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6 Serbian reading texts for B1, with translation

Short Serbian texts for level B1: 6 stories, about 36 minutes of reading. Every sentence carries its English translation, and each text ends with comprehension questions. Read them right here — no sign-up needed.

Renting a flat

B1 · 6 min

После месец дана тражења, Наталија је нашла једнособан стан на Вождовцу.
After a month of searching, Natalija found a one-room flat in Voždovac.

Кирија је била триста педесет евра, режије посебно.
The rent was three hundred and fifty euros, bills separate.

Газда је тражио депозит од једне кирије, што је уобичајено.
The landlord asked for one month’s rent as a deposit, which is usual.

Наталија је инсистирала на писаном уговору, иако је газда нудио „на реч“.
Natalija insisted on a written contract, although the landlord offered a handshake deal.

Уговор јој треба и за пријаву боравка, не само због сигурности.
She needs the contract for the address registration too, not only for safety.

На дан усељења заједно су уписали стање струје и воде.
On moving-in day they wrote down the electricity and water readings together.

Наталија је све фотографисала телефоном, укључујући и стари шпорет.
Natalija photographed everything with her phone, including the old cooker.

Годину дана касније, при исељењу, те слике су јој вратиле цео депозит.
A year later, when moving out, those photos got her the whole deposit back.

Check yourself

  1. How much was the rent?
    Show answer

    350 euros, bills separate

  2. Why did she insist on a written contract?
    Show answer

    She also needs it to register her address

  3. What did the photos achieve?
    Show answer

    She got the whole deposit back

Invited to a slava

B1 · 6 min

Колега је позвао Максима на славу, а он није знао шта то значи.
A colleague invited Maksym to a slava, and he had no idea what that meant.

Слава је породични празник посвећен свецу заштитнику куће.
A slava is a family celebration dedicated to the household’s patron saint.

Не позива се посебно — ко зна за славу, тај дође.
People are not formally invited — whoever knows about the slava simply comes.

Максим је донео цвеће и вино, како му је рекла комшиница.
Maksym brought flowers and wine, as his neighbour had told him.

На столу су били славски колач и жито, а поред њих упаљена свећа.
On the table were the slava bread and the boiled wheat, with a lit candle beside them.

Разговор је трајао сатима и нико није журио кући.
The conversation went on for hours and nobody hurried home.

Максим је разумео можда половину, али се смејао на правим местима.
Maksym understood maybe half of it, but he laughed in the right places.

Испратили су га речима: „Догодине опет, ако си жив и здрав.“
They saw him off with the words: "Same time next year, if you are alive and well."

Check yourself

  1. What is a slava?
    Show answer

    A family celebration for the household’s patron saint

  2. What did Maksym bring?
    Show answer

    Flowers and wine

  3. How much did he understand?
    Show answer

    About half

Learning the language at work

B1 · 6 min

Првих недеља у магацину Вера је разумела само наређења.
For the first weeks in the warehouse Vera understood only the instructions.

За време паузе колеге су причале брзо и смејале се нечему што није схватала.
During the break the colleagues talked fast and laughed at something she did not follow.

Одлучила је да сваки дан запише три реченице које чује.
She decided to write down three sentences she heard each day.

Не речи из речника, него оно што људи стварно говоре.
Not words from a dictionary, but what people actually say.

После два месеца имала је у свесци више од сто реченица.
After two months she had more than a hundred sentences in her notebook.

Једног дана рекла је виц и цела смена се насмејала.
One day she told a joke and the whole shift laughed.

Тада је схватила да више није само „она нова странкиња“.
That was when she realised she was no longer just "the new foreign woman".

Језик је научила на послу, а курс јој је само помогао.
She learned the language at work; the course only helped.

Check yourself

  1. What did Vera understand at first?
    Show answer

    Only work instructions

  2. What did she write down?
    Show answer

    Sentences people really say

  3. What was the turning point?
    Show answer

    Her joke made the whole shift laugh

Swapping a driving licence

B1 · 6 min

Страна возачка дозвола важи у Србији шест месеци од пријаве боравка.
A foreign driving licence is valid in Serbia for six months from registering your address.

После тога мора да се замени за српску.
After that it has to be swapped for a Serbian one.

Дмитро је мислио да ће то бити једна шалтерска посета.
Dmytro thought it would be one visit to a counter.

Требало је: превод дозволе, лекарско уверење и потврда о боравку.
He needed a translation of the licence, a medical certificate and proof of residence.

Лекарски преглед је трајао сат времена и коштао је осам хиљада.
The medical exam took an hour and cost eight thousand.

Проверавали су вид, слух и реакцију.
They checked his sight, hearing and reactions.

Испит није морао да полаже, јер постоји споразум са његовом земљом.
He did not have to take a test, because there is an agreement with his country.

Нову дозволу је подигао после три недеље.
He picked up the new licence three weeks later.

Check yourself

  1. How long is a foreign licence valid?
    Show answer

    Six months from address registration

  2. What did the medical exam check?
    Show answer

    Sight, hearing and reactions

  3. Why did he not have to sit a test?
    Show answer

    There is an agreement with his country

Two alphabets, one language

B1 · 6 min

Српски се пише на два писма: ћирилицом и латиницом.
Serbian is written in two scripts: Cyrillic and Latin.

Оба су званична и оба се користе сваког дана.
Both are official and both are used every day.

Документи и табле су често ћирилицом, новине и мреже латиницом.
Documents and street signs are often Cyrillic; papers and social media, Latin.

Кирило је мислио да ће му украјинска ћирилица помоћи.
Kyrylo thought his Ukrainian Cyrillic would help him.

Помогла јесте, али слова ђ, ћ, љ и њ су била нова.
It did help, but the letters đ, ć, lj and nj were new.

Најтеже му је било да чита писани текст руком.
The hardest thing for him was reading handwriting.

Почео је да чита исти чланак прво на једном, па на другом писму.
He started reading the same article first in one script, then in the other.

После два месеца више није ни примећивао које писмо чита.
After two months he no longer even noticed which script he was reading.

Check yourself

  1. How many official scripts does Serbian have?
    Show answer

    Two

  2. What was new for him in Serbian Cyrillic?
    Show answer

    The letters đ, ć, lj, nj

  3. What was his method?
    Show answer

    Reading the same text in both scripts

An evening in a kafana

B1 · 6 min

Кафана није ни ресторан ни бар — нешто између и више од оба.
A kafana is neither a restaurant nor a bar — something in between and more than both.

Колеге су Наталију одвеле у једну стару, у центру.
Her colleagues took Natalija to an old one, in the centre.

Свирали су уживо, тројица људи са хармоником и гитарама.
There was live music, three men with an accordion and guitars.

Свако мало неко би им дао новчаницу и наручио песму.
Every so often somebody would hand them a note and request a song.

Наталија није разумела речи, али је разумела расположење.
Natalija did not understand the words, but she understood the mood.

Песме су биле тужне, а сви су се смејали.
The songs were sad, and everyone was laughing.

Колегиница јој је објаснила: „То је то. Тако се овде тугује.“
A colleague explained: "That is the point. That is how people grieve here."

Изашли су у два, а музика је још свирала.
They left at two, and the music was still playing.

Check yourself

  1. What is a kafana?
    Show answer

    Between a restaurant and a bar, and more

  2. How do guests request songs?
    Show answer

    They hand the musicians a banknote

  3. What did the colleague explain?
    Show answer

    Sad songs and laughter go together here

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