Questions & Answers about Ovo je dobar primer.
Why is it ovo, not ovaj?
Ovo is a standalone demonstrative pronoun meaning this.
In Ovo je dobar primer, ovo is the subject of the sentence: This is a good example.
Ovaj is used before a masculine noun:
- ovaj primer = this example
So compare:
- Ovo je dobar primer. = This is a good example.
- Ovaj primer je dobar. = This example is good.
A common learner mistake is to use ovaj when no noun directly follows it.
Why is there no word for a in the sentence?
Serbian does not have articles like English a/an and the.
So dobar primer can mean:
- a good example
- the good example
Which one is meant depends on context.
If you want to make it sound more like one good example or add emphasis, you can say:
- Ovo je jedan dobar primer.
But in normal speech, Ovo je dobar primer is completely natural.
Why is it je, and what does it do?
Je is the form of the verb () in the present tense.