Understanding numbers and time in Serbian is straightforward once you see the pattern.

The system for building larger numbers relies on simple and repeatable formulas.

Telling the time builds directly on this core number vocabulary.

I’ll show you exactly how to count and talk about time in everyday Serbian.

Counting from 0 to 10

The foundation of Serbian numbers starts with zero to ten.

You must memorize these base words before moving on to larger numbers.

Here are the numbers from zero to ten in Serbian.

The numbers one and two can change based on the gender of the noun they are describing.

For the number one, use jedan (masculine), jedna (feminine), or jedno (neuter).

For the number two, use dva (masculine and neuter) or dve (feminine).

There’s also a regional variation to note regarding the number two.

In the Ekavian dialect spoken in Serbia, the feminine form of two is dve.

In the Ijekavian dialect spoken in Bosnia, Montenegro, and parts of Croatia, the feminine form is dvije.

Counting from 11 to 19

The numbers from 11 to 19 are incredibly logical.

You simply take the base number and add the suffix -naest.

This is very similar to how English uses the suffix “-teen”.

Notice how the letter “i” in četiri (four) drops out to become četrnaest.

The letter “a” in sedam and osam remains exactly the same.

Building tens and hundreds

Counting by tens follows another very predictable formula.

You take the base number and add the word deset (ten) to the end.

Notice slight spelling changes for 50 (pedeset instead of petdeset) and 60 (šezdeset instead of šestdeset).

To combine numbers, you just say the tens followed immediately by the single digits.

For example, 21 is dvadeset jedan and 35 is trideset pet.

The word for one hundred is sto or stotina.

Asking for the time

Now that you know your numbers, asking for the time is simple.

There’s one main phrase used by native speakers everywhere.

You can also use a slightly different phrasing to ask someone directly if they know the time.

If you want to be polite when stopping a stranger on the street, you should add “excuse me”.

Telling the exact time

To tell the time on the hour, you’ll use the word sat (hour).

However, the word sat changes its form depending on the number that comes before it.

For the number 1, you use sat.

For the numbers 2, 3, and 4, you use the form sata.

For the number 5 and everything above it, you use the form sati.

Serbians commonly use the 24-hour clock for formal schedules like buses, trains, and television programs.

In everyday casual conversation, people usually stick to the 12-hour clock.

Expressing half past and quarters

Telling time gets a little tricky when dealing with half hours.

In Serbian, we express half past the hour by saying pola (half) followed by the next hour.

This literally translates to “half of the way to” the upcoming hour.

For minutes before the half-hour mark, we use the word i (and) after the hour.

For minutes after the half-hour mark, we use the word do (until) followed by the next hour.

You can optionally use the word četvrt (quarter) instead of the number fifteen.

By combining your new number vocabulary with these simple rules, you can easily read clocks and schedule meetings in Serbian.