Kao grom iz vedra neba
Literally like thunder from a clear sky
Means completely unexpected, with no warning at all
English idiom out of the blue
Example Njegova ostavka došla je kao grom iz vedra neba.
His resignation came out of the blue.
An idiom is a phrase you cannot translate word for word. Here are the 26 most common Bosnian idioms, ranked by how often you will actually meet them, each with its literal translation, real meaning, the closest English idiom where one exists, and an example sentence with an English translation, so you know what natives actually mean.
Common Bosnian idioms are everyday expressions whose meaning cannot be guessed from the individual words. For example, Kao grom iz vedra neba literally means "like thunder from a clear sky" but is used to mean completely unexpected, with no warning at all. This free page ranks the 26 most common Bosnian idioms by how often you meet them, each with its literal translation, meaning, the closest English idiom where one exists, and an example sentence with an English translation.
All 26 idioms, most common first.
Guess the meaning, then tap a card to check.
Idiom list verified as of August 2026.
Kao grom iz vedra neba
Literally like thunder from a clear sky
Means completely unexpected, with no warning at all
English idiom out of the blue
Example Njegova ostavka došla je kao grom iz vedra neba.
His resignation came out of the blue.
Praviti od muhe slona
Literally to make an elephant out of a fly
Means to exaggerate a small problem until it seems enormous
English idiom make a mountain out of a molehill
Example Smiri se, praviš od muhe slona.
Calm down, you are making a mountain out of a molehill.
Preko glave mi je
Literally it is over my head
Means to be completely fed up with something after putting up with far too much of it
English idiom to have had it up to here
Example Preko glave mi je njegovih vječnih žalbi.
I have had it up to here with his endless complaining.
Držati jezik za zubima
Literally to hold the tongue behind the teeth
Means to stay quiet and not say what you know
English idiom to hold one's tongue
Example Bolje drži jezik za zubima dok se sve ne razjasni.
You had better hold your tongue until everything is cleared up.
Praviti se Englez
Literally to play the Englishman
Means to pretend you did not notice or understand something
English idiom to play dumb
Example Ne pravi se Englez, dobro znaš o čemu pričam.
Do not play dumb, you know exactly what I am talking about.
Note Informal and teasing; the reference to the English is not meant as an insult.
Bez dlake na jeziku
Literally without a hair on the tongue
Means speaking bluntly and openly, without softening anything
English idiom to not mince words
Example Direktorica je govorila bez dlake na jeziku i svima rekla šta misli.
The director did not mince words and told everyone what she thought.
Vući nekoga za nos
Literally to pull someone by the nose
Means to deceive someone and keep them waiting with empty promises
English idiom to string someone along
Example Dosta je bilo, vuče me za nos već mjesecima.
That is enough, he has been stringing me along for months.
Spavati kao top
Literally to sleep like a cannon
Means to sleep very deeply, so that nothing wakes you
English idiom to sleep like a log
Example Bio sam toliko umoran da sam spavao kao top do podne.
I was so tired that I slept like a log until noon.
Nije šija nego vrat
Literally it is not the nape but the neck
Means the two things being compared are the same, only called differently
English idiom six of one, half a dozen of the other
Example Kažeš da nije laž nego prešućivanje, nije šija nego vrat.
You say it is not a lie but just leaving things unsaid, that is six of one and half a dozen of the other.
Note Šija and vrat are near synonyms for the same part of the body, which is the point of the phrase.
Gledati kroz prste
Literally to look through the fingers
Means to knowingly let someone's faults or mistakes pass
English idiom to turn a blind eye
Example Nastavnik mu gleda kroz prste jer mu je otac direktor.
The teacher turns a blind eye to him because his father is the principal.
Pao mi je kamen sa srca
Literally a stone fell from my heart
Means to feel sudden relief once a worry is gone
English idiom a weight off my shoulders
Example Kad su rekli da je operacija prošla dobro, pao mi je kamen sa srca.
When they said the surgery had gone well, it was a weight off my shoulders.
Ubiti dvije muhe jednim udarcem
Literally to kill two flies with one blow
Means to achieve two things with a single action
English idiom to kill two birds with one stone
Example Ako svratim u banku na putu do posla, ubit ću dvije muhe jednim udarcem.
If I stop by the bank on the way to work, I will kill two birds with one stone.
Imati pik na nekoga
Literally to have a pique on someone
Means to single someone out and treat them unfairly out of resentment
English idiom to have it in for someone
Example Otkad sam ga pobijedio na turniru, ima pik na mene.
Ever since I beat him at the tournament, he has had it in for me.
Baciti oko na nešto
Literally to throw an eye on something
Means to start wanting something you have spotted
English idiom to have one's eye on something
Example Bacila sam oko na onu crvenu haljinu u izlogu.
I have got my eye on that red dress in the shop window.
Note Used about people too, where it means you find someone attractive.
Kad na vrbi rodi grožđe
Literally when grapes grow on the willow
Means never, at a moment that will never come
English idiom when pigs fly
Example Vratit će mi dug kad na vrbi rodi grožđe.
He will pay me back when pigs fly.
Držati fige
Literally to hold figs
Means to wish someone luck with something
English idiom to keep one's fingers crossed
Example Držim ti fige za sutrašnji ispit.
I am keeping my fingers crossed for your exam tomorrow.
Note The matching gesture is a fist with the thumb pushed between the index and middle fingers, not crossed fingers.
Fali mu daska u glavi
Literally a plank is missing in his head
Means he acts in a strange or reckless way, as if not quite sane
English idiom to have a screw loose
Example Skočio je u rijeku po ovoj hladnoći, sigurno mu fali daska u glavi.
He jumped into the river in this cold, he must have a screw loose.
Note Informal and insulting, fine among friends but not in polite company.
Trčati pred rudu
Literally to run in front of the wagon shaft
Means to act or draw conclusions too early, before the right moment
English idiom to jump the gun
Example Ne trči pred rudu, ugovor još nije potpisan.
Do not jump the gun, the contract has not been signed yet.
Ostaviti nekoga na cjedilu
Literally to leave someone on the strainer
Means to abandon someone at the very moment they need help
English idiom to leave someone in the lurch
Example Obećao je pomoći sa selidbom, a onda nas je ostavio na cjedilu.
He promised to help with the move and then left us in the lurch.
Bacati novac kroz prozor
Literally to throw money through the window
Means to spend money on things that give nothing back
English idiom to throw money down the drain
Example Ne kupuj to, samo bacaš novac kroz prozor.
Do not buy that, you are just throwing money down the drain.
Sjediti na dvije stolice
Literally to sit on two chairs
Means to stay on good terms with two opposing sides at once
English idiom to play both sides
Example Ne možeš vječno sjediti na dvije stolice, moraš izabrati stranu.
You cannot play both sides forever, you have to pick one.
Gdje je Bog rekao laku noć
Literally where God said good night
Means in a very remote place, far from everything
English idiom in the middle of nowhere
Example Njihova vikendica je tamo gdje je Bog rekao laku noć, dva sata vožnje od grada.
Their cottage is in the middle of nowhere, a two hour drive from the city.
Note You will also hear the same phrase with vrag (devil) in place of Bog.
Dobiti korpu
Literally to get a basket
Means to be turned down by someone you asked out
English idiom to get shot down
Example Pozvao ju je na kahvu i dobio korpu.
He asked her out for coffee and got shot down.
Note Informal and a bit jokey, used mostly about romantic rejection.
Živjeti kao bubreg u loju
Literally to live like a kidney in fat
Means to live very comfortably and without a care
English idiom to live in the lap of luxury
Example Otkad je dobio taj posao, živi kao bubreg u loju.
Ever since he got that job, he has been living in the lap of luxury.
Baciti koplje u trnje
Literally to throw the spear into the thorns
Means to give up on something and stop trying
English idiom to throw in the towel
Example Nemoj baciti koplje u trnje nakon prvog neuspjeha.
Do not throw in the towel after the first failure.
Note A little literary, more common in writing and speeches than in casual chat.
Biti mokra kokoš
Literally to be a wet hen
Means to be meek and spineless, unable to stand up for yourself
Example Ne budi mokra kokoš, reci mu istinu u lice.
Do not be such a pushover, tell him the truth to his face.
Note Mildly mocking, usually said to someone you know well.
An idiom is a phrase whose meaning is fixed by convention, not built from its words. That is why a word-for-word translation fails: Kao grom iz vedra neba comes out as "like thunder from a clear sky", which makes no sense until you know it means completely unexpected, with no warning at all.
Learn a few at a time, not a whole list. Pick the ones you keep running into, say them out loud in a real sentence, and you will remember them far longer than by drilling flashcards.
The most reliable way to absorb idioms is to meet them in context, again and again, in things you actually read. Parallel text and audio let you catch an idiom in a real Bosnian sentence and check what it means without breaking your reading. That is what reading in Lingo7 is built for.
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The most common Bosnian idioms, ranked by everyday frequency, start with Kao grom iz vedra neba, Praviti od muhe slona, Preko glave mi je, Držati jezik za zubima, Praviti se Englez. Each one means something you could not guess from the words alone, which is exactly why learners have to meet them in context. This page lists 26 of them with meanings and example sentences.
In Bosnian, "Kao grom iz vedra neba" translates literally as "like thunder from a clear sky", but it actually means completely unexpected, with no warning at all. The closest English idiom is "out of the blue". Example: Njegova ostavka došla je kao grom iz vedra neba. ("His resignation came out of the blue.")
The Bosnian equivalent is "Kao grom iz vedra neba", literally "like thunder from a clear sky". Example: Njegova ostavka došla je kao grom iz vedra neba. ("His resignation came out of the blue.")
In Bosnian, an idiom is called frazem, and a proverb is poslovica. A frazem is a fixed figurative phrase that slots into a sentence like a single word, while a poslovica is a complete sentence that states a piece of folk wisdom.
Idioms are non-compositional: their meaning is fixed by convention, not built from the individual words. Kao grom iz vedra neba translates literally as "like thunder from a clear sky", yet it means completely unexpected, with no warning at all. Translate word for word and you get nonsense, so idioms have to be learned as whole units.
The fastest way is to meet them in context and reuse them, not to memorize a list. Learn a handful at a time, notice them while reading and listening, and try them in your own sentences. Reading real Bosnian with tap-to-translate, the way Lingo7 works, turns every page into idiom practice.