Let’s be real: swearing is part of daily life in Bosnia. It’s used for frustration, humour, emphasis….and sometimes just because. While you probably won’t need to use these words yourself , it helps to understand them when you hear them flying around. So here’s a lighthearted guide to a few common expressions:
- Jeb.te (read yebote) – Think “Damn” or “Holy Crap”. It’s often used when something surprises or shocks you – like your first Bosnian winter.
- Odj.bi (od-yeh-bee) – A pretty strong way to say “Get lost!” or, well, the more colorful version would be “f**k off”. Best to recognise this one but maybe don’t use it unless absolutely necessary.
- Š.pak (shoo-pahk) – Literally “A**hole.” Usually reserved for someone being really rude or behaving badly.
- Ser.nja (seh-rohn-ya) – A “jerk” or someone who’s full of it. It’s not too aggressive, just a bit cheeky.
- Jeb. ga (yeh-bee gah) – Loosely translates to “Ah, screw it”. You’ll hear this one a lot, especially when something goes wrong but isn’t woth the drama.
- Koji kur.c? (ko-yee koo-rahts?) – Equivalent to “What the f**k?” This is for those truly baffling moment, like when you see someone double parked on the tram tracks.