Learn Croatian: Ovo selo je lijepo. - This village is beautiful.

Ovo means "this" for neuter nouns. The word for village, selo, is a neuter noun, so the word for "this" must match its gender. If the noun were masculine, we would use ovaj, and for a feminine noun, we would use ova.

How can I tell that selo is a neuter noun?

In Croatian, you can usually figure out a noun's gender by looking at its last letter in its basic dictionary form. Nouns ending in -o or -e are almost always neuter.

Why does the adjective for beautiful end in -o (lijepo)?

Adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because selo is neuter, the adjective takes the neuter ending -o, becoming lijepo. For a masculine noun it would be lijep, and for a feminine noun it would be lijepa.

Is there a difference between Ovo selo je lijepo and Ovo je lijepo selo?

Yes, they have slightly different meanings just like in English. Ovo selo je lijepo means "This village is beautiful," where ovo attaches directly to the noun. Ovo je lijepo selo means "This is a beautiful village."