Nažalost, kabl je pokvaren.

Serbian has no articles, so there is no separate word for the or a/an.

So kabl can mean:

• the cable
• a cable

The exact meaning depends on context. In this sentence, English often uses the cable is broken, but Serbian just says kabl je pokvaren.

Nažalost means unfortunately.

It often works as a sentence adverb or comment word: it expresses the speaker’s attitude toward the whole sentence, not just one noun or verb.

That is why it is commonly separated by a comma:

• Nažalost, kabl je pokvaren. = Unfortunately, the cable is broken.

The comma is similar to English punctuation in Unfortunately, ...

Je is the 3rd person singular present tense of biti (to be).

So:

• kabl = cable
• je = is
• pokvaren = broken / faulty

Serbian normally uses je in this kind of sentence, just like English uses is:

• Kabl je pokvaren. = The cable is broken.

You usually cannot leave je out here in standard Serbian.

In this sentence, pokvaren functions like an adjective meaning:

• broken
• faulty
• out of order

Historically, it comes from a participle related to the verb pokvariti (se) (to break, to get broken, to spoil), but for learners it is often easiest to treat it here as an adjective in a predicate:

• Kabl je pokvaren.

So the structure is basically:

• noun + to be
  • adjective

Because pokvaren has to agree with kabl.

Kabl is:

• masculine
• singular

So the adjective must also be masculine singular:

• pokvaren = masculine singular

Other forms would be used with different nouns:

• žica je pokvarena = the wire is broken/faulty
• dugme je pokvareno = the button is broken
• kablovi su pokvareni = the cables are broken

So this is a standard case of gender and number agreement.

Yes, kabl is masculine.

A useful rule is that many Serbian nouns ending in a consonant are masculine. Since kabl ends in -l, it is masculine.

That is why the sentence uses:

• je for singular
• pokvaren in the masculine singular form

Yes. Serbian word order is more flexible than English, although the neutral order here is:

• Nažalost, kabl je pokvaren.

You may also hear:

• Kabl je, nažalost, pokvaren.
• Pokvaren je kabl.

These versions can shift emphasis a little, but the basic meaning stays the same.

For a learner, the original order is the safest and most neutral.

It can mean both, depending on context.

With something like kabl, pokvaren usually means:

• faulty
• not working properly
• damaged

It does not necessarily mean the cable is snapped in two. If you want to emphasize physical damage, the context or another word might make that clearer.

So pokvaren is a very natural choice for devices, parts, cables, appliances, and similar things that are not functioning correctly.

Yes, but then it means something different.

For things, pokvaren often means:

• broken
• faulty

For people, it can mean:

• spoiled
• corrupt
• bad in character

So context matters a lot.

Examples:

• Sat je pokvaren. = The clock is broken.
• On je pokvaren. = He is morally bad / spoiled / nasty.

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation is:

• na-zhah-lost

A few notes:

• ž sounds like the s in measure or the g in genre
• the stress is commonly on ža

So nažalost is roughly:

• na-ZHA-lost

You do not need to pronounce it exactly like English spelling rules would suggest.

Yes, kabl is a normal everyday Serbian word for cable.

Depending on region or technical context, you may also encounter related words, but kabl is very common and natural in ordinary speech.

A learner should definitely know this word.

Usually, pokvaren is better here.

Why?

• pokvaren = broken/faulty/not functioning
• slomljen = physically broken, snapped, fractured

A cable is more often described as pokvaren if it does not work properly.

If the cable has literally been bent, snapped, or physically broken apart, slomljen might fit in a specific context, but pokvaren is the more natural default for a faulty cable.

The plural is:

• Nažalost, kablovi su pokvareni.
• Unfortunately, the cables are broken.

Changes:

• kabl → kablovi = cable → cables
• je → su = is → are
• pokvaren → pokvareni to match masculine plural

This is another good example of Serbian agreement.