Zbirka ima dva primerka.

Because zbirka is the thing that has something. In Serbian, the subject is usually in the nominative case, and here zbirka is nominative singular.

So the structure is:

• zbirka = subject
• ima = verb
• dva primerka = object

Grammatically, zbirka is a feminine singular noun.

Ima is the 3rd person singular present tense of imati, which means to have.

It is singular because the subject zbirka is singular.

A few forms of imati are:

• ja imam = I have
• ti imaš = you have
• on/ona/ono ima = he/she/it has

So Zbirka ima... literally means The collection has...

Because dva/dve must agree with the noun being counted, not with the subject.

Here, the counted noun is primerak, which is masculine, so you use dva:

• dva primerka

You use dve with feminine nouns:

• dve knjige = two books
• dve zbirke = two collections

So even though zbirka is feminine, that does not matter here, because dva goes with primerka, not with zbirka.

This is one of the most important number patterns in Serbian.

After 2, 3, and 4, many masculine and neuter nouns use a special form that looks like the genitive singular:

• jedan primerak
• dva primerka
• tri primerka
• četiri primerka

The ordinary plural of primerak is primerci, but you do not use that after dva, tri, or četiri.

So:

• dva primerka = correct
• dva primerci = incorrect

As a whole, dva primerka is the object of the verb ima.

But inside that phrase, the noun primerka appears in the special counting form used after 2, 3, 4. Many grammars describe this as a genitive singular-like form or a paucal form.

So for a learner, the useful rule is:

• after jedan → primerak
• after dva/tri/četiri → primerka
• after pet and higher → primeraka

You do not need to force it into a simple English-style pattern like normal plural after every number, because Serbian does not work that way.

Because Serbian has no articles.

English says:

• a collection
• the collection

Serbian just says:

• zbirka

The exact meaning depends on context. So Zbirka ima dva primerka could mean:

• The collection has two copies
• A collection has two copies

In real usage, the situation usually makes it clear.

Not completely. Serbian word order is more flexible than English word order.

The most neutral order here is:

• Zbirka ima dva primerka.

That is the normal subject + verb + object order.

You can change the order for emphasis, but it will sound marked:

• Dva primerka ima zbirka. = emphasis on two copies
• Ima dva primerka zbirka. = much less neutral, depends heavily on context

So as a learner, it is best to use Zbirka ima dva primerka as your default pattern.

Here is the useful pattern:

• Zbirka ima jedan primerak. = The collection has one copy.
• Zbirka ima dva primerka. = The collection has two copies.
• Zbirka ima tri primerka. = The collection has three copies.
• Zbirka ima četiri primerka. = The collection has four copies.
• Zbirka ima pet primeraka. = The collection has five copies.

So the pattern is:

• 1 → primerak
• 2–4 → primerka
• 5+ → primeraka

This is a very common Serbian number pattern, so it is worth memorizing early.

Not always. Primerak can mean things like:

• copy (of a book, magazine, document, etc.)
• specimen
• example/item, depending on context

In a sentence like this, the most natural meaning is often copy/copies, especially if zbirka refers to a publication, edition, or library item.

So the exact English word may change with context, even though the Serbian word stays the same.