Šteta je strašna.

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

So in Šteta je strašna, je means is.

A very literal breakdown is:

• šteta = damage / shame / pity
• je = is
• strašna = terrible / awful

In Serbian, forms of biti are often short clitic forms in the present tense, and je is one of them.

Yes. Šteta is a feminine noun.

In Serbian, many feminine nouns in the nominative singular end in -a, and šteta follows that common pattern.

Because it is feminine, any adjective describing it also has to be feminine. That is why the adjective is strašna, not some other form.

Because Serbian adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

Here, šteta is:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

So the adjective also has to be feminine singular nominative:

• masculine: strašan
• feminine: strašna
• neuter: strašno

So:

• strašan problem = a terrible problem
• strašna šteta = terrible damage / a terrible shame
• strašno vreme = terrible weather

It is in the nominative singular.

In this sentence, šteta is the subject, and subjects are normally in the nominative case.

The adjective strašna is also in the nominative singular because it matches šteta.

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

So Šteta je strašna could be understood as:

• The damage is terrible
• The shame is terrible
• It is a terrible shame

Which English version sounds best depends on context.

Serbian usually leaves definiteness to be understood from the situation, word order, or extra words if needed.

Not completely. Serbian word order is fairly flexible, although some orders sound more neutral than others.

Šteta je strašna is a normal, neutral order.

You could also hear:

• Strašna je šteta.

This can sound more emphatic, something like The damage is terrible or What terrible damage / what a terrible shame depending on context.

One important point: je is a clitic, so it tends to come in second position in the sentence or clause. That strongly influences word order.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

SHTEH-tah yeh STRAHSH-nah

A few details:

• š sounds like sh in ship
• j sounds like y in yes
• r is usually rolled or tapped
• stress is not usually marked in normal writing

So:

• Šteta ≈ SHTEH-tah
• je ≈ yeh
• strašna ≈ STRAHSH-nah

Yes. Šteta is a very common Serbian word with a few related meanings, depending on context.

It can mean:

• damage
• loss
• shame
• pity

For example:

• To je šteta. = That’s a shame.
• Pretrpeli su veliku štetu. = They suffered great damage/loss.

So Šteta je strašna could mean different things in different contexts. If the meaning has already been given to you, then that context decides which English translation is best.

Yes. You can also say:

• Strašna šteta. = Terrible damage / A terrible shame
• Šteta je strašna. = The damage is terrible / The shame is terrible

When the adjective is before the noun, it is just directly modifying the noun inside a noun phrase.

When you say Šteta je strašna, the adjective comes after je because it is part of the predicate: is terrible.

So the difference is roughly:

• strašna šteta = terrible damage
• šteta je strašna = the damage is terrible

In standard Serbian, no: Šteta je strašna needs je.

Unlike in some languages, the present-tense verb to be is normally expressed in Serbian.

You may sometimes see omissions in poetry, headlines, or very informal speech, but for normal learning and correct standard usage, keep je there.

Not always. Strašan and its forms often mean:

• terrible
• awful
• frightening

But in colloquial speech, it can also sometimes mean something like:

• huge
• intense
• even amazing in some contexts

In this sentence, though, the most natural interpretation is the straightforward one: terrible or awful.