑa]

Days of the week, months and seasons in Bosnian

Of course, you will also need the days of the week in Bosnian and the pronunciation of the months and seasons in dialogues and daily communication in Bosnian.

English	Bosnian	IPA
Monday in Bosnian	Ponedjeljak	[pǒnedjɛʎak]
Tuesday in Bosnian	Utorak	[ûtɔrak]
Wednesday in Bosnian	Srijeda	[sřijɛda]
Thursday in Bosnian	Četvrtak	[t͡ʃɛ̂tʋrtak]
Friday in Bosnian	Petak	[pěːtak]
Saturday in Bosnian	Subota	[sǔbɔta]
Sunday in Bosnian	Nedjelja	[nɛ̌djɛʎa]
January in Bosnian	Januar	[jǎnuar]
February in Bosnian	Februar	[fěbru.ar]
March in Bosnian	Mart	[mârt]
April in Bosnian	April	[ǎpril]
May in Bosnian	Maj	[mâj]
June in Bosnian	Juni	[jǔni]
July in Bosnian	Juli	[jǔli]
August in Bosnian	August	[ǎuɡust]
September in Bosnian	Septembar	[sɛptěːmbar]
October in Bosnian	Oktobar	[ɔktǒːbar]
November in Bosnian	Novembar	[nɔʋěːmbar]
December in Bosnian	Decembar	[dɛt͡sěmbar]
Spring in Bosnian	Proljeće	[prɔʎět͡ʃɛ]
Summer in Bosnian	Ljeto	[ʎětɔ]
Autumn in Bosnian	Jesen	[jɛ̌sɛn]
Winter in Bosnian	Zima	[zǐːma]

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More information about the Bosnian Business Course.

Additional links

• The different ways of learning languages
• Learning vocabulary successfully
• Motivated language learning
• It is so easy to train your understanding of a language at the same time
• Learning languages quickly? – Is it possible?
• The different types of learners when learning languages

More information about the Bosnian Course for Children.