Prevod je dobar.

• prevod = translation
• je = is
• dobar = good

Grammatically:

• prevod is the subject
• je is the 3rd person singular present form of biti (to be)
• dobar is an adjective describing the subject

So the structure is basically:

translation + is + good

Je is the present-tense form of to be for he/she/it is.

In Serbian, you usually need this verb in sentences like this:

• Prevod je dobar. = The translation is good.

This is different from Russian, for example, where the present-tense to be is often omitted. In Serbian, je is normally expressed in this kind of sentence.

Because dobar has to agree with prevod.

The noun prevod is:

• singular
• masculine
• nominative

So the adjective also has to be:

• singular
• masculine
• nominative

That gives dobar.

Compare:

• prevod → dobar (masculine)
• knjiga → dobra (feminine)
• pismo → dobro (neuter)

So Serbian adjectives change form depending on the noun they describe.

It is in the nominative singular.

That is because prevod is the subject of the sentence. In Serbian, the subject is normally in the nominative case.

The adjective dobar is also nominative singular masculine, because it agrees with the subject.

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

So prevod can mean:

• a translation
• the translation

The exact meaning depends on context.

So Prevod je dobar could mean:

• The translation is good
• A translation is good

In real use, context usually makes it clear which one is meant.

Not exactly. Here dobar is not directly attached to the noun in a noun phrase like a good translation. Instead, it is part of a predicate with je:

• Prevod je dobar. = The translation is good.

When the adjective is used directly before the noun, you would say:

• dobar prevod = a good translation

So:

• dobar prevod = adjective inside the noun phrase
• prevod je dobar = adjective after is, as a predicate adjective

This is very similar to English:

• a good translation
• the translation is good

Yes. Serbian word order is more flexible than English, although not completely free. The basic neutral order here is:

• Prevod je dobar.

You may also hear:

• Dobar je prevod.
• Je dobar prevod. (much less neutral, usually not the default in simple teaching examples)

Changing the order usually changes emphasis rather than basic meaning.

For example:

• Prevod je dobar. = neutral statement
• Dobar je prevod. = puts more focus on good

For beginners, Prevod je dobar is the safest standard pattern.

A simple approximation for an English speaker is:

PREH-vod yeh DOH-bar

A few notes:

• j in Serbian is pronounced like English y in yes
• e is usually like e in met or a clean short eh
• r is trilled or tapped, not the English r
• every letter is pronounced clearly

So:

• je sounds like yeh
• dobar is roughly DOH-bar

Prevod is the normal noun for translation.

Related words:

• prevesti = to translate (perfective)
• prevoditi = to translate (imperfective)
• prevođenje / prevođenje depending on orthography conventions and regional usage = translating / translation process

So:

• prevod = the finished translation, the translated text
• prevođenje = the act or process of translating

In this sentence, prevod is exactly the natural choice.

Yes, depending on the standard variety.

• prevod is standard in Serbian
• prijevod is standard in Croatian

So if you are learning Serbian, prevod is the expected form.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Prevod je dobar can mean:

• this particular translation is good
• the translation turned out well
• the translation is of good quality in general

Serbian does not usually force the same kind of distinction that English sometimes makes through context or extra wording. The sentence is broad and natural.

Yes, absolutely. It is a completely natural sentence.

You might hear it in contexts like:

• evaluating a translated text
• commenting on subtitles
• discussing someone’s work
• comparing several translations

For example:

• Ovaj prevod je dobar. = This translation is good.
• Tvoj prevod je dobar. = Your translation is good.

Not normally, if you want to say The translation is good.

Since prevod contains the main idea of what is good, you usually keep it:

• Prevod je dobar.

You could omit it only if it is already very clear from context:

• Dobar je. = It is good.

But on its own, Prevod je dobar is the full, clear sentence.

In Serbian Cyrillic, it is:

Превод је добар.

Serbian officially uses both scripts:

• Latin: Prevod je dobar.
• Cyrillic: Превод је добар.

They are equivalent.