Have you ever avoided speaking up in a meeting cause you didn’t feel confident about your Serbian? An awful feeling, right? Or maybe you just needed to remember basic business Serbian phrases for introducing yourself and your job position, but instead you just froze and then switched to English.

We know you’ve got enough on your plate with adapting to a new life and work in Serbia. You might’ve mastered Serbian survival phrases so far. However, we also want you prepared for survival at work. So, here’s a comprehensive overview of business Serbian phrases to boost your confidence and help to keep business conversations going.

Let’s walk you through the following situations step by step:

  1. Introducing yourself at a new job
  2. Dominating in a corporate office (proposals, comm with colleagues and clients; IT, marketing)
  3. Slaying at a meeting (giving presentations, meeting room, restaurant)
  4. Understanding an email
  5. Being a fresh digital nomad in Serbia
  6. Business Serbian phrases outside of the workplace

Ja sam (…) i radim (…) / I’m (...) and I work (...).

Serbian language meme with batman

Resist the urge to take a shortcut (which isn’t indeed) and use online translators for telling someone who you are and what you do for a living. There’s no need. Use this template before you’re ready for more advanced Serbian phrases:

Ja sam (ime). Zaposlen (m.)/Zaposlena sam (f.) u (ime kompanije). Radim tamo kao (pozicija). Po struci sam (zanimanje).

 I am (name). I work in (the name of the company). I work there as a/an (job position). I am (profession).

Not that hard? Let’s make it even easier. Check out these sentences explained in greater detail in this video.

Don’t forget to also ask the person you talk to about themselves:

  • Kako se Vi zovete? What’s your name? – a polite form in 2nd person plural to address a person we aren’t close to
  • Gde radiš? Gde radite? Where do you work? – asking in 2nd person singular (less formal; neutral) and plural (formal)
  • Da li radiš u ovoj kompaniji? Da li si zaposlen ovde? Do you work in this company? Are you employed here?

In A Corporate Office

People sitting at their computers in a corporate office
If you work in a corporate office in Serbia, you’ll need to learn basic business Serbian phrases

We’ll start with some basic vocabulary here. If you want to talk about your work in Serbia, you’ll need this as a starter.

Radim u kancelariji. Ovo je moj radni sto. Tu se nalaze monitor, tastatura i miš, a pored radnog stola je štampač. Ima mnogo zaposlenih u ovoj kompaniji. Plata je baš dobra.

I work in an office. This is my work desk. There are a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, while next to the desk there’s a printer. There are a lot of employees in this company. The salary is pretty good.

When you’re talking in greater detail about your workplace (radno mesto), these company and office terms will help you.

The Superb Main Meal

On to the main, more advanced main meal now. 

When you are negotiating and discussing proposals, use these Serbian phrases to sound like a Serb:

  • Šta mislite o ovom predlogu? – What do you think about this proposal?
  • Kada možemo da očekujemo vaš odgovor? – When can we expect your answer?
  • Slažemo se sa ovim uslovima. – We agree with these terms.
  • Hvala što ste razmotrili ovaj predlog. – Thank you for considering this proposal.

 

Giving presentations in front of an audience is challenging, but not as much when you know these business Serbian phrases:

  • Hvala vam što ste došli. – Thank you for coming.
  • Želim da vam predstavim… – I would like to present you…
  • Imate li pitanja ili primedbe? – Do you have any questions or comments?

 

If you work in IT industry in Serbia, you must’ve heard at least some of these:

  • Da li ste testirali softver? – Did you test the software?
  • Možete li da mi pomognete da rešim ovaj problem? – Can you help me fix this problem?
  • Primetili smo neke greške. – We’ve noticed some bugs.
  • Ovaj hardver ne podržava naš softver. – This hardware doesn’t support our software.

 

The marketing and advertising industries in Serbia are bristling with English words, but are they enough? Check these:

  • Video (m.)/videla (f.) sam ovu reklamu. – I’ve seen this ad.
  • Ima li nekih predloga za kampanju? – Are there any suggestions for this campaign?
  • Koja je vaša ciljna grupa? – What’s your target audience?
  • Moramo da unapredimo poziciju na tržištu. – We must improve our market position.
  • Imamo dovoljan budžet za ovu kampanju. – We have enough budget for this campaign. 

