Language & Communication
Montenegrin — One Language, Many Names
The official language has been Montenegrin since 2007 — linguistically, it is practically identical to Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian. The differences are minimal (comparable to the differences between German, Austrian, and Swiss German). Montenegrins use both the Latin and Cyrillic scripts — in everyday life, the Latin script dominates, but street signs and official documents often show both.
Useful Phrases
| German | Montenegrin | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Zdravo | SDRA-wo |
| Good day | Dobar dan | DO-bar dan |
| Thank you | Hvala | HWA-la |
| Please | Molim | MO-lim |
| Yes / No | Da / Ne | Da / Neh |
| Cheers! | Živjeli! | SCHIEW-jeli |
| How much does it cost? | Koliko košta? | KO-li-ko KOSCH-ta |
| The bill, please | Račun, molim | RA-tschun, MO-lim |
| Excuse me | Izvinite | is-WI-ni-te |
| No problem | Nema problema | NE-ma pro-BLE-ma |
| Beautiful! | Lijepo! | LI-je-po |
Foreign Language Skills
In tourist areas (coast, Kotor, Budva), many people speak English, especially the younger generation. In hotels and restaurants along the coast, English is standard. German is less spoken than in Croatia, but some older Montenegrins (guest worker generation) understand it. In the hinterland and smaller towns, foreign language skills are less common — here a smile, gestures, and a few words of Montenegrin help enormously. Italian is more commonly understood on the coast, especially in Kotor and Herceg Novi, than German.
