Language basics for the journey
A greeting and a thank you are enough to begin. For tickets, prices and directions, put the destination, date or amount beside the question. The Latin and Cyrillic versions below can be shown on your phone as well as spoken.
Start the conversation
Hello or good day, as a daytime greeting: Dobar dan – Добар дан.
Thank you: Hvala – Хвала.
Please: Molim vas – Молим вас.
Excuse me: Izvinite – Извините.
The Latin and Cyrillic versions let you recognise or show the same wording.
Do you speak English? Govorite li engleski? – Говорите ли енглески?
Could you speak more slowly? Možete li govoriti sporije? – Можете ли говорити спорије?
Show the question if saying it is difficult, then point to the place name or number.
Coffee and words you will recognise
One coffee, please: Jedna kafa, molim. – Једна кафа, молим. A rough speaking aid is “yed-na ka-fa, mo-lim”. Thank you, hvala, sounds roughly “hva-la”; dobar dan sounds roughly “do-bar dan”. These are aids to getting started, rather than a precise pronunciation system. For a toast, cheers is Živjeli – Живјели.
You will encounter Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian, with both Latin and Cyrillic writing. Keep place names in their original spelling when saving an address: Trebižat and Čapljina, for example. A screenshot of the entrance address is useful when recognising a sign is easier than pronouncing it.
Speak slowly rather than loudly and give the other person time to answer. A phrasebook or translation app can help an ordinary exchange, but try its chosen language and offline function before departure. Asking before photographing someone remains good manners whichever words you use.
Tickets, station and last departure
One ticket to Mostar, please: Jednu kartu za Mostar, molim. – Једну карту за Мостар, молим.
Replace Mostar with the destination. The date and number of travellers should be visible too; the short phrase does not specify a return ticket.
Where is the bus/coach station? Gdje je autobuska stanica? – Гдје је аутобуска станица?
Add the station’s name or address. Sarajevo’s coach station, the airport and a city bus stop are different places; a ticket or saved location helps make the question precise.
When does the last bus to Sarajevo leave? Kada polazi posljednji autobus za Sarajevo? – Када полази посљедњи аутобус за Сарајево?
Write the travel date beside it. An answer for today may differ from the service on a Sunday or holiday.
Price, payment and the bill
How much does it cost? Koliko košta? – Колико кошта?
Can I pay by card? Mogu li platiti karticom? – Могу ли платити картицом?
Ask about the method before ordering or starting a journey.
The bill, please: Račun, molim. – Рачун, молим.
For a price or pickup agreement, ask for the amount or time in writing and show the destination on the booking. A full street address is useful when the accommodation’s booking name differs from its entrance sign.
An English guide at one named museum
Sarajevo’s War Childhood Museum offers an on-site QR mobile guide in ten languages: English, Bosnian, Italian, Turkish, French, Chinese, Polish, Arabic, Spanish and German. That is a useful option for this exhibition, without assuming every venue has an English tour or an offline guide.
Keep the original wording beside a translation for medicine names, access needs or booking conditions. When the meaning affects an important decision, ask the relevant professional or operator to settle it. For an ordinary arrival, the arrival guide identifies the details worth having ready.