Ovo je hitni broj.

Ovo means this.

In this sentence, ovo is a neuter demonstrative pronoun, used for pointing to something: this.
So Ovo je hitni broj. literally starts as This is...

Learners often compare:

• ovo = this (neuter, used on its own)
• ovaj = this (masculine, usually before a noun)
• ova = this (feminine)
• ovo = this (neuter)

For example:

• Ovo je knjiga. = This is a book.
• Ovaj broj je važan. = This number is important.

So in your sentence, ovo stands alone as this.

Je is the 3rd person singular form of the verb biti = to be, so it means is.

In Ovo je hitni broj., je connects ovo and hitni broj, just like is in English:

• Ovo = this
• je = is
• hitni broj = emergency number

So the structure is very close to English:
This is an emergency number.

In the present tense, Croatian usually does need this verb in sentences like this.
So:

• Ovo hitni broj. ❌ incorrect
• Ovo je hitni broj. ✅ correct

This is a very common question. The adjective hitan means urgent / emergency, but adjectives in Croatian change form to match the noun they describe.

The noun broj (number) is:

• masculine
• singular
• nominative here

Because of that, hitan changes to hitni before the noun:

• dictionary form: hitan
• with broj: hitni broj

This happens because some masculine adjectives have a different form when used before a noun in the nominative singular.

So:

• hitan slučaj = urgent case
• hitni broj = emergency number

You should treat hitni broj as the normal correct combination.

Broj is in the nominative singular.

This sentence is an equational sentence: This is an emergency number.
The phrase hitni broj functions as the predicate noun phrase, and in Croatian that is normally also in the nominative.

So:

• ovo = nominative
• je = is
• hitni broj = nominative singular

The form broj here is also the basic dictionary form.

Croatian has no articles like English a, an, the.

So Croatian simply says:

• Ovo je hitni broj.

Depending on context, that can mean:

• This is an emergency number.
• This is the emergency number.

English requires an article, but Croatian does not.

Context tells you whether the meaning is more like an or the.

Yes. Broj means number, and very often it is used for a telephone number too.

So hitni broj means emergency number, that is, a number you call in an emergency.

Depending on context, broj could mean other kinds of numbers too, but in practical everyday use it often refers to a phone number when the situation makes that clear.

Examples:

• Koji je tvoj broj? = What is your number? / What’s your phone number?
• Hitni broj = emergency number

Yes, Croatian word order is more flexible than English, but not every version sounds equally natural.

The neutral, standard order is:

• Ovo je hitni broj.

You may also hear:

• Hitni broj je ovo.

But that sounds more marked or emphatic, like This is the emergency number or The emergency number is this one.

For a learner, the safest version is the original:

• Ovo je hitni broj.

A simple approximate pronunciation for English speakers is:

OH-vo yeh HEET-nee broy

A few notes:

• o is a clear short o, like in many European languages, not a diphthong
• j is pronounced like English y
• hitni has i sounds like ee
• broj ends with oj, sounding roughly like oy

So:

• Ovo ≈ OH-vo
• je ≈ yeh
• hitni ≈ HEET-nee
• broj ≈ broy

Both relate to this, but they are used differently.

Ovo is a pronoun, often meaning this by itself:

• Ovo je hitni broj. = This is an emergency number.

Ovaj is usually used directly with a masculine noun:

• Ovaj broj je hitan. = This number is urgent.

Because broj is masculine, if you want to say this number, you use ovaj broj.

Compare:

• Ovo je broj. = This is a number.
• Ovaj broj = this number

That distinction is very useful in Croatian.

Yes, it is a very common and natural expression meaning emergency number.

You will often see related phrases such as:

• broj za hitne slučajeve = number for emergencies
• hitna služba = emergency service
• hitni poziv = emergency call

So hitni broj is not just a random combination of words; it is a standard, useful phrase.

Yes, absolutely.

Because Croatian has no articles, Ovo je hitni broj. can mean either:

• This is an emergency number.
• This is the emergency number.

The exact meaning depends on context.

For example:

• if someone is showing you a list of useful contacts, it may mean This is an emergency number
• if someone is pointing out the specific number you need to call, it may mean This is the emergency number

So both are possible translations.