Expanding Serbian Vocabulary - Money Matters

Here comes a  set of commonly used phrases when talking about money and banks:

1. Trošiti novac (imperfective) // potrošiti (perfective) = to spend (money)
2. Dobijati (imp) // dobiti (perf) = to get 
3. Skupljati (imp) // skupiti (perf) = to collect
4. Bacati (imp) // baciti (perf)= to throw
5. Štedeti (imp) // uštedeti  (perf)= to save (money)
6. Davati (imp)// dati (perf) = to give
7. Pozajmljivati (imp) // pozajmiti  (perf)= to borrow/lend
8. Zarađivati (imp) // zaraditi (perf) = to earn

To see how to use these verbs and common collocations, read this sad story about Mića and his best man Todor:

Rešenje i prevod:




Mića troši puno novca iako malo zarađuje. Juče je na primer potrošio deset hiljada u kafani! Najgore od svega je što on uopšte nije zardio taj novac već ga je pozajmio od svog kuma Todora, koji je vrlo štedljiv. Sve što zaradi Todor štedi u srpskim bankama i juče je konačno podigao novac koji je štedeo tri godine. Međutim, baš tad se pojavio Mića na vratima i tražio malu pozajmicu. Todor nije imao srca da mu kaže ne i tako je dao Mići pare. Kao što već znate, Mića je isto veče sve te pare potrošio. Bacio ih je na piće  u lokalnoj kafani.  

Prevod na engleski:

Mića spends a lot of money,  although he earns little. Yesterday, for example, he spent ten thousand dinars in a cafe! The worst of all is that he hasn't earned the money at all, but he borrowed it from his best man, Todor, who is very thrifty. All that he earns, Todor saves in Serbian banks and yesterday he finally withdrew money which he had been saving for three years. However, at the very moment, Mića showed up at the door and asked for a loan. Todor was too weak to say no to him and so he gave the money to Mića. As you already know it, Mića spent it all the same night. He squandered it on drinks in the local cafe.