Pošiljka je oštećena.

to be

Breakdown of Pošiljka je oštećena.

• pošiljka: a shipment; consignment
• oštećen: damaged

Questions & Answers about Pošiljka je oštećena.

Why is there no word for the or a in this sentence?

Serbian does not have articles, so it does not use separate words like the or a/an.

So pošiljka can mean:

• the shipment
• a shipment

The exact sense depends on context.

What does je mean here?

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

So:

• pošiljka = shipment
• je = is
• oštećena = damaged

It works like is in English.

Why does oštećena end in -a?

Because it agrees with pošiljka, which is a feminine singular noun.

In Serbian, adjectives and participle-like forms must agree with the noun in:

• gender
• number
• case

Since pošiljka is feminine singular nominative, the form is oštećena.

Compare:

• paket je oštećen — the package is damaged
• pošiljka je oštećena — the shipment is damaged