Ovaj vijak je mali.

This screw is small.

Breakdown of Ovaj vijak je mali.

• biti: to be
• mali: small
• ovaj: this
• vijak: a screw

Questions & Answers about Ovaj vijak je mali.

Why is it ovaj and not ova or ovo?

Because vijak is a masculine singular noun in the nominative case.

The demonstrative ovaj must agree with the noun in:

• gender
• number
• case

So:

• ovaj vijak = this screw/bolt
• ova would be for a feminine noun
• ovo would be for a neuter noun

For example:

• ova knjiga = this book
• ovo selo = this village

Why is it mali and not mala or malo?

For the same reason: the adjective must agree with vijak.

Since vijak is masculine singular nominative, the adjective also appears in the masculine singular nominative form:

• mali vijak = small screw/bolt

Compare:

• mala knjiga = small book
• malo selo = small village

So both ovaj and mali are matching vijak.

What does je mean here?