Žeton je na tabli.

A rough pronunciation is:

• Žeton ≈ ZHEH-ton
• je ≈ yeh
• na ≈ nah
• tabli ≈ TAH-blee

A full rough English-style version would be: ZHEH-ton yeh nah TAH-blee.

A few useful sound notes:

• ž sounds like the s in measure or the g in genre
• j sounds like English y
• Serbian vowels are usually clear and short: a, e, i, o, u
• The stress is not written, so learners usually just memorize it by listening

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

So:

• žeton can mean a token, the token, or just token, depending on context
• tabla can mean a board or the board

Serbian relies on context much more than English does for definiteness.

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

So here:

• žeton = token
• je = is
• na tabli = on the board

Together: The token is on the board.

This je is the normal Serbian equivalent of English is in this kind of sentence.

Because after na when it means location (on, at), Serbian uses the locative case.

The base form is:

• tabla = board (dictionary form, nominative)

But after na for location, it changes to:

• na tabli = on the board

So:

• tabla = subject form
• tabli = locative singular form after na

Here tabli is in the locative singular.

That is because na can take different cases depending on meaning:

• na + locative = location, on / at
• na + accusative = movement toward a surface/place, often onto / to

In this sentence, the token is already located there, so Serbian uses locative:

• Žeton je na tabli. = The token is on the board.

Na tablu uses the accusative, not the locative.

That usually suggests movement toward the board, not being already on it.

For example:

• Stavio je žeton na tablu. = He put the token onto the board.

So the contrast is:

• na tabli = on the board (location)
• na tablu = onto the board (direction/motion)

With Žeton je..., you normally want na tabli, because is describes location, not motion.

• žeton is masculine
• tabla is feminine

This matters because adjectives and some pronouns must agree with the noun.

For example:

• mali žeton = small token (masculine)
• mala tabla = small board (feminine)

In your sentence there is no adjective, so you do not see agreement directly, but gender is still part of the grammar of both nouns.

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

The neutral order here is:

• Žeton je na tabli.

But depending on emphasis, you could also hear:

• Na tabli je žeton. = emphasizing where it is
• Je žeton na tabli? = possible question style, though Da li je žeton na tabli? is more standard and clearer

Even though word order can change, the original sentence is the most straightforward basic statement.

Serbian has a group of short words called clitics, and je is one of them. Clitics often appear near the second position in the sentence or clause.

That is why Serbian often sounds a little different from English in word order.

For example:

• Žeton je na tabli.
• Na tabli je žeton.

In both cases, je stays in a typical clitic position.

This is a very common feature of Serbian sentence structure.

In normal standard Serbian, no—you should keep je here.

So the correct full sentence is:

• Žeton je na tabli.

Leaving it out would sound incomplete or nonstandard in ordinary speech.

Not necessarily. Tabla can mean several kinds of board, depending on context, such as:

• a board in a game
• a blackboard / writing board
• a signboard
• a flat board or panel

So na tabli could mean on the board, but the exact kind of board depends on the situation.

In Serbian Cyrillic, it is:

• Жетон је на табли.

Serbian officially uses both Latin and Cyrillic, and they match very regularly letter-for-letter:

• Ž = Ж
• j = ј
• lj = љ (not used here, but a good example of regular correspondence)

So a learner should get used to recognizing both scripts.

Yes, it is a normal word, though it depends on context. Žeton can refer to a:

• token
• chip
• gaming piece
• coin-like counter
• transport or machine token in some contexts

So it is a useful word, especially in games, machines, transport systems, or any context involving tokens or chips.

A very common way is to use da li:

• Da li je žeton na tabli? = Is the token on the board?

You may also hear:

• Je li žeton na tabli?

Both are used, but Da li je... is especially clear and learner-friendly.

You negate je by using nije:

• Žeton nije na tabli. = The token is not on the board.

So:

• je = is
• nije = is not

That is one of the most useful basic patterns to learn early.