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Learn Hardcore Serbian: Ovaj prevoz je siguran. - This transportation is safe.

Hardcore Serbian
/Planning an intercity day trip
/Ovaj prevoz je siguran.

Ovaj prevoz je siguran.

Word

Ovaj prevoz je siguran.

Meaning

This transportation is safe.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Serbian

Lesson

Planning an intercity day trip

Breakdown of Ovaj prevoz je siguran.

Questions & Answers about Ovaj prevoz je siguran.

What does ovaj mean here?

Ovaj means this.

It is the masculine singular nominative form of the demonstrative this. It matches prevoz, which is a masculine singular noun.

A very rough comparison is:

ovaj = this
taj = that
onaj = that over there / that one over there

So Ovaj prevoz means this transport / this ride / this means of transportation.

Why is it ovaj prevoz, not just prevoz je siguran?

Adding ovaj makes the phrase specific: this transport or this ride.

Without it, Prevoz je siguran would mean something more general, like Transport is safe or The transportation is safe, depending on context.

So:

Ovaj prevoz je siguran. = This transport/ride is safe.
Prevoz je siguran. = Transport is safe. / The transportation is safe.

What exactly does prevoz mean?

Prevoz usually means transport, transportation, or sometimes a ride depending on context.

It can refer to:

the general idea of transportation

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a specific means of getting somewhere

arranged transport, like I have transportation

in some contexts, even delivery or carriage

So in this sentence, it could mean something like:

This transportation is safe
This ride is safe
This means of transport is safe

The best English translation depends on the situation.

Why is there je in the sentence?

Je is the 3rd person singular present form of the verb biti, which means to be.

So:

je = is

The sentence structure is:

Ovaj prevoz = subject
je = is
siguran = safe

So literally: This transport is safe.

Unlike in some other Slavic languages, Serbian normally keeps the present-tense form of to be in this kind of sentence.

Why is the adjective siguran and not sigurno or sigurna?

Because the adjective must agree with the noun it describes.

Prevoz is masculine singular, so the adjective also has to be masculine singular:

masculine: siguran
feminine: sigurna
neuter: sigurno

Examples:

Ovaj prevoz je siguran. = masculine
Ova vožnja je sigurna. = feminine
Ovo putovanje je sigurno. = neuter

Agreement is a very important part of Serbian grammar.

How do I know that prevoz is masculine?

In Serbian, noun gender is something you often have to learn along with the noun, but there are patterns.

Prevoz is masculine. One clue is that many masculine nouns end in a consonant, and prevoz ends in -z.

That is not a perfect rule, but it is a very common pattern:

masculine nouns often end in a consonant
feminine nouns often end in -a
neuter nouns often end in -o or -e

Because prevoz is masculine, it takes:

ovaj for this
siguran for safe

What case is ovaj prevoz in?

It is in the nominative case.

That is because ovaj prevoz is the subject of the sentence:

Ovaj prevoz = the thing being talked about
je siguran = what is being said about it

So both the demonstrative ovaj and the noun prevoz are in nominative singular masculine.

Does Serbian have words for the and a? Why is there no article here?

Serbian does not use articles like English the and a/an.

That means Serbian often expresses definiteness through context, word choice, or demonstratives like ovaj.

So English uses:

a transport
the transport
this transport

But Serbian might use:

prevoz
ovaj prevoz

Here, ovaj already gives a clear this meaning, so no article is needed.

Can the word order change?

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

The neutral, straightforward order here is:

Ovaj prevoz je siguran.

But other orders are possible for emphasis, for example:

Siguran je ovaj prevoz.
Ovaj je prevoz siguran.

These are not always the most neutral choices, but they can sound natural in the right context.

For learners, the safest default is to use:

subject + je + adjective
Ovaj prevoz je siguran.

How is siguran used here, and can it mean anything else?

Here siguran means safe.

But siguran can also mean sure or certain, depending on context.

For example:

Ovaj prevoz je siguran. = This transport is safe.
Siguran sam. = I am sure.

So the adjective has more than one meaning, just like English safe and sure/certain are different words but Serbian may use siguran in both kinds of contexts.

Context tells you which meaning is intended.

Is there another common word for safe besides siguran?

Yes. A very common alternative is bezbedan.

So you may also hear:

Ovaj prevoz je bezbedan.

Both siguran and bezbedan can mean safe, but there can be slight differences in nuance depending on context and region.

Very roughly:

siguran can mean safe, but also sure/certain
bezbedan more specifically focuses on safety

In many everyday situations, both are natural.

How is the sentence pronounced?

A simple pronunciation guide is:

Ovaj prevoz je siguran
OH-vai PREH-voz yeh SEE-goo-rahn

A few helpful notes:

j in Serbian sounds like English y in yes
v is pronounced clearly
r is rolled or tapped
every written letter is normally pronounced

So je sounds like yeh, not like English jee.

Could I translate this as This vehicle is safe?

Sometimes yes, but be careful.

Prevoz does not specifically mean vehicle. It is broader than that. It usually refers to transport, transportation, a ride, or means of transport.

If you want to say vehicle, Serbian would more likely use a more specific noun, such as:

vozilo = vehicle
auto / automobil = car
autobus = bus

So This vehicle is safe is only a good translation if the context clearly supports that interpretation.

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