Ovo je privatna isprava.

This is a private document.

Breakdown of Ovo je privatna isprava.

• biti: to be
• ovo: this
• privatna isprava: a private document

Questions & Answers about Ovo je privatna isprava.

Why is the sentence Ovo je privatna isprava and not Ova je privatna isprava?

Because ovo is a very common neuter demonstrative used in Croatian to mean this when you are identifying, presenting, or pointing something out in a general way.

In sentences like:

• Ovo je knjiga.
• Ovo je moja sestra.
• Ovo je privatna isprava.

ovo works like this/this thing/this here in English.

By contrast, ova would need to directly match a feminine noun:

• ova isprava = this document

So:

• Ovo je privatna isprava. = This is a private document.
• Ova isprava je privatna. = This document is private.

Both are correct, but they do not structure the idea in exactly the same way.

What does ovo mean here exactly?