 

Slaying At A Business Meeting

Use business Serbian phrases to impress your colleagues and clients at a business meeting

Don’t go anywhere, the main meal has just started. When you work in Serbia, the chances are you’ll end up in a business meeting with your colleagues (kolege) in a meeting room (sala za sastanke).

When you are informing someone about a business meeting, say something along these lines:

Imamo sastanak sa klijentima sutra u 12 časova. Predstavićemo naš novi projekat.

We have a meeting with clients tomorrow at 12 pm. We’re going to present our new project.

Once the meeting is about to start, spice it up with these:

  • Možemo li da počnemo sa sastankom? – Can we start the meeting?
  • Mogu li da predstavim svoj predlog? – Can I present my proposal?
  • Da li se svi slažemo sa ovom opcijom? – Do we all agree on this option?
  • Imamo sve potrebne informacije o ovom projektu. – We have all the necessary information about this project.
  • Koji je rok za ovaj projekat? – What is the deadline for this project?
  • Sledeći sastanak zakazan je sledeće nedelje. – The next meeting is scheduled for next week.

Hope This Email Finds You Well

We know that you often prefer not to be found by any email, but emails are an inevitable part of the business world. This side dish might be tricky to digest at first, but when you master the template, it’ll be easy-peasy to write formal emails in Serbian.

 

Poštovani,

 

Želim da vas obavestim o sastanku koji će se održati u petak.

Bio bih vam zahvalan ako biste potvrdili prijem ovog imejla.

U prilogu vam šaljem plan sastanka.

Radujem se vašem odgovoru.

 

Srdačan pozdrav,

(Ime)

 

Dear Mr/Mrs,

 

I would like to inform you about the meeting that is taking place on Friday.

I would be grateful if you could confirm receipt of this email.

I’m sending the agenda attached.

I’m looking forward to your reply.

 

Kind regards,

(Name)

Of course, this isn’t the only way to write a formal email in Serbian. Check out other Serbian phrases you can use in your written business communication here.

Business Serbian Phrases For Digital Nomads

Congratulations on choosing Serbia for your digital nomad adventure! Wait, you haven’t chosen it yet? In that case, check why you should be a digital nomad in Serbia.

Consider yourself lucky, because we know the essential Serbian phrases you need to settle in:

  • Treba mi brza internet veza. – I need a fast internet connection.
  • Želim da radim na daljinu. – I want to work remotely.
  • Mogu li da se povežem na vaš vaj-faj? – Can I connect to your Wi-Fi?
  • Imate li slobodne radne stolove? – Do you have any available work desks?
  • Možemo li da koristimo ovaj štampač? – Can we use this printer?
  • Da li postoji opcija za rezervaciju sale za sastanke? – Is there an option to reserve the meeting room?
  • Kako mogu da pristupim serveru? – How can I access the server?
  • Mogu li da koristim vašu tehničku podršku? – Can I use your technical support?
  • Da li bih mogao (m.)/mogla (f.) da radim u Srbiji sa privremenom boravišnom vizom? – Would I be able to work in Serbia with a temporary residence pass?

 

These Serbian phrases might come in handy at bars/restaurants and/or in coworking spaces, wherever you prefer to work.

Business Serbian At A Bank/Post Office

A brown wallet with credit cards
Get ready to open a bank account in Serbia

You’ve left some space for dessert, haven’t you? Since you’re already in Serbia, at one point you’ll need to open a bank account, transfer money, or withdraw it. Here are the most frequent Serbian phrases you can use in those situations:

  • Želim da otvorim račun u vašoj banci. – I’d like to open an account in your bank.
  • Da li visa kreditne kartice rade u Srbiji? – Do visa credit cards work in Serbia?
  • Da li imate opciju za internet bankarstvo? – Is there an option for online banking?
  • Mogu li da proverim stanje na računu? – Can I check the balance on my account?
  • Želim da izvršim prenos novca. – I want to make a money transfer.
  • Gde se nalazi bankomat? – Where is the ATM?
  • Mogu li da podignem novac ovde? – Can I withdraw money here? 

Enjoy Your Business Stay In Serbia

If you work in Serbia, consider that a perfect opportunity to practice your Serbian. And don’t be afraid to speak. What’s to worst thing that could happen? Nothing, you might make a mistake, which can only help your learning process. We hope you’ll have a chance to use these business Serbian phrases at your job. If you feel this isn’t enough for you, and want to learn more, we’ve got a lesson about applying for jobs in Serbia and job interviews in our Pre-Intermediate course. Contact us for more info. Happy learning!