здраво / добар дан / довиђења
Greetings and Goodbyes
Use здраво for informal meetings and goodbyes ("hello" / "bye"), добар дан for polite, formal daytime encounters ("good day"), and довиђења as the universal polite farewell ("goodbye").
How It Works
Greetings in Serbian set the social tone and depend on formality, familiar relationships, and time of day.
1. Здраво (Hello)
Originating from the neuter form/adverb of the adjective здрав ("healthy"), здраво stems from an ancient wish for health. It occupies a versatile neutral-to-informal register, slightly more formal and traditional than the very colloquial ћао ("hi / bye"). You can address both individuals and groups with it (e.g., Здраво свима!, though Ћао свима! is also common casually). While здраво can historically or occasionally be heard upon parting, in modern Serbian it is predominantly an arrival greeting ("hello"), whereas departures are typically handled by ћао, видимо се ("see you"), довиђења, or пријатно. When speaking one-on-one with an elder, doctor, professor, or stranger requiring учтиво Ви, time-of-day greetings like добар дан are expected instead.
2. Добар дан (Good day / Good afternoon)
Formed by the masculine adjective добар and the masculine noun дан, this is the cornerstone greeting of polite Serbian society (учтиво Ви). It is used throughout daylight hours (roughly from mid-morning around 9:00 AM until dusk). Early in the morning, speakers use добро јутро ("good morning"), and after dark, добро вече ("good evening"). Remember that дан is masculine, requiring добар дан (never *добро дан).
3. Довиђења (Goodbye)
Formed from the preposition до ("until") and the genitive form of the verbal noun виђење ("seeing"), довиђења literally means "until we see each other again." In standard Serbian orthography, it is written as one word: довиђења. It is the classic formal farewell in Serbian, appropriate when taking leave of someone in polite settings. Alongside довиђења, native speakers frequently say пријатно (literally "pleasant[ly]") as an everyday polite goodbye in stores, bakeries, cafes, and offices. Over the phone, you will also hear до слушања ("until we hear each other").
Addressing People:
Greetings regularly precede names and titles in the vocative case (e.g., Здраво, Марко! or Добар дан, професоре!).
Examples (4)
- Здраво, Ана, како си?
Hi, Ana, how are you?
Word by Word: Hello, Ana, how are-you?
An informal arrival greeting between friends, using the informal second-person pronoun and verb form.
- Добар дан, господине Јовановићу, како сте?
Good day, Mr. Jovanović, how are you?
Word by Word: Good day, Mr. Jovanović, how are-you?
A polite arrival greeting using 'добар дан' paired with the vocative case and polite plural verb form.
- Хвала вам на помоћи и довиђења!
Thank you for your help, and goodbye!
Word by Word: Thank you on help and goodbye!
A standard formal departure phrase used when leaving a shop, bank, or customer service setting.
- Здраво свима!
Hello everyone!
Word by Word: Hello to-everyone!
'Здраво' combined with a dative plural pronoun to greet an entire group of friends or colleagues.
Common Mistakes
Saying 'добро дан' instead of 'добар дан'.
Добро дан, како сте?Добар дан, како сте?Learners often mix up 'добар дан' with neuter greetings like 'добро јутро' or 'добро вече'. Because 'дан' is a masculine noun, it requires the masculine adjective form 'добар', never the neuter 'добро'.
Using 'здраво' with an individual elder, doctor, or professor requiring formal address.
Здраво, професоре!Добар дан, професоре!While 'здраво' is widely used in neutral or group contexts, it is not appropriate when addressing an individual elder, official, or professor requiring polite 'Ви'. In formal individual encounters, use time-of-day greetings like 'добар дан'.
Writing 'довиђења' as two separate words.
Хвала и до виђења!Хвала и довиђења!According to standard Serbian orthography, the polite farewell formula is written as a single word: 'довиђења'.
Related Patterns
- хвала / молим / извинитеPolite Everyday Phrases
Polite courtesy expressions that are constantly paired with greetings and farewells in everyday speech.
Level 1 - ти / виInformal and Polite You
Determines whether an informal greeting like 'здраво' or a polite greeting like 'добар дан' and 'довиђења' is appropriate.
Level 1 - Addressing Someone
The grammatical case used to address people directly after a greeting (e.g., 'Здраво, Марко!').
Level 2 - зовем сеSaying Your Name
Introductions and stating names directly follow standard greetings in introductory dialogues.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice здраво / добар дан / довиђења in Bubblegum
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