Rešetka je na roštilju.

to be

Breakdown of Rešetka je na roštilju.

• na: on
• roštilj: a barbecue; grill
• rešetka: a grill grate

Questions & Answers about Rešetka je na roštilju.

Why is roštilj written as roštilju in this sentence?

Because after na when it means in/on/at a location, Serbian normally uses the locative case.

So:

• dictionary form: roštilj
• locative singular: roštilju

That is why you get:

• na roštilju = on the grill / on the barbecue

A very useful contrast is:

• na roštilju = on the grill (location, no movement)
• na roštilj = onto the grill (movement toward it)

So the ending -u shows location here.

What does je mean here?

Je means is.

It is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb biti (to be).

So:

• Rešetka je na roštilju.
• The grate is on the grill.

In this kind of sentence, Serbian keeps the verb je, just like English uses is.

Why is na used here?

Na is the preposition used for being on, at, or sometimes in a surface-related location.