Dokaz nedostaje.

The evidence is missing.

Breakdown of Dokaz nedostaje.

• dokaz: proof; evidence
• nedostajati: to be missing; lack

Questions & Answers about Dokaz nedostaje.

What does dokaz mean here: proof or evidence?

It can be either, depending on context.

In Serbian, dokaz often means proof, but in legal, academic, or investigative contexts it can also be translated as evidence. So Dokaz nedostaje. could mean:

• The proof is missing.
• The evidence is missing.
• There is no proof/evidence.

The exact English choice depends on the situation, not just the Serbian grammar.

What case is dokaz, and why is it in that case?

Dokaz is in the nominative singular.

That is because it is the subject of the sentence. In Serbian, the thing that is missing is treated as the subject:

• Dokaz = the proof/evidence
• nedostaje = is missing / is lacking

So literally, the structure is closer to Proof is missing than to Someone lacks proof.

Why is there no article like a or the before dokaz?

Serbian has no articles.

So dokaz can mean:

• a proof
• the proof
• sometimes simply proof or evidence