Uprkos neočekivanom trošku, budžet je stabilan.

Despite the unexpected cost, the budget is stable.

Breakdown of Uprkos neočekivanom trošku, budžet je stabilan.

• biti: to be
• stabilan: stable
• budžet: a budget
• trošak: a cost; expense

Questions & Answers about Uprkos neočekivanom trošku, budžet je stabilan.

Why is it neočekivanom trošku and not neočekivani trošak?

Because uprkos normally requires the dative case in Serbian.

The basic dictionary form is:

• neočekivani trošak = an unexpected expense/cost

But after uprkos (despite / in spite of), both words change into dative singular:

• neočekivani → neočekivanom
• trošak → trošku

So:

• Uprkos neočekivanom trošku = despite the unexpected expense

This is one of the most important things to notice in the sentence.

What case is trošku, exactly?

Trošku is dative singular of trošak.

Here is the pattern:

• nominative: trošak
• dative: trošku

In this sentence, the preposition uprkos triggers the dative, so trošak must become trošku.

Why does the adjective also change to neočekivanom?

In Serbian, adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in:

• gender
• number