BosanskiSummer in Bosnia
Ljeto u Bosni
Putovanje: The Trip
Goal: Survive the airport and the flight to Sarajevo.
The diaspora summer migration is a ritual: overweight kofers full of gifts going there, overweight kofers full of kahva, čaj, and nana's suho meso coming back. Customs officers have seen it all.
| Audio | Bosnian | English |
|---|---|---|
| aerodrom | airport | |
| avion | airplane | |
| let | flight | |
| kofer | suitcase | |
| pasoš | passport | |
| karta | ticket | |
| gdje je...? | where is...? | |
| izlaz | exit / gate | |
| kasni | (it) is late / delayed | |
| sretan put | safe travels | |
| godišnji odmor | vacation / annual leave | |
| putovati | to travel | |
| voziti | to drive | |
| auto | car | |
| iznajmiti auto | to rent a car | |
| granica | border | |
| prtljag | luggage |
U gradu: Around Town
Goal: Navigate a Bosnian town and ask for directions.
Directions in Bosnia come with hand gestures, a story about what used to be on that corner, and an invitation for kahva. The čaršija is where you'll spend most of your trip anyway.
| Audio | Bosnian | English |
|---|---|---|
| grad | city / town | |
| čaršija | old bazaar / town center | |
| ulica | street | |
| most | bridge | |
| rijeka | river | |
| lijevo | left | |
| desno | right | |
| pravo | straight ahead | |
| blizu | near | |
| daleko | far | |
| kafić | cafe | |
| restoran | restaurant | |
| prodavnica | shop / store | |
| butik | boutique / clothes shop | |
| tržni centar | shopping mall | |
| slastičarna | dessert shop | |
| pa | so / then / well |
Kupovina: Shopping
Goal: Ask prices, react to them, and shop the pijaca like a local.
'Može' is the Swiss army knife of Bosnian: yes, okay, deal, sounds good, one of those please. Master this one word and you're functionally conversational. At the pijaca, gentle haggling is a social sport, not rudeness.
| Audio | Bosnian | English |
|---|---|---|
| koliko košta? | how much does it cost? | |
| marka (KM) | convertible mark (currency) | |
| pare | money (colloquial) | |
| skupo | expensive | |
| jeftino | cheap | |
| pijaca | open-air market | |
| prodavnica | store / shop | |
| kupiti | to buy | |
| može | okay / deal / can do | |
| račun | bill / receipt | |
| torba | bag | |
| kesa | plastic bag | |
| neću, hvala | no thanks / I do not want it | |
| samo gledam | I'm just looking | |
| imate li...? | do you have...? | |
| pet maraka | five marks (KM) |
Kod rodbine: Visiting Relatives
Goal: Name the famous extended-family words and survive a village visit.
Mixing up daidža and amidža is the fastest way to reveal you grew up abroad. Learn them, and note the komšija paradox: not technically family, treated better than family.
| Audio | Bosnian | English |
|---|---|---|
| rodbina | relatives / extended family | |
| tetka | aunt (parent's sister) | |
| daidža | uncle (mother's brother) | |
| amidža | uncle (father's brother) | |
| rođak / rođaka | cousin (m. / f.) | |
| komšija | neighbor | |
| gost | guest | |
| kuća | house / home | |
| selo | village | |
| dođi | come (here) |
Mogu i kupujem: Can & Buying
Goal: Conjugate moći (can) and kupovati (to buy) across all persons, and use them to shop.
In Bosnia you do not just point and pay. You ask: mogu li kupiti...? Nana buys (kupuje) at the pijaca three times a week and will absolutely tell you the price of everything.
| Audio | Bosnian | English |
|---|---|---|
| kupujem | I'm buying |
Next unit: Grammar 1: Who? What?.