Grad je velik.

The city is big.

Breakdown of Grad je velik.

• biti: to be
• grad: city
• velik: big

Questions & Answers about Grad je velik.

What does each word in Grad je velik. mean?

• Grad = city
• je = is (3rd person singular of biti, to be)
• velik = big, large

So the sentence means The city is big.

Why is there no word for the in Serbian?

Serbian does not have articles like a and the.

So grad can mean:

• a city
• the city

The exact meaning depends on context. In a simple example sentence like Grad je velik, English usually translates it as The city is big or sometimes A city is big, but the city sounds more natural in isolation.

Why is je used here?

Je is the present-tense form of biti (to be) for he/she/it is.

Since grad is a singular noun, Serbian uses je:

• Grad je velik. = The city is big.

Unlike in some languages, you normally cannot leave out je in this kind of standard Serbian sentence. The verb to be is usually required.