Čitam sa pažnjom.

Čitam is the 1st person singular present tense form of the verb čitati.

• čitati = to read
• čitam = I read / I am reading

Because Serbian present tense can cover both a simple present and a present continuous sense, čitam can mean either:

• I read
• I am reading

The exact meaning depends on context.

In Serbian, the subject pronoun is often left out because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• čitam already tells you it means I read / I am reading
• so ja is usually unnecessary

You can say Ja čitam if you want extra emphasis, for example:

• Ja čitam, a on piše. = I’m reading, and he’s writing.

But in a neutral sentence, Čitam sa pažnjom is perfectly normal.

The dictionary form is čitati.

This is an imperfective verb, which means it usually describes:

• an ongoing action
• a repeated action
• a general activity

So čitam fits well for something like I am reading carefully or I read with attention.

Sa means with here.

It is a form of the preposition s(a), which corresponds to English with in this sentence.

So:

• sa pažnjom = with attention

Serbian has both s and sa as forms of the same preposition. In some situations sa is required, and in others it is chosen because it sounds smoother or more natural. In this sentence, sa pažnjom sounds very natural.

Because after the preposition s(a) meaning with, Serbian normally uses the instrumental case.

The noun is:

• pažnja = attention

Its instrumental singular form is:

• pažnjom

So:

• sa pažnjom = with attention

This is a very common pattern in Serbian:

• sa prijateljem = with a friend
• sa porodicom = with family
• sa pažnjom = with attention

Pažnjom is instrumental singular.

Here is the case change:

• nominative: pažnja
• instrumental: pažnjom

This is a feminine noun, and the ending -om is a common instrumental singular ending for many feminine nouns ending in -a.

Yes, it is grammatical and understandable, but depending on context, many speakers might more naturally say:

• Čitam pažljivo.
• Pažljivo čitam.

These mean I am reading carefully.

Sa pažnjom is still fine, but it can sound a bit more formal, deliberate, or literary than the adverb pažljivo. So the sentence is good Serbian, just slightly less everyday than the adverb version in some contexts.

They are very close in meaning, but the structure is different.

• sa pažnjom = literally with attention
• pažljivo = carefully / attentively

So:

• Čitam sa pažnjom.
• Čitam pažljivo.

Both are correct and similar in meaning.

A learner should notice this difference:

• sa pažnjom uses a preposition + noun
• pažljivo is an adverb

In everyday speech, Serbian often prefers the adverb when English would also naturally use carefully.

Yes. Serbian word order is fairly flexible, and changing it often changes the emphasis, not the basic meaning.

For example:

• Čitam sa pažnjom. = neutral
• Sa pažnjom čitam. = puts more focus on with attention
• Čitam pažljivo. = a more everyday alternative

So the original order is normal, but it is not the only possible one.

A rough pronunciation guide for an English speaker is:

• Čitam ≈ CHEE-tam
• sa ≈ sah
• pažnjom ≈ PAHZH-nyom

A few important sounds:

• č sounds like ch in church, but usually a bit firmer
• ž sounds like the s in measure
• nj sounds like ny in canyon

So pažnjom has that ny sound in the middle.

Yes. Serbian uses both Latin and Cyrillic scripts.

The Cyrillic version is:

• Читам са пажњом.

It means exactly the same thing as the Latin-script version:

• Čitam sa pažnjom.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Because čitam is present tense of an imperfective verb, it can mean:

• I am reading with attention — right now
• I read with attention — generally / habitually

Context tells you which one is intended.

For example:

• Sada čitam sa pažnjom. = I’m reading with attention now.
• Uvek čitam sa pažnjom. = I always read with attention.