A while back, a global online project asked people from all over the world one deceptively simple question: why do we connect? Not just connect online - connect at all, with other people, across distances and languages and cultures. The answers that came back were as varied and genuine as the people who gave them, and the whole thing became one of my favourite examples of what collaborative video can do.
We contributed a Serbian-language answer, and today I want to share it here along with some thoughts on why that question still feels worth asking.
What is the Why Do We Connect project?
The "Why Do We Connect" project was a collaborative video initiative that invited people from around the world to record short video responses to the same question and compile them into a shared answer. It was one of the early experiments in truly global, genuinely multilingual online conversation - long before "going viral" was a phrase anyone used. Each participant answered in their own language, and the result was a kind of patchwork of human motivation that was both funny and quietly moving.
For language learners, it was also a perfect reminder that the whole point of learning a new language is exactly this: to connect with more people, more deeply, in more ways than you could before.
Our answer
When it was our turn to answer, the response that felt truest was this:
"To get inspired - to create!"
= Da se inspirišemo. Da stvaramo!
Those two sentences carry a lot. Inspirisati se - to be inspired, to draw inspiration from something or someone. Stvarati - to create, to make something that was not there before. Both are reflexive or ongoing verbs, which in Serbian signals that this is not a one-time event but a continuous state. You do not get inspired once. You keep connecting, and you keep creating.
The video (carried forward)
Here is the video response we made as part of the project. It is short, warm, and very much of its moment - which is part of what makes it worth keeping.
Your turn to answer
Now a question to you - why do you connect with other people on the web?
Zašto se vi povezujete sa drugim ljudima preko interneta?
Leave your answer in the comments - in English, in Serbian, or in whatever mix feels right. There is no wrong way to answer this one. I am genuinely curious, and so are the other readers here. If you are feeling brave, try writing at least one sentence in Serbian - even a simple one. Povezujem se da naucim srpski! (I connect to learn Serbian!) is a perfectly good start.
Frequently asked questions
What does "Da se inspirišemo" mean exactly?
"Da se inspirišemo" translates literally as "So that we inspire ourselves" or more naturally "So that we get inspired / find inspiration." The reflexive particle se here turns an active verb into a mutual or self-directed one - the inspiration comes from the act of connecting itself.
What is the difference between "stvarati" and "napraviti"?
Stvarati is an imperfective verb suggesting an ongoing, generative process - "to be creating, to keep creating." Napraviti is perfective and refers to a single completed act - "to make one specific thing." When the project asked us why we connect, stvaramo felt more honest: the point is the ongoing act, not any single finished product.
Can I use this video in my own Serbian class or lesson?
Yes, please do. It was made to be shared. It works well as a discussion starter, a speaking prompt, or a model for students to record their own short answer in Serbian.
Is "Zašto" the only question word for "why" in Serbian?
Yes - zasto is the standard word for "why" in Serbian. You will also occasionally see the more formal zbog cega (because of what) in written or official contexts, but in everyday speech zasto is what you will always hear and need.
Warmly,
Marina Petrovic
Curious about other online learning adventures? Head over to More about learning Serbian online for the full collection.