Ni ručka ni točkić nisu oštećeni.

Ni ... ni means neither ... nor.

It is repeated because Serbian puts ni before each item:

• Ni ručka ni točkić = neither the handle nor the wheel/knob

This is the normal pattern, just like English repeats neither ... nor across two parts.

Because together they make a compound subject: two things are being talked about, not one.

So Serbian uses a plural verb:

• ručka = singular
• točkić = singular
• ručka + točkić = plural idea overall

That is why you get:

• nisu = are not (plural)

Compare:

• Ručka nije oštećena. = The handle is not damaged.
• Ručka i točkić nisu oštećeni. = The handle and the wheel are not damaged.

Because the sentence has a mixed-gender plural subject:

• ručka is feminine
• točkić is masculine

In Serbian, when a plural group contains different genders, agreement normally defaults to masculine plural. So:

• oštećeni = masculine plural

If both nouns were feminine, you would use oštećene:

• Ni ručka ni poluga nisu oštećene.

So oštećeni is not matching just točkić; it is the default plural agreement for the whole mixed group.

Nisu is the 3rd person plural negative present of biti (to be).

A quick comparison:

• su = are
• nisu = are not

So:

• Ručka i točkić su oštećeni. = The handle and the wheel are damaged.
• Ručka i točkić nisu oštećeni. = The handle and the wheel are not damaged.

Yes, but Serbian normally uses negative concord. That means multiple negative elements appear together in the same sentence.

So with ni ... ni, the verb is also negative:

• Ni ručka ni točkić nisu oštećeni.

This is perfectly normal in Serbian. English does not work this way, but Serbian does.

A similar pattern:

• Nikoga ne vidim. = I don't see anyone.

Literally that has two negative elements too, and that is standard Serbian.

They are both in the nominative singular, because they are the subject of the sentence.

Forms here:

• ručka = nominative singular
• točkić = nominative singular

Even though the whole subject is plural in meaning, each noun keeps its own singular nominative form.

If these words were objects instead, the case could change:

• Ne vidim ni ručku ni točkić. = I don’t see either the handle or the wheel.

So ni itself does not force a special case; the case depends on the noun’s role in the sentence.

It is basically a past passive participle used like an adjective.

From the verb:

• oštetiti = to damage

You get:

• oštećen / oštećena / oštećeno / oštećeni... = damaged

In this sentence, it works as the predicate with biti:

• nisu oštećeni = are not damaged

So in practical terms, you can think of it as an adjective meaning damaged, even though historically it comes from a verb.

Yes. Serbian word order is fairly flexible.

This version is natural and neutral:

• Ni ručka ni točkić nisu oštećeni.

You could also say:

• Nisu oštećeni ni ručka ni točkić.

That still means the same thing, but the emphasis shifts a bit toward not damaged.

The important part is:

• keep ni before each coordinated item
• keep the verb negative

Because Serbian does not have articles like English the or a/an.

So:

• ručka can mean a handle or the handle
• točkić can mean a wheel/knob or the wheel/knob

The exact meaning depends on context.

If Serbian needs to be more specific, it can use other words, such as:

• ta ručka = that/the handle
• jedna ručka = a certain / one handle

Yes. The ending -ić often has a diminutive sense, so točkić literally suggests a small wheel.

Depending on context, it can refer to:

• a little wheel
• a caster/roller
• sometimes a small knob-like wheel

So for learners, it is useful to notice that točkić is not just any wheel in the abstract; it often refers to a smaller, practical part of an object.

Yes, but the meaning changes.

• Ručka i točkić nisu oštećeni. = The handle and the wheel are not damaged.
• Ni ručka ni točkić nisu oštećeni. = Neither the handle nor the wheel is damaged.

Both are negative, but ni ... ni has the more specific neither ... nor meaning. It highlights that not one or the other is damaged.