Questions & Answers about Kupac je pouzdan i kupoprodaja nije prevara.
What do je and nije mean here?
They are forms of the verb biti, which means to be.
- je = is
- nije = is not
So the sentence has two linked statements:
- Kupac je pouzdan = the buyer is reliable
- kupoprodaja nije prevara = the sale/purchase is not a fraud or scam
Why is je placed after kupac instead of before it?
Because je is a clitic in Serbian. Clitics usually stand in the second position of the clause, not necessarily where English would place them.
So Serbian naturally says:
Kupac je pouzdan
not normally:
Je kupac pouzdan
In a simple sentence like this, the first word is kupac, so je comes right after it.
Why is nije written as one word, not ne je?
In standard Serbian, the negative present-tense forms of biti are written as single words:
- nisam
- nisi
- nije
- nismo
- niste
- nisu
So nije is simply the normal form meaning is not.
What case are kupac, kupoprodaja, and in?