Ova vežba ima deset ponavljanja.

Because vežba is a feminine singular noun, and the demonstrative ovaj (this) has to agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

So:

• ovaj = masculine singular
• ova = feminine singular
• ovo = neuter singular

Since vežba is feminine, you say ova vežba.

Examples:

• ovaj trening = this workout
• ova vežba = this exercise
• ovo ponavljanje = this repetition

It is in the nominative singular.

That is because ova vežba is the subject of the sentence — it is the thing doing the having in ima.

So the structure is:

• Ova vežba = subject, nominative
• ima = has
• deset ponavljanja = object/quantity phrase

Ima is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb imati (to have).

The subject is ova vežba = this exercise, which is singular, so Serbian uses the singular verb form:

• ja imam = I have
• ti imaš = you have
• on/ona/ono ima = he/she/it has

Since vežba is singular, you use ima.

Serbian normally does not use articles like English a, an, or the.

So where English says:

• This exercise has ten repetitions

Serbian simply says:

• Ova vežba ima deset ponavljanja.

Whether something is definite or indefinite is usually understood from context, word order, or words like ovaj/ova/ovo (this) and taj/ta/to (that).

After numbers 5 and higher in Serbian, the noun usually goes into the genitive plural.

So:

• jedno ponavljanje = one repetition
• dva / tri / četiri ponavljanja = two / three / four repetitions
• pet / deset / dvadeset ponavljanja = five / ten / twenty repetitions

So in your sentence, deset requires the noun to appear in the form ponavljanja.

This is one of the most important number patterns in Serbian.

It is functioning as genitive plural, even though the form may look confusing.

The noun is ponavljanje (repetition). Its forms overlap:

• singular nominative: ponavljanje
• singular genitive: ponavljanja
• plural nominative: ponavljanja
• plural genitive: ponavljanja

So the form ponavljanja can represent more than one grammatical role. In deset ponavljanja, the meaning and the number deset tell you that it is genitive plural.

That is just a built-in feature of the language’s grammar. Numbers affect the form of the noun that follows them.

A useful beginner rule is:

• 1 → nominative singular
  
  • jedno ponavljanje
• 2, 3, 4 → a special plural pattern
  • dva ponavljanja
• 5 and more → genitive plural
  • pet ponavljanja
  • deset ponavljanja

You do not need to think of a literal English explanation for it; it is simply the standard Serbian pattern after larger numbers.

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

The neutral, straightforward version is:

• Ova vežba ima deset ponavljanja.

But depending on emphasis, Serbian could move things around, for example:

• Deset ponavljanja ima ova vežba.
• Ima ova vežba deset ponavljanja.

These are grammatically possible, but they sound more marked or emphasize different parts of the sentence. For a learner, the original order is the safest and most natural basic choice.

Vežba is a broad word. It can mean:

• an exercise
• a drill
• a practice task
• a physical exercise

In this sentence, because of deset ponavljanja (ten repetitions / ten reps), it most naturally sounds like a physical exercise in a workout context.

So while vežba has a wider meaning in general, the rest of the sentence makes the intended meaning clear.

Yes, ponavljanje literally means repetition, and it is the standard formal word.

In gym language, people may also use more casual expressions depending on the speaker and context, but ponavljanje is correct and natural.

So:

• deset ponavljanja = ten repetitions / ten reps

If you are learning standard Serbian, this is a very good word to know.

Roughly:

• vežba ≈ VEZH-ba

Notes:

• ž sounds like the s in measure or the g in genre
• The v is pronounced clearly
• The e is like e in met
• The a is like a in father, but shorter

So vežba is approximately VEZH-ba.

They are regional standard variants of the same word.

• vežba = more typical in Ekavian pronunciation
• vježba = more typical in Ijekavian pronunciation

Both are correct in their respective standards and regions. If your course uses vežba, you are learning a standard Serbian form commonly used in Serbia.

Yes, that is grammatically correct.

• Vežba ima deset ponavljanja. = An exercise / The exercise has ten repetitions.
• Ova vežba ima deset ponavljanja. = This exercise has ten repetitions.

Adding ova makes the sentence more specific. It points to a particular exercise, just like this does in English.

You would need to change both the demonstrative and the noun to plural, and the verb would also become plural:

• Ove vežbe imaju deset ponavljanja.

Changes:

• ova → ove for feminine plural
• vežba → vežbe for plural
• ima → imaju because the subject is now plural

The quantity phrase deset ponavljanja stays the same.