Meet Kefalica - one of the most cheerful and memorable characters in Serbian language learning. This playful animated figure has a gift for making tricky vocabulary stick, and family words are exactly the kind of vocabulary that benefits from a memorable hook. In today's lesson we follow Kefalica through a set of questions about the Serbian family tree, then add a few notes on character words that came up in the original clip.
Family vocabulary is not just useful for talking about your relatives. It comes up constantly in everyday conversation, in stories, and - crucially - in the kinds of warm small talk that make Serbian speakers feel at ease with a foreign learner. Learn these words and doors open.
What is Kefalica?
Kefalica is a playful animated character used in Serbian language lessons to make vocabulary fun and approachable for learners at all levels. The name itself is a diminutive built on glava (head) - so Kefalica is essentially a charming little "head" figure. The character works particularly well for vocabulary that benefits from visual and emotional anchoring, and family words are a perfect fit.
The lesson below uses questions in Serbian Cyrillic script, exactly as they appeared in the original post. Each question is followed by a short English gloss in brackets so you know what you are dealing with before you press play.
The family questions
Read through these questions before watching the video. The original lesson used them as comprehension prompts - try to hold each one in mind and listen for the answer in the clip.
- Ко је стриц? (Who is a stric - your father's brother?)
- Ко је стрина? (Who is a strina - your uncle's wife, on your father's side?)
- Ко је тетка? (Who is a tetka - your aunt?)
- Ко је ујак? (Who is an ujak - your mother's brother, i.e. your maternal uncle?)
- Да ли мама може да буде "ожењена"? (Can a mum be described as "ozenjeni" - the word used for a married man? This is a grammar question about gender!)
- Ко је унук? (Who is a grandson?)
- Ко је унука? (Who is a granddaughter?)
- Ко су све наши рођаци? (Who are all our relatives?)
- Шта је карактер? (What is "karakter" - character or personality?)
- Шта значи имати "чврст карактер"? (What does it mean to have a "firm" or "strong" character?)
- "јак карактер"? (What about a "strong" character - is it the same as "cvrst"?)
- "слаб карактер"? (And a "weak" character?)
Question 5 is a lovely little grammar trap. The word oženjen comes from the root žena (woman/wife) and describes a man who is married. A woman cannot be oženjena because she is not the one who "has taken a wife." A married woman is udata - from the verb udati se, meaning to marry (for a woman). This is exactly the kind of nuance that makes Serbian so interesting once you start paying attention.
Hear it (carried forward)
The original post used a Flash player that no longer works in modern browsers. Here is the same video in a current format. Watch it through once for enjoyment, then watch again with the questions above in hand.
Family vocabulary at a glance
| Serbian (Latin) | Cyrillic | English |
|---|---|---|
| stric | стриц | father's brother (paternal uncle) |
| strina | стрина | wife of the paternal uncle |
| tetka | тетка | aunt |
| ujak | ујак | mother's brother (maternal uncle) |
| unuk | унук | grandson |
| unuka | унука | granddaughter |
| rodjaci | рођаци | relatives |
| oženjen / udata | ожењен / удата | married (man / woman) |
A note on why family words are so useful
Family words make outstanding small talk material - ask a Serbian speaker about their family and you will rarely run short of conversation, warmth, or the chance to hear the language at its most natural and unhurried. Unlike formal or technical vocabulary, family words come with stories attached, which makes them much easier to remember.
The questions about karakter at the end of the list also hint at something important: Serbian speakers often describe people in terms of the strength or quality of their character, and knowing the adjectives cvrst (firm), jak (strong), and slab (weak) will help you follow and join those conversations with confidence.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Serbian have different words for maternal and paternal uncles?
Serbian, like many Slavic languages, distinguishes between relatives on the father's side and relatives on the mother's side. Your father's brother is stric; your mother's brother is ujak. This distinction used to be important in closely-knit communities where knowing exactly which branch of the family someone came from mattered a great deal. Modern speakers still use both words naturally.
What script does Serbian use?
Serbian is officially written in both Cyrillic and Latin scripts, and educated speakers are expected to read both. In everyday digital life, the Latin script (with diacritics: Š, Č, Ć, Ž, Đ) is increasingly common. This blog uses both, so you will encounter Cyrillic in authentic materials like the Kefalica questions above and Latin in explanatory notes.
How do I say "I have two aunts" in Serbian?
You would say Imam dve tetke. The number dve (two, feminine) triggers the genitive singular of the noun, so tetka becomes tetke. For three or more: Imam tri tetke (same form), and for five or more: Imam pet tetaka (genitive plural).
Is Kefalica used for other vocabulary topics?
Yes - the Kefalica character appears across several vocabulary-focused lessons on this blog. Family words are just one area. The format works well for any topic where visual storytelling helps anchor new words in memory.
What does "karakter" mean in everyday Serbian speech?
Karakter means personality or character - the set of qualities that define how a person behaves. Cvrst karakter (firm character) suggests someone reliable and morally grounded. Jak karakter (strong character) suggests force of personality. Slab karakter (weak character) implies someone easily swayed or unreliable. These are vivid, commonly used phrases.
Family vocabulary is one of those areas of Serbian that rewards early investment many times over. Once you have these words, every conversation with a Serbian speaker that turns to family - and many of them do - becomes an opportunity rather than a moment of panic. Bravo! You have taken a solid step today.
- Marina Petrovic
Curious about more Serbian words? Explore the full vocabulary collection at More everyday Serbian.