Learn Croatian: Ova škola je druga. - This is a different school.

Yes, druga is the feminine word for "second". However, in Croatian, it is also widely used to mean "other" or "different". Depending on the context, it can mean "the second school" or "a different school".

Why is the word for "this" ova instead of ovo?

Because "this" is directly attached to the noun škola (school), it must match its gender. Since škola is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine form ova. You would only use the neutral ovo if you were making a general statement, like Ovo je škola (This is a school).

The translation is "This is a different school," but doesn't the Croatian sentence literally mean "This school is different"?

Yes, exactly! The literal word-for-word translation is "This school is different" (Ova škola je druga). To literally say "This is a different school", you would say Ovo je druga škola. Both phrases are very common and express the exact same idea.

Why do ova, škola, and druga all end in the letter "a"?

This is a perfect example of gender agreement in Croatian. Feminine nouns usually end in "a" in their basic form, like škola. Any adjectives or pointing words that describe that noun must also take their feminine endings, which is why we use ova and druga instead of their masculine or neutral forms.