Reis alaku

Keel

1. Hello, goodbye and good morning in Montenegrin

Say ‘hello’ to Montenegro with a rousing zdravo, pronounced ‘zdrah-voh’ – the emphasis is on the first part of the word. Feeling more formal? Greet your counterpart with dobro jutro (‘dob-ro yoo-tro’), ‘good morning’ in Montenegrin. Use dobar dan (‘dob-ar-dun’) in the afternoon and dobro veče (‘dob-ro ve-che’) in the evening. To say goodbye, say doviđenja (‘doh-vee-dje-nyah’). True to their Mediterranean roots, a friendly Ćao! (pronounced the same as in the Italian ciao) will do just as well for both ‘hi’ and ‘bye’.

2. Please and thank you

You’ll go far in life with a little ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. So, brush up on the Montenegrin equivalents of both before your trip. Say molim (‘mo-leem’) for ‘please’ and hvala (‘hvah-lah’) for thank you – the emphasis on the first syllable in hvala which rhymes with koala.

3. Yes or no

These two Montenegrin words are going to be a doddle to remember. For ‘yes’, say da, for ‘no’, say ne. We’re so confident you’re going to master these swiftly, we’ll throw in a third word for good measure – dobro (pronounced ‘doh-broh’) means good, for when you really want to emphasise your approval.

10. Cheers!

How to toast - Montenegrin phrases

Almost more important than ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when socialising with the Montenegrins is your ability to ‘cheers’ with characteristic commitment. In addition to their love of wine, the Montenegrins have their own form of vodka called rakija. Drink it like a local: eyes first, the clink of your glass and a hearty živjeli! (‘zheev yay lee’).

 11. It’s amazing!

The wild natural beauty of Montenegro is such that the next Montenegrin phrase is one you’ll want to keep in your pocket for soul-stirring moments. Say divno! (‘deev-noh‘) to express your wonder and amazement about something, or somewhere.

12. How much is that…?

Retail therapy is made much smoother in Montenegro with the phrase koliko to košta (‘kol-eeko toh koshra’) – how much is that?

12. August 2024