Sarajevo

S1A1R1A1J8E1V4O1
/ˌsæ.ɹəˈjeɪ.voʊ//ˈsæ.ɹə.jeɪ.voʊ//ˌsɑː.ɹəˈjeɪ.voʊ//ˈsɑː.ɹə.jeɪ.voʊ/

proper noun

The capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, built on the Miljacka river.

OriginSerbo-Croatian Sarajevo ← Ottoman Turkish سرای ← Turkish Saray-ovası →
Less commonScrabble 18
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. The capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, built on the Miljacka river.
    1 more example

    I had planned a stop in Sarajevo to meet with a multiethnic delegation to hear their ideas about what the United States government and private organizations could do to help heal a society ripped apart by war. The security situation forced me to cancel my trip to Sarajevo, but the people I was to meet were so disappointed that they insisted on braving the journey along fifty miles of treacherous roads to meet me in Tuzla.

    2003, Hillary Rodham Clinton, “War Zones”, in Living History, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 344
    1. metonymicallyThe Bosnian government.
  2. A canton of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Origin

  1. Persianسرای“inn”
  2. TurkishSaray-ovası
  3. Ottoman Turkishسرای
  4. Serbo-CroatianSarajevo
  5. EnglishSarajevo

From Serbo-Croatian Sarajevo, from Ottoman Turkish سرای, Turkish Saray-ovası, from saray (“palace”), from Persian سرای (sarây, “inn”).), and ova "plain, lowland".

More words from Serbo-Croatian, Ottoman Turkish, Turkish

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans Sarajewo, Sarajewo
  • Sarajewocanton
  • Sarajewocity
Arabic سَارَايِيفُو, سَرَايِيفُو
  • سَارَايِيفُو (sārāyīfū)city
  • سَرَايِيفُو (sarāyīfū)city
Bengali সারায়েভো
  • সারায়েভো (śaraẏebhō)city
Bulgarian Сара́ево, Сара́ево
  • Сара́ево (Saráevo)canton
  • Сара́ево (Saráevo)city
Chinese Cantonese 薩拉熱窩 /萨拉热窝
  • 薩拉熱窩 /萨拉热窝 (saat³ laai¹ jit⁶ wo¹)city
Chinese Mandarin 薩拉熱窩 /萨拉热窝
  • 薩拉熱窩 /萨拉热窝 (Sàlārèwō)city
Czech Sarajevo
  • Sarajevocity
Danish Sarajevo
  • Sarajevocity
Dutch Sarajevo
  • Sarajevocity
Esperanto Sarajevo
  • Sarajevocity
Estonian Sarajevo
  • Sarajevocity
Finnish Sarajevo
  • Sarajevocity
French Sarajevo
  • Sarajevocity
German Sarajevo, Sarajewo
  • Sarajevocity
  • Sarajewocity
Greek Σαράγεβο, Σεράγεβο
  • Σαράγεβο (Sarágevo)city
  • Σεράγεβο (Serágevo)city
Hebrew סָרָיֶיבוֹ \ סאראייבו
  • סָרָיֶיבוֹ \ סאראייבו (saráyevo)city
Hindi सारायेवो
  • सारायेवो (sārāyevo)city
Hungarian Szarajevó
  • Szarajevócity
Icelandic Sarajevó
  • Sarajevócity
Indonesian Sarajevo
  • Sarajevocity
Irish Sairéavó
  • Sairéavócity
Italian Sarajevo, Seraievo
  • Sarajevocity
  • Seraievocity
Japanese サラエボ, サライェヴォ
  • サラエボ (Saraebo)city
  • サライェヴォ (Sarayevo)city
  • サラエヴォ (Saraevo)city
Korean 사라예보, 사라예보
  • 사라예보 (sarayebo)canton
  • 사라예보 (Sarayebo)city
Latin Seraium
  • Seraiumcity
Latvian Sarajeva
  • Sarajevacity
Lithuanian Sarajevas
  • Sarajevascity
Malay Sarajevo
  • Sarajevocity
Norwegian Bokmål Sarajevo
  • Sarajevocity
Persian سارایوو, سرایوو
  • سارایوو (sârâyevo)city
  • سرایوو (sarâyevo)city
Polish Sarajewo
  • Sarajewocity
Portuguese Saraievo
  • Saraievocity
Romanian Sarajevo
  • Sarajevocity
Russian Сара́ево
  • Сара́ево (Sarájevo)city
Slovak Sarajevo
  • Sarajevocity
Spanish Sarajevo
  • Sarajevocity
Swedish Sarajevo
  • Sarajevocity
Tamil சாரயேவோ
  • சாரயேவோ (cārayēvō)city
Thai ซาราเยโว
  • ซาราเยโว (saa-raa-yee-woo)city
Turkish Saraybosna, Bosnasaray
  • Saraybosnacity
  • Bosnasaraycity
  • Bosna Sarayıcity
  • Saraycity
Ukrainian Сара́єво
  • Сара́єво (Sarájevo)city
Urdu سرائیوو
  • سرائیوو (sarā'yevo)city
Vietnamese Xa-rai-ê-vô
  • Xa-rai-ê-vôcity
Yiddish סאַראַיעוואָ
  • סאַראַיעוואָ (sarayevo)city
Cite this entry
APA

Sarajevo. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Sarajevo

MLA

“Sarajevo.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Sarajevo. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Sarajevo,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Sarajevo.

Source: Sarajevo on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.