So, you’ve packed your life in a couple of suitcases and moved to a whole new country. The new reality is exciting but also a
Sanja Markovic
January 23, 2026
How long have you been in Serbia? The question is as simple as it gets, but when you have to answer it in the local language? Not so much. With that in mind, if time expressions in Serbian give you a headache, or if you’d like to polish up what you already know, stay tuned.
In this article, we’ll solve the riddle of duration and frequency phrases and explain all you need to know through examples. The next time someone asks how often you travel, you’ll know exactly what to say.
Once you venture into speaking Serbian with locals or other learners, you’ll hear questions starting with how long and how often all the time.
How long have you been studying Serbian? How often do you hit the gym? You go to the kafana every day? Awesome!
Naturally, getting the hang of Serbian time expressions will make such conversations easier and more comfortable. It may even score you a new kafana friend.
So, let’s not waste time, and let’s finally learn how to talk about it.
When talking about duration, the key question is how long, or in Serbian, koliko dugo:
Koliko dugo učiš srpski?
(How long have you studied Serbian?)
Koliko dugo radiš ovde
(How long have you worked here?)
Now, let’s see how to answer these and similar questions.
To talk about how long something has been going on, simply place the time phrase right after the verb. That’s all you need.
Učim srpski tri meseca. [verb – učim, time expression – tri meseca]
(I’ve been learning Serbian for three months.)
Radim ovde dve godine. [verb – radim, time expression – dve godine]
(I’ve worked here for two years.)
Or if you want to share a classic Balkan experience:
Čekam te dva sata!
(I’ve been waiting for you for two hours!)
And if waiting drives you up the wall, you can even spice it up with a juice swear word — no one will judge you for it.
Add već (already) to this formula to show how long something has been happening until now.
Učim srpski već tri godine.
(I’ve been studying Serbian for three years already.)
Već mesec dana pada kiša.
(It’s been raining for a month already.)
Već godinu dana živim u Beogradu.
(I’ve been living in Belgrade for a year already.)
Već can also add a hint of frustration or impatience to what you’re saying:
Pokušavam da upalim auto već deset minuta!
(I’ve been trying to start the car for ten minutes already!)
Use još (more) to say something will continue into the future.
Ostajem još dve nedelje.
(I’m staying two more weeks.)
Još pet minuta i krećemo
(Five more minutes and we’re leaving.)
Treba mi još pola sata.
(I need another half hour.)
Za + time unit tells you how long until something happens. It’s perfect for promises, plans, warnings, and… gentle lies we say to our friends.
Autobus kreće za deset minuta.
(The bus leaves in ten minutes.)
Požuri! Film počinje za petnaest minuta.
(Hurry up! The movie starts in fifteen minutes.)
And, of course, the classic:
Biću spreman za pet minuta.
(I’ll be ready in five minutes.)
You already know this never means five minutes.
When something is scheduled or expected to last a certain amount of time, use the preposition na.
Idemo na tri dana.
(We’re going for three days.)
Zakazao sam termin na pola sata.
(I booked a half-hour appointment.)
Iznajmili smo stan na mesec dana.
(We rented the apartment for a month.)
You get the point. Just pair na with the desired amount of time, and voila!
This time, the key question is koliko često (how often). Like:
Koliko često ideš u teretanu?
(How often do you go to the gym?)
Koliko često putuješ?
(How often do you travel?)
Now on to the answering.
These are essential adverbs of frequency:
Let’s see them in action:
Retko kuvam.
(I rarely cook.)
Uvek kasnim.
(I’m always late.)
Nikad ne doručkujem.
(I never have breakfast.)
When you want to be more precise, go with number phrases:
Here’s how it works:
Vežbam tri puta nedeljno.
(I work out three times a week.)
Idem kući jednom mesečno.
(I go home once a month.)
Putujemo dva puta godišnje.
(We travel twice a year.)
Once you memorise these, you can talk about your habits with ease
Another way to talk about how often something happens is with svaki (every).
Svaki dan vežbam.
(I exercise every day.)
Svake subote učim srpski.
(Every Saturday, I study Serbian.)
Pijem kafu svako jutro.
(I drink coffee every morning.)
This one is perfect for describing habits, routines, or New Year’s resolutions that last exactly one week.
This structure shows how long something lasts each time you do it. It mixes duration and frequency, so it’s great for talking about routines, study habits, workouts, or any activity you tackle in small chunks.
Učim po sat vremena dnevno.
(I study for an hour a day.)
Trčim po dvadeset minuta svako jutro.
(I run for twenty minutes each morning.)
Gledamo po jednu epizodu svako veče.
(We watch one episode each evening.)
In short, whenever you want to show steady progress (or steady procrastination), po makes it effortless.
Yes, mastering time expressions in Serbian can take a minute. But once you go through with it, you’ll finally be able to answer questions like how long you’ve been in the country, or how often you study the language. Most importantly, you’ll know how to rub it in your friend’s face that you’ve been waiting for them for half an hour. The friend is Serbian — obviously.
Speaking of time, once you’re ready to dedicate some to improving your Serbian, we’ve got just the thing. Our online group classes are an ideal place for you to develop both your skills and confidence without leaving your bedroom. The next group starts in January, and you can apply until December 17. Sign up now to secure your spot and skyrocket your Serbian with us.
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