10 Serbian-English FalseFriends that will trick you!

🧠 What Are False Friends in Serbian? (And Why You Keep Getting Them Wrong)

If you’re learning Serbian, you’ve probably come across words that look exactly like English… but don’t mean what you think they do.

These are called false friends — and they’re one of the most common mistakes Serbian learners make.

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❓What Are False Friends?

False friends are words in two languages that look or sound similar, but have different meanings.

They’re sneaky.
You might think you’ve just unlocked a new Serbian word — but what you really did was say something completely different 😅

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🧩 Example:

• Serbian: “Eventualno ćemo ići.”
• Sounds like: “Eventually we’ll go.”
• Actually means: “We might go / Possibly we’ll go.”

So no, “eventualno” does not mean “eventually.”
It means “possibly” or “maybe.”

This is one of the most common Serbian-English vocabulary traps for beginners.

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⚠️ Why It Matters

Using these words the wrong way can lead to:

• Confusing conversations 🫠
• Awkward misunderstandings 😬
• Slower progress when you learn Serbian

That’s why we have made this guide: to help you avoid the most common Serbian false friends — and sound more natural and confident when speaking.

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✅ Perfect for:

Travelers, spouses, and diaspora who want to sound local

Serbian language beginners

English speakers learning Serbian

10 Serbian-English FalseFriends that will trick you!

1. Fabrika (FA-bree-ka)
   🚫 Looks like: Fabric
   ✅ Means: Factory

📘 “Radim u fabrici metala.”
→ I work in a metal factory.

2. Simpatičan (seem-PA-tee-chan)

🚫 Looks like: Sympathetic
✅ Means: Nice / Charming / Cute
📘 “Tvoja sestra je baš simpatična!”

→ Your sister is really sweet!

3. Aktuelan (ak-too-E-lan)
   🚫 Looks like: Actual

✅ Means: Current / Trending
📘 “To je veoma aktuelna tema.”
→ That’s a very current topic.

4. Kondicija (kon-DEE-tsee-ya)
   🚫 Looks like: Condition

✅ Means: Physical fitness / stamina
📘 “Nisam u dobroj kondiciji.”
→ I’m not in good shape.”

5. Bruka (BROO-ka)
   🚫 Looks like: Brook

✅ Means: Shame / Disgrace
📘 “To je bila prava bruka!”
→ That was a real disgrace!

6. Eventualno (e-ven-TOO-al-no)

🚫 Looks like: Eventually
✅ Means: Possibly / Maybe
📘 “Eventualno ćemo otići na more.”
→ We might go to the seaside.

7. Pasta (PA-sta)
   🚫 Looks like: Pasta
   ✅ Means: Toothpaste

📘 “Zaboravio sam da kupim pastu za zube.”

→ I forgot to buy toothpaste.

8. Paradajz (pa-ra-DAYZ)
   🚫 Looks like: Paradise
   ✅ Means: Tomato

📘 “Obožavam paradajz u salati!”

→ I love tomato in salad!

9. Služba (SLOOZH-ba)
   🚫 Looks like: Slush / Slushie
   ✅ Means: Service / Department
   📘 “Radim u korisničkoj službi.”
   → I work in customer service.
10. Mobilni (MO-beel-nee)
    🚫 Looks like: Mobile (moving)
    ✅ Means: Mobile phone / cell
    📘 “Gde mi je mobilni?”
    → Where’s my phone?

READY TO SPEAK SERBIAN WITH
CONFIDENCE — NOT CONFUSION?

🚫 No more mistakes like “I love
tomato… I mean paradise!”

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