Love = Murder? Balkan Romance (and Serbian Grammar!) as Understood in the Song “Ubiću Te”
The lyrics for Magnifico’s tune “Ubiću Te” can tell us some things about Serbian grammar.
Bosnia
Više vs. Još in Serbian/ Bosnian/ Croatian: The Differences and When to Use Each One
The horrors of Serbian/Croatian/Bosian hit you one after another: cases, verb aspect, and conjugations… And then at some point, probably later in the process, the bizarre and seemingly random distinctions between više and još will also start to get on your nerves. These words can be translated, variously, as “more”, “even more”, “yet”, “any more”, “still”, etc.
Više vs. Još in Serbian/ Bosnian/ Croatian: The Differences and When to Use Each One Read More »
Learn Just Enough Bosnian Slang to Toast, Gripe, and Propose Marriage
Bosnian is uniquely rich among its Slavic brethren in shortened informal expressions. Here’s a quick guide; master these few words and you’ll sound like a local.
Learn Just Enough Bosnian Slang to Toast, Gripe, and Propose Marriage Read More »
The Best Books for Learning Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian
I’ve tried out all of the best learning books for Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian—here’s what to use and to avoid.
The Best Books for Learning Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian Read More »
Make Sweet Ljubav in Serbian: Slang for Love Piles, Sex, Consent, and Gossiping About it All
Key slang in Serbian / Croatian / Bosnian for sex and romance
Fluent Serbian in 20 Minutes — Fake Your Way Through Any Rakija-Soaked Conversation
Effortless, fluent, minimally communicative Serbian with our minimalist language learning method
Fluent Serbian in 20 Minutes — Fake Your Way Through Any Rakija-Soaked Conversation Read More »
Can You Count to One in Serbian? It’s Fucking Harder Than You’d Fucking Think!
Today we’ll learn to count in Serbian / Bosnian / Croatian. But this South Slavic linguistic shitshow is crazy, so all we’re really going to understand is the number one. If we get really masochistic, we may cover the numbers two, three, maybe even four and more in some other article. This is a grammar
Can You Count to One in Serbian? It’s Fucking Harder Than You’d Fucking Think! Read More »
Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian Possessive Adjectives from Nouns: How People Own Stuff in these Languages
How can you turn a noun into a possessive adjective? A guide to the Serbian / Bosnian / Croatian equivalent to English’s apostrophe-S.
Our Reviewers’ Picks of Underrated, Useful Travel Gear
Can You Plug All Your Devices into a Single Foreign Socket?
Want enough juice for a USB-C laptop without its charging brick? Want to charge a phone and tablet too? Plus plug in any other electrical device? And use all the weirdly shaped electro-holes in any wall in the world or under a train seat? A universal charger is the answer; we've tried tons and this is our favorite. It can fast-charge phones and laptops with 3 USB-C and 2 USB-A charging ports and it comes with a spare fuse.
Do You Shake, Bump, and Jiggle Everywhere You Roam?
We use our favorite road speaker to animate small parties, indoors or outdoors, anywhere in the world. At just the size of a tall beer can, the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 sounds impressive and has solid bass, especially when placed on a hard surface in the center of the room. We have smaller, even more portable picks (though not as loud) in our review.
Shouldn't You Be Able to Squish Your Water Bottle into a Pocket-Sized Disc?
Having a water bottle that I can fold up flat makes me more motivated to actually use it everywhere I go and to stay hydrated. Hydaway makes the only durable, food-grade silicone (non-BPA, non-plastic) ones we've found.
Can You Roll Your Backpack?
Rolling luggage is great except when you hit trails, metro stairs, or cobblestone streets. Backpacks are fine but who wants to carry them for long? We currently recommend this Osprey model that's a bit pricey but extremely sturdy, full-featured, and has been at my side for years on the road.
Don't Take Up Table Space! Don't Dump Your Stuff on the Floor!
Hang a bag at any café table. Don't take up your hosts' shelf space in the bathroom. Keep your pack off of the floor in a busy hostel. If you have a Heroclip on the strap of a pack, suitcase, carry-on, or purse, you'll use it all the freaking time for all sorts of things.
A Discrete, Portable, Not-at-All-Messy Way to Have Good Lube on Hand?
Good lube can be essential for safer sex, but unfortunately most lube packaging is not road-worthy. One of our sexpert's favorite silicone-based and ultra-body-safe lubes comes in an excellent travel version. In our guide we also detail a few other travel and daily-carry water-based options, as well as how to discuss lube across cultures.
