Nema dovoljno mjesta u torbi.

In Croatian, nema is a very common way to say there is no / there isn’t / there are no.

It comes from the verb imati (to have), and literally nema means something like does not have, but in many situations Croatian uses it where English uses there is/are not.

So:

• Nema mjesta. = There is no space.
• Nema vremena. = There is no time.
• Nema problema. = There is no problem.

In this sentence, Nema dovoljno mjesta u torbi. means There isn’t enough space in the bag.

After nema, the noun normally goes into the genitive case, not the nominative.

The basic form is:

• mjesto = place / space (nominative singular)

But after nema, it becomes:

• mjesta = genitive singular

So:

• Ima mjesto. = There is a place / seat / space.
• Nema mjesta. = There is no place / seat / space.

That is why the sentence uses mjesta.

Dovoljno means enough.

In Croatian, when dovoljno is followed by a noun, that noun usually goes in the genitive:

• dovoljno vremena = enough time
• dovoljno novca = enough money
• dovoljno mjesta = enough space

So in this sentence:

• dovoljno mjesta = enough space

This works well with nema, because nema also expects the genitive.

Here, mjesto is best understood as space.

Although mjesto often means place, it can also mean:

• space
• room
• seat
• spot

In the sentence Nema dovoljno mjesta u torbi, the natural English meaning is There isn’t enough space in the bag, not There isn’t enough place in the bag.

So the Croatian word is broader than one single English word.

The preposition u usually means in or into, but the case depends on the meaning:

• u + accusative = movement into
• u + locative = location in

Here we are talking about location, not movement, so Croatian uses the locative:

• torba = bag
• u torbi = in the bag

So:

• Stavljam knjigu u torbu. = I am putting the book into the bag. (accusative)
• Knjiga je u torbi. = The book is in the bag. (locative)

Torbi is locative singular of torba.

The noun is:

• torba = bag

After the preposition u, when it means in (location), Croatian uses the locative. For many feminine nouns ending in -a, the locative singular ends in -i:

• torba → u torbi
• kuća → u kući
• škola → u školi

So u torbi means in the bag.

Yes. Croatian word order is more flexible than English word order.

The neutral order here is:

• Nema dovoljno mjesta u torbi.

But other orders are possible depending on emphasis, for example:

• U torbi nema dovoljno mjesta. = In the bag, there isn’t enough space.

This version puts slightly more focus on u torbi.

In everyday speech, both are natural.

No, that would be incorrect.

It must be:

• nema dovoljno mjesta

There are two reasons:

1. nema requires the genitive
2. dovoljno also takes the genitive

The nominative form mjesto does not fit here.

So the correct form is:

• Nema dovoljno mjesta u torbi.

Yes. Here mjesta is genitive singular, and nema is the 3rd person singular form.

The core noun is mjesto, which is singular.

Compare:

• Nema mjesta. = There is no space. / There is no place.
• Nema stolica. = There are no chairs.

In practice, nema is used very widely in both singular and plural existential negatives, so you will often see it regardless of how English chooses isn’t or aren’t.

Not in this sentence.

Nije means is not, and it is used with predicates and adjectives, for example:

• Torba nije velika. = The bag is not big.
• To nije problem. = That is not a problem.

But for there is not / there are not, Croatian usually uses nema:

• Nema dovoljno mjesta u torbi. = There isn’t enough space in the bag.

So nije and nema are not interchangeable here.

Yes. Torba is a general word for a bag, and depending on context it can mean things like:

• handbag
• shoulder bag
• tote bag
• school bag
• shopping bag

If the exact kind of bag matters, Croatian may use a more specific word, but torba is a very normal general choice.

So u torbi simply means in the bag.

A natural positive version is:

• Ima dovoljno mjesta u torbi. = There is enough space in the bag.

Here:

• ima = there is / has
• dovoljno mjesta = enough space
• u torbi = in the bag

Notice that mjesta still stays in the genitive after dovoljno.

Yes, absolutely. It sounds natural and everyday.

You might hear it in situations like:

• packing a suitcase or backpack
• checking whether something will fit
• talking about storage space

For example:

• Stavi još ovo unutra.
• Ne mogu, nema dovoljno mjesta u torbi.

That means:

• Put this in too.
• I can’t, there isn’t enough space in the bag.

So this is a very useful real-life sentence pattern.