What Languages Are Spoken In Bosnia? (Answered!)

Bosnia has three main languages: Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian. With around 1.48 million speakers, Bosnian is the country’s most spoken language. There are no official languages in Bosnia, however.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a relatively new country.

It was only in March of 1994 that Bosnian and ethnic-Croatian leaders decided to join their nations.

From being separate, Bosnia became Bosnia and Herzegovina- a joint Croatian and Bosnian country.

Before 1994, Bosnia was involved in World War 2. It then became a part of Yugoslavia.

Bosnians and Croatian people decided to vote for independence in 1991.

People have occupied Bosnia since the stone age; however, now it stands as an independent country in Europe.

The deep history of Bosnia and Herzegovina means that the structure of their language is unique.

A mix of Croatian and Bosniak heritage is joined by Serbia as the primary language.

This article looks at the languages that are spoken in Bosnia.

In This Article

What Language is Spoken Most in Bosnia?

Bosnian is the most spoken language.

There are around 1.48 million speakers, roughly 45% of the population.

Bosnian is the most widespread language in the country.

There are around 1.7 million speakers who have Bosnian as their mother language.

You can find Bosnian speakers in other southern European countries.

These countries are Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Croatia.

During the breakup of Yugoslavia, Bosnia started to appear as a distinct language. It was used in formal settings.

Only in 1994 did it become the official language of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The language is one of the most widespread dialects of Serbo-Croatian. It is in the same family as Croatian and Serbian.

This makes sense; the countries are all close to each other.

They also share some cultural similarities.

The language is mainly spoken by ethnic Bosniaks.

Are there any minority languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Yes, Turkish people form the oldest ethnic minority in Bosnia.

Bosnian Turks have been settled in the region since the 15th century.

Ethnically, these people are Turkish.

They have called Bosnia home for centuries, however.

Turkish, as a language, is an official minority language.

Bosnia put this into law in 2010.

There are around 1,000 Turkish speakers.

Other minority languages are taught in schools in some regions of the country.

For example, Ukrainian is taught in four schools across the state.

German, Russian and Italian is consistently taught as second or foreign languages.

Is Bosnian similar to Russian?

Bosnian is part of the Slavic section of Indo-European languages.

This means that it is part of the same family as Russia.

Whether they are similar or not is another question.

However, similarities are inevitable because the two languages are from the same family tree.

But these similarities are rare.

There may be grammar rules that both languages share, and some words may also be the same.

Bosnian, however, is more influenced by Turkish, Arabic and Croatian.

Due to their Islamic history, Bosnian has taken a lot of loan words from Turkey and Arabia.

So to answer the question, the two languages share some similarities.

For example, if you are a Bosnian speaker, you may recognize some words that a Russian uses.

They are not the same language, and you would struggle to try to communicate with someone speaking the opposite dialect.

Do they Speak English In Bosnia?

The children of Bosnia are taught English at school as a foreign language.

When a student graduates, they have a high level of English.

This is a significant achievement for Bosnia.

A decade or two ago, English was hardly spoken in the school systems.

Now, it is most children’s first foreign language.

It is not just children that can speak English.

If you travel to Bosnia, you will be pleased to know that most of the population can also say it.

You will also be comfortable in hotels and restaurants as locals try to communicate in English.

With so many soldiers from peace troops coming into Bosnia, locals who did not know the language will at least know some phrases.

Equally, Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian all share common phrases.

Tourists should be confident that locals will know English. If this is not enough reassurance, some phrases in one of the Yugoslavian languages will significantly help.

Are Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian the same language?

Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian all fall under the same language.

If anything, they are different dialects of one common language.

The official name for the everyday speech is Stokavian.

Although there are Croatian dialects that do not fall under the Stokavian name.

For the most part, the languages are Stokavian.

Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian all stem from one origin.

Despite this, there are different versions of these languages.

For example, the language in Croatia is entirely different in Zagreb compared to the Dalmation version.

Even in one country, the languages can be so contrasting,

So yes, the three languages are all from the same family tree.

In fact, they are essentially siblings.

However, it must be said that even in one country, these languages can be unrecognizable.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a significant country in modern history.

Islamic influences have separated it from much of Europe.

It is even distinct from its nearest countries like Croatia and Serbia.

The language landscape tells a story of post-World War 2 Europe.

Despite being late to the party, Bosnia has grown to see its population be almost fluent in English.

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Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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