Ovaj primjer je jednostavan.

to be

Breakdown of Ovaj primjer je jednostavan.

• ovaj: this
• primjer: example
• jednostavan: simple

Questions & Answers about Ovaj primjer je jednostavan.

What does each word in Ovaj primjer je jednostavan correspond to in English?

Word by word:

• Ovaj = this (masculine, singular)
• primjer = example
• je = is (3rd person singular of biti – to be)
• jednostavan = simple

So literally: This example is simple.

Why is it ovaj and not ovo?

Croatian demonstratives agree in gender and number with the noun they point to.

• primjer is masculine singular.
• The masculine singular form of this is ovaj.
• ovo is the neuter form of this and is used:
  • with neuter nouns (e.g. ovo mjesto – this place), or
  • on its own as this thing (e.g. Što je ovo? – What is this?).

Here we have a masculine noun (primjer), so it must be ovaj primjer, not ovo primjer.

What gender, number, and case are ovaj and primjer here?

Both ovaj and primjer are:

• Gender: masculine
• Number: singular
• Case: nominative (subject of the sentence)

They match because adjectives and demonstratives in Croatian agree with the nouns they modify in gender, number, and case.

Why is there no word for a or the before example?

Croatian has no articles (no equivalents of a / an / the). The noun phrase ovaj primjer can mean:

• this example
• sometimes contextually this particular example, this one example, etc.

Definiteness and specificity are shown by context and by words like ovaj / taj / onaj, not by separate articles.

What is je exactly, and how does the verb biti (to be) work?

je is the 3rd person singular present of biti (to be).

Present tense of biti:

• (ja) sam – I am
• (ti) si – you are (singular, informal)
• (on/ona/ono) je – he/she/it is
• (mi) smo – we are
• (vi) ste – you are (plural or formal)
• (oni/one/ona) su – they are

So Ovaj primjer je jednostavan = This example is simple.

Why does jednostavan end in -an? Is that the dictionary form?

Yes, jednostavan is the masculine singular nominative form of the adjective, and this is also how adjectives are usually listed in dictionaries.

Basic forms of this adjective:

• jednostavan – masculine singular nominative
• jednostavna – feminine singular nominative
• jednostavno – neuter singular nominative

They change further for case and number, but here jednostavan just agrees with primjer (masculine, singular, nominative).

Could the sentence also be Ovaj je primjer jednostavan? If yes, what is the difference?

Yes, Ovaj je primjer jednostavan is also correct.

• Ovaj primjer je jednostavan – neutral word order; very typical.
• Ovaj je primjer jednostavan – slightly more emphasis on ovaj (this particular example), almost like saying This example, specifically, is simple.

Both are grammatically fine; the difference is subtle and mostly about emphasis and style.

Can I say Ovaj primjer je jednostavno instead of jednostavan?

No, not in this sentence.

• jednostavan is an adjective: simple (describes a noun).
• jednostavno is an adverb: simply / in a simple way.

Here you are describing the example (a noun), so you must use the adjective:
Ovaj primjer je jednostavan. – This example is simple.

Use jednostavno when describing how something is done:
On objašnjava jednostavno. – He explains simply.

How would I make this sentence negative?

You negate je with nije:

• Ovaj primjer nije jednostavan.
  = This example is not simple.

Pattern:
[subject] + nije + [adjective]

How do I say These examples are simple?

You need the plural forms:

• Ovi primjeri su jednostavni.

Breakdown:

• ovi – these (masculine plural)
• primjeri – examples (masculine plural nominative of primjer)
• su – are (3rd person plural of biti)
• jednostavni – simple (masculine plural nominative of jednostavan)

Everything agrees in masculine plural nominative.

What would change if example were feminine or neuter?

The demonstrative and the adjective would change to match the gender:

• Masculine: Ovaj primjer je jednostavan. – This example is simple.
• Feminine: Ova rečenica je jednostavna. – This sentence is simple.
• Neuter: Ovo pravilo je jednostavno. – This rule is simple.

Patterns:

• ovaj / ova / ovo – this (m / f / n)
• jednostavan / jednostavna / jednostavno – simple (m / f / n)

Which case is used for primjer here, and how would it look in another case?

In Ovaj primjer je jednostavan, primjer is in the nominative case because it is the subject.

Other cases (singular, masculine):

• Nominative: ovaj primjer – this example
• Accusative: ovaj primjer – I see this example (Vidim ovaj primjer.)
• Dative/Locative: ovom primjeru – to/in this example (Razumijem u ovom primjeru.)
• Instrumental: ovim primjerom – with/by this example (Objašnjavam ovim primjerom.)

The form changes according to its function in the sentence.

How do you pronounce Ovaj primjer je jednostavan?

Approximate pronunciation (stress usually on the first syllable of each word):

• Ovaj – OH-vay (the j is like y in yes)
• primjer – PREE-myēr (the r is rolled; je sounds like ye)
• je – ye
• jednostavan – YED-no-sta-van (all vowels clearly pronounced)

Key points:

• j is never silent; it sounds like English y (yes).
• Each letter is generally pronounced in Croatian; spelling is very phonetic.

Is this sentence formal or informal? Is it okay in all contexts?

Ovaj primjer je jednostavan is neutral and standard. It is fine in:

• everyday conversation
• school and textbooks
• written explanations
• formal and informal speech

It’s a simple, stylistically neutral sentence you can safely use anywhere.