Zaposleni je na bolovanju.

Here zaposleni means employee.

Grammatically, it is originally an adjective meaning employed, but in this sentence it is being used like a noun: the employee / an employee.

In this form, zaposleni is:

• masculine
• singular
• nominative (the subject form)

Related forms:

• zaposlena = a female employee
• zaposleni = employees / male employee, depending on context
• zaposlene = female employees

Je is the 3rd person singular present form of biti (to be), so it means is.

So:

• Zaposleni = the employee
• je = is
• na bolovanju = on sick leave

Together: The employee is on sick leave.

Also, je is a clitic, which means it usually appears in second position in the sentence. That is why it comes right after zaposleni.

Na bolovanju literally means something like on sick leave.

This is a fixed Serbian expression:

• na = on
• bolovanje = sick leave, medical leave

So Serbian uses na + bolovanje in much the same way English uses on sick leave.

Because after na here, Serbian uses the locative case to show a state or situation.

The noun is:

• bolovanje = nominative
• bolovanju = locative

So:

• biti na bolovanju = to be on sick leave

A useful contrast:

• On je na bolovanju. = He is on sick leave.
• On ide na bolovanje. = He is going on sick leave.

In the second sentence, na bolovanje is usually accusative because it suggests movement into that state. In your sentence, it is locative because it describes the current situation.

Not exactly in the same way as English He is sick.

Zaposleni je na bolovanju means the employee is officially off work on sick leave. It refers to employment/work status.

If you simply want to say someone is ill, Serbian would more naturally use:

• On je bolestan. = He is sick.
• Ona je bolesna. = She is sick.

So na bolovanju is about being absent from work for health reasons, not just about feeling ill.

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

That means zaposleni can mean:

• the employee
• an employee

The exact meaning depends on context.

In many real situations, this sentence would be understood as the employee is on sick leave, especially if a specific employee is already known from the conversation.

Yes, Serbian word order is fairly flexible, but the neutral version is:

• Zaposleni je na bolovanju.

You can change the order for emphasis, for example:

• Na bolovanju je zaposleni.
• Je li zaposleni na bolovanju? = Is the employee on sick leave?

However, the original version is the most natural and standard for a simple statement.

In a normal full sentence, no.

Serbian usually requires the verb to be in this kind of sentence:

• Zaposleni je na bolovanju.

Leaving out je would sound incomplete in standard Serbian.

In very informal notes, headlines, or short spoken replies, people sometimes omit words, but learners should keep je here.

In this sentence, yes: it is the masculine singular form.

If the employee is female, you would normally say:

• Zaposlena je na bolovanju.

If there are several employees:

• Zaposleni su na bolovanju. = The employees are on sick leave.
• Zaposlene su na bolovanju. = The female employees are on sick leave.

So the form changes depending on gender and number.

Yes, depending on meaning.

For example:

• radnik = worker
• službenik = clerk/official
• zaposleni = employee, employed person

Zaposleni is broad and common, especially in administrative or workplace language. It often sounds a bit more neutral or formal than radnik.

So Zaposleni je na bolovanju is a very natural sentence in work-related contexts.