Benzin je skup.

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

So in Benzin je skup, je = is.

• benzin = petrol / gasoline
• je = is
• skup = expensive

Serbian often uses forms of biti just like English uses to be in simple statements.

Because skup has to agree with benzin in gender, number, and case.

Here:

• benzin is masculine
• benzin is singular
• it is in the nominative case

So the adjective must also be:

• masculine singular nominative → skup

Compare:

• Benzin je skup. = Gas is expensive.
• Voda je skupa. = Water is expensive.
• Mleko je skupo. = Milk is expensive.

In Serbian, many nouns ending in a consonant are masculine, and benzin ends in -n, so it follows that common pattern.

That is why you get:

• taj benzin = that gas
• ovaj benzin = this gas
• benzin je skup = gas is expensive

This is not a perfect rule for every noun in Serbian, but it works for a large number of nouns.

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

So Benzin je skup can mean:

• Gas is expensive
• The gas is expensive
• Gasoline is expensive

The exact meaning depends on context.

If you need to be more specific, Serbian uses other words instead, such as:

• ovaj benzin = this gas
• taj benzin = that gas
• neki benzin = some gas

Because this sentence is using skup as a predicate adjective, not as an adjective directly attached to the noun.

Compare:

• skup benzin = expensive gas

  • here the adjective is before the noun because it describes the noun directly

• Benzin je skup = Gas is expensive

  • here skup comes after je because it is part of the predicate

This is very similar to English:

• expensive gas
• the gas is expensive

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

• Benzin je skup is the neutral, straightforward order.
• Skup je benzin puts more emphasis on skup — roughly Gas is expensive with extra stress on expensive.
• Benzin je skup is usually the best choice for learners unless you want emphasis.

So both are grammatical, but they may differ in focus or style.

A simple English-friendly approximation is:

BEN-zeen

More precisely:

• e is like e in bed, but cleaner and shorter
• z is a regular z
• i is like ee in see
• stress is usually on the first syllable: BEN-zin

Also, Serbian spelling is very phonetic, so words are usually pronounced much as they are written.

A rough pronunciation is:

skoop

Notes:

• u sounds like oo in food
• sk is pronounced clearly
• p is unaspirated, meaning softer than the English p in some positions

So skup sounds close to skoop, but shorter and crisper.

Yes. Benzin is the standard Serbian word for gasoline/petrol.

So depending on whether the learner uses American or British English, the translation may be:

• Gasoline is expensive
• Petrol is expensive

In everyday Serbian, benzin is the normal word.

Usually it means gasoline/petrol in general.

So Benzin je skup is typically a general statement like:

• Gas is expensive.
• Petrol is expensive.

Without extra context, it does not usually mean a specific container or quantity. If you wanted to talk about a specific amount, Serbian would usually make that clearer in the context.

In standard Serbian, no — you normally keep je in the present tense with this kind of sentence.

So:

• Benzin je skup. = correct
• Benzin skup. = not standard Serbian

This is different from some languages where to be can be omitted in the present tense. In Serbian, the present form of biti is usually expressed.

It is in the nominative singular.

That is because benzin is the subject of the sentence:

• Benzin je skup. = Gas is expensive.

The subject is normally in the nominative, and the adjective skup also matches that nominative masculine singular form.

Yes. Since benzin is masculine singular nominative, the adjective stays skup.

So:

• skup benzin = expensive gasoline

Compare with other nouns:

• skupa voda = expensive water
• skupo mleko = expensive milk

The adjective changes form depending on the noun it describes.