Ovo je mala mačka.

• Ovo = this
• je = is
• mala = small
• mačka = cat

So the sentence is literally This is small cat, but natural English adds an article: This is a small cat.

This is one of the most common questions.

In Ovo je mala mačka, ovo does not directly describe mačka the way an adjective would. It means this in the sense of this thing here or this here is... When Serbian introduces or identifies something with this is..., it very often uses the neuter form ovo.

So:

• Ovo je mala mačka. = This is a small cat.

But if this goes directly with the noun, then it must agree with mačka and you use the feminine form:

• ova mačka = this cat

So compare:

• Ovo je mačka. = This is a cat.
• Ova mačka je mala. = This cat is small.

Je is the 3rd person singular present form of the verb biti, meaning to be.

So:

• ja sam = I am
• ti si = you are
• on / ona / ono je = he / she / it is

In your sentence, je means is.

Because adjectives in Serbian must agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case.

Here, mačka is:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

So the adjective must also be feminine singular nominative:

• masculine: mali
• feminine: mala
• neuter: malo

That is why you get:

• mala mačka = small cat

It is in the nominative singular.

You usually use the nominative for the basic dictionary form of a noun and for the subject or predicate noun in simple identification sentences like this one.

So in Ovo je mala mačka, both mala and mačka are in forms that match nominative singular feminine.

Because Serbian does not have articles like English a, an, and the.

So Serbian often says simply:

• mala mačka

and English translates that as:

• a small cat
• sometimes the small cat

The exact English article depends on context, but Serbian does not mark it with a separate word.

A simple English-friendly approximation is:

• MACH-ka

A few details:

• ma sounds like ma
• č sounds roughly like ch in church
• ka sounds like ka

So mačka is approximately MACH-ka.

Also, Serbian stress is not usually written in normal spelling, so learners typically just learn the word by hearing it.

The neutral, most natural order here is:

• Ovo je mala mačka.

Serbian word order is more flexible than English, but changing it usually changes the emphasis or sounds more marked.

For example:

• Ovo je mala mačka. = neutral
• Mala mačka je ovo. = marked; sounds like This is a small cat with special emphasis
• Mačka je mala. = The cