Zubobolja je jaka.

Zubobolja means toothache.

It is a single noun made from:

• zub = tooth
• bol = pain

So the word literally suggests tooth-pain, just like English toothache.

It is a feminine singular noun.

Je is the 3rd person singular form of the verb biti (to be).

So:

• Zubobolja je jaka.
• literally: Toothache is strong.
• natural English: The toothache is severe.

In Serbian, you normally need this verb in this kind of sentence, just as in English you need is.

Because jaka has to agree with zubobolja.

Since zubobolja is:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

the adjective must also be:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

That is why you get:

• jak = masculine singular
• jaka = feminine singular
• jako = neuter singular

So jaka is the correct form with zubobolja.

Yes, jak / jaka / jako literally means strong.

But in Serbian, just like in English, words meaning strong can be used for pain, illness, smell, emotion, and similar things. So jaka zubobolja means strong toothache, which is best translated as:

• severe toothache
• bad toothache

So Zubobolja je jaka means The toothache is severe or The toothache is bad.

Serbian does not have articles like a and the.

So zubobolja can mean:

• a toothache
• the toothache
• sometimes just toothache in a general sense

Which meaning is intended depends on the context.

So Zubobolja je jaka could be understood as:

• The toothache is severe
• A toothache is severe
• Toothache is severe

In most real situations, the context makes the toothache the most natural translation.

Here zubobolja is in the nominative singular because it is the subject of the sentence.

The adjective jaka is also in the nominative singular feminine to match it.

So the structure is:

• zubobolja = subject, nominative
• je jaka = predicate, is severe

This is a basic Serbian sentence pattern:

• Noun + je + adjective

Yes. Serbian word order is more flexible than English word order.

You can say:

• Zubobolja je jaka.
• Jaka je zubobolja.

Both are grammatical, but they can sound slightly different in emphasis.

• Zubobolja je jaka. = neutral, straightforward
• Jaka je zubobolja. = puts more focus on jaka (It’s severe, this toothache)

For learners, the first version is the safest and most neutral.

It is pronounced roughly like:

zoo-boh-BOL-ya

A few helpful notes:

• z sounds like English z
• u is like oo in food
• o is a clear short o, not a diphthong
• lj is a special Serbian sound, similar to the lli in million for many English speakers

The stress is typically on bo in bol: zu-bo-BOL-ja.

Yes, zubobolja is normally written as one word.

Serbian often forms compound nouns this way. Since zub and bol belong together as one concept, they combine into a single noun meaning toothache.

So write:

• zubobolja

not:

• zubobolja split into separate words
• or a phrase with spaces

Yes, and that is actually very common.

• Imam zubobolju. = I have a toothache.
• Zubobolja je jaka. = The toothache is severe.

The difference is:

• Imam zubobolju tells us that someone is experiencing a toothache
• Zubobolja je jaka describes how intense that toothache is

Notice the case change:

• zubobolja = nominative
• zubobolju = accusative

That happens because after imam (I have), the noun is the object of the verb.

Yes. You can add an adverb such as:

• veoma = very
• jako = very
• prilično = quite

Examples:

• Zubobolja je veoma jaka. = The toothache is very severe.
• Zubobolja je jako jaka. = The toothache is very strong/severe.

Be careful: here jako is an adverb meaning very, while jaka is the adjective agreeing with zubobolja.