Serbian/Bosnian/Croatian speakers, how do you speak your language without laughing?

Question

It makes me chuckle that some of your most common verbal forms, je bio/bila/bilo/bili, sound obscene. I'm guessing that the accents probably aren't alike. (I don't hear the different accents well yet, but that's why these verbal forms are funny to me--because they sound so much like... you know).

Answer 1

"these verbal forms are funny to me--because they sound so much like... you know"

Yes I know. But I do not find it funny.

When you are eating a delicious "Spotted d**k" ( traditional English steamed suet pudding ), do you choke, chuckle or enjoy ?

Or  it is " funny to me--because they sound so much like... you know" ....

Answer 2

Why should it be funny? You have just managed to insult millions of people by saying that their languages sound stupid and English is clearly better than them. This is a ridiculous statement to make. If you're learning any of these languages, then I suggest you grow up and stop offending people because they won't like it.

Answer 3

They may sound funny or extreme to you, but why should they sound so to native speakers.

Don 't forget also that many English words sound obscene in other languages as well - do you laugh every time you say the word "confess" - which means "c*nt-buttocks" in French - or "arm" - which sounds like the Turkish word for "c*nt" - or "loader" - which sounds like the Hindi word for "d.ick"....?

Answer 4

Not any more or less than all other languages which have something similar...

And there are so many examples. I guess you don't find it funny when it's about your language. And if you do, you get over it when still a child, like our children are giggling whenever somebody says 'pišao' instead of 'pisao', which is quite frequent...

I was amused when an American colleague said 'jebi soba' in an attempt to freely coin 'jedi soba' for 'dining room'. Everybody reassured her it's OK, just for laughs, and it actually worked for a while until somebody corrected her.

edit@London_calling: nah, we're not that touchy, trust me...

Besides, the asker never said it sounded 'stupid' and there's no mention of English at all, let alone of it 'being better. I didn't even think that the asker's mother tongue is necessarily English. How do you know it? Or maybe you didn't get the whole idea - if you don't know what s/he was implying with 'je bio/bila' etc.