Your first steps: sounds, letters, basics
Bosnian is very phonetic, so words are pronounced as written. You’ll use the Latin alphabet plus a few letters with accents: č, ć, đ, ž, and š. Get these sounds right early and everything becomes easier. Focus your first week on greetings, polite phrases, numbers, days, and the question word for “where” (gdje).
For absolute beginners, small daily wins matter. Learn to introduce yourself, ask someone’s name, say please/thank you, and order coffee. Keep a tiny notebook or a free note app with your top 20 words and phrases. Revisit them twice a day and speak out loud.
- Hello/bye: Zdravo / Ćao
- Please/thank you: Molim / Hvala
- Where is…?: Gdje je…?
Free apps and online tools that actually help
Duolingo doesn’t currently offer Bosnian, but there are great free alternatives. Try a Bosnian course in the Ling app’s free tier, vocabulary on Memrise or user-made Anki decks, and sentence practice on Clozemaster. Many learners also like 50Languages (Book2) for short audio dialogues.
If you prefer printable study aids, search for a “Bosnian A1 PDF” phrasebook or cheat sheet; many libraries, cultural centers, and community groups share free PDFs. For quick checking, use a bilingual online dictionary and Wiktionary for plural forms and verb conjugations.
- Apps: Ling (free tier), Clozemaster, Memrise, Anki decks
- Audio + PDF: 50Languages (short dialogues and printables)
- Dictionaries: Glosbe, Wiktionary, Rečnik-style resources
- Listening: YouTube news, children’s stories, simple vlogs
A 30‑day beginner plan (30–45 minutes/day)
Consistency beats intensity. Aim for 20 minutes core study + 10–25 minutes listening or speaking. Keep it free by mixing an app session with a short PDF page and one simple video.
Track progress in a tiny log: new words, one sentence you built, and one thing to fix tomorrow. Celebrate streaks, not perfection.
- Days 1–7: Alphabet + greetings; 10 core phrases; numbers 1–20.
- Days 8–14: Food, cafés, prices, “where is…?” for directions.
- Days 15–21: Family, daily routine, telling time; present-tense verbs.
- Days 22–26: Travel basics; tickets, hotels, simple questions.
- Days 27–30: Review + record yourself; 10 mini-conversations.
Pronunciation and grammar: only what you need now
Key sounds: č (ch, as in “choco”), ć (softer ch), đ (dy), ž (zh, like “vision”), š (sh). Stress is usually even; pronounce every letter. Practice minimal pairs (č/ć, ž/š) with slow YouTube clips.
Bosnian has cases and verb endings, but you can start simple. Word order is flexible, yet SVO works: Ja učim bosanski (I learn Bosnian). Learn high-frequency patterns first; you can refine cases as you go.
- Questions: Gdje? = Where?, Šta? = What?, Ko? = Who?
- I am/you are: Ja sam, Ti si, Vi ste (formal/plural).
- Useful verb: ići (to go): Idem, ideš, ide, idemo, idete, idu.
- Polite requests: Molim vas… (Please…), Mogu li…? (May I…?)
- Mini frame: Gdje je toalет? Gdje je stanica? Gdje je banka?
Practice, confidence, and where to find people
Mix solo study with real voices. Listen to short Bosnian news clips at 0.75× speed and repeat out loud. Shadow a 30‑second segment daily. Write tiny diary lines: Danas učim bosanski. Pijem kafu.
Find partners on language‑exchange apps or social groups. Keep it beginner-friendly: agree on slow speech, short messages, and themed chats (food, directions, hobbies). Thank partners and swap languages fairly.
- Language exchange apps: Tandem, HelloTalk (set topics).
- Community: Facebook groups for Bosnian learners.
- Media: Kids’ stories, cooking channels, simple travel vlogs.
- Routine: 5 minutes of shadowing + 5 minutes of review.
FAQ
- Is Bosnian on Duolingo?
- Not at the moment. To learn online for free, combine a Bosnian course in the Ling app (free tier), Clozemaster or Memrise for vocab, and YouTube listening.
- Where can I get a free Bosnian PDF?
- Search terms like “Bosnian A1 PDF”, “Bosnian phrasebook PDF”, or “book2 Bosnian PDF”. Libraries, cultural centers, and community groups often share free downloadable materials.
- How long to reach A1–A2 as a beginner?
- With 30–45 minutes daily, many beginners reach solid A1 in 4–8 weeks and early A2 in 3–4 months. Focus on high‑frequency phrases and consistent listening.
- Which app is best for beginners to start?
- There’s no single best app, but a practical combo is: Ling (free tier) for structure, Memrise/Anki for spaced vocab, and Clozemaster for sentence context. Add a small PDF cheat sheet.
- Are Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian similar?
- They’re largely mutually intelligible, and many online resources are labeled BCS. You can still learn Bosnian effectively—just note local words and spelling where they differ.