Ova strana je prazna.

Because strana is a feminine singular noun, and the demonstrative ovaj / ova / ovo must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Here the noun is:

• strana = feminine
• singular
• nominative case

So the correct form is ova.

Compare:

• ovaj sto = this table
• ova strana = this side / this page
• ovo pismo = this letter

It is in the nominative singular.

That is because strana is the subject of the sentence: Ova strana je prazna = This page/side is blank.

The nominative is the basic dictionary form of the noun, and it is typically used for the subject of a sentence.

Je is the 3rd person singular present-tense form of the verb biti = to be.

So:

• ja sam = I am
• ti si = you are
• on / ona / ono je = he / she / it is

Since ova strana is grammatically singular, Serbian uses je:

• Ova strana je prazna. = This side/page is blank.

Unlike in Russian, for example, Serbian normally does use the present-tense verb to be in this kind of sentence.

Because adjectives in Serbian also have to agree with the noun they describe.

The noun strana is:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

So the adjective prazan changes to the matching form prazna.

Compare:

• prazan papir = a blank/empty sheet of paper
• prazna strana = a blank page / side
• prazno mesto = an empty place

So the -a ending shows feminine singular nominative agreement.

Strana can mean several related things, including:

• side
• page
• party or faction in some contexts

In the sentence Ova strana je prazna, the most natural meanings are:

• This side is blank
• This page is blank

The exact meaning depends on context. If you are talking about a sheet of paper, it could mean either this side of the sheet or this page.

It can mean either, depending on context.

The basic adjective is prazan / prazna / prazno, which often means:

• empty
• blank
• vacant

With strana, English often translates it as blank:

• Ova strana je prazna. = This page/side is blank.

But in other contexts it may mean empty:

• Soba je prazna. = The room is empty.

So the Serbian word is broader than just one English word.

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly.

• ova strana = this side/page (near the speaker, or the one being indicated as this)
• ta strana = that side/page or sometimes that side you mean
• ona strana = that side over there / the other side

So Ova strana je prazna specifically uses this.

The normal, neutral order is:

• Ova strana je prazna.

But Serbian word order is more flexible than English, so other orders are possible for emphasis:

• Prazna je ova strana.
• Je prazna ova strana. (much less neutral, strongly marked)

In everyday speech and standard neutral writing, Ova strana je prazna is the most natural order.

A practical pronunciation for an English speaker is:

• OH-vah STRAH-nah yeh PRAHZ-nah

A few notes:

• j in Serbian is like English y in yes, so je sounds like yeh
• r in strana is trilled or tapped
• z in prazna is a normal z sound
• stress is roughly:
  • Òva strána je pràzna
    Exact Serbian pitch accent is more complex, but this approximation is good for learners.

Normally, no. In standard Serbian, in the present tense, the verb to be is usually expressed:

• Ova strana je prazna.

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

However, in headlines, notes, labels, or very clipped style, Serbian can sometimes omit words more freely. But as a normal sentence, you should keep je.

The dictionary form is usually the masculine singular form:

• prazan

From that you get:

• prazan = masculine singular
• prazna = feminine singular
• prazno = neuter singular

So if you look it up, you would usually search for prazan, not prazna.

It is perfectly natural as a definite statement about a specific thing: this page/side.

Serbian does not have articles like the and a, so definiteness is often understood from context or from words like ova.

Because ova already means this, the sentence clearly points to a specific page or side:

• Ova strana je prazna. = This page/side is blank.

So even without an article, it is specific.

Sometimes yes, but the meaning becomes more specifically page.

• strana can mean side or page
• stranica more specifically means page, especially in books, notebooks, websites, and documents

So:

• Ova strana je prazna. = This side / page is blank.
• Ova stranica je prazna. = This page is blank.

If you want to avoid ambiguity and clearly mean page, stranica is often the better choice.