Ovo je voda.

This is water.

Breakdown of Ovo je voda.

• biti: to be
• ovo: this
• voda: water

Questions & Answers about Ovo je voda.

What part of speech is ovo and how is it used in this sentence?

Ovo is a demonstrative pronoun in the nominative singular. It means “this” and points to something close to the speaker. In Ovo je voda, it introduces what “this” refers to.

What case is voda in, and why?

Voda is in the nominative singular because it’s the predicate noun in a simple identification sentence (“This is water”). In Croatian, predicate nouns after biti (to be) also take the nominative.

Why is there no word for “a” or “the” before voda?

Croatian does not have indefinite or definite articles like English a or the. Nouns stand alone, and specificity or indefiniteness is inferred from context or added words (e.g., neka voda for “some water”).

Why is the verb je used instead of jeste?

Je is the standard third-person singular present form of biti (to be). Jeste can also appear in certain dialects or for emphasis/question tags, but in a neutral declarative sentence you use je.

How do you pronounce Ovo je voda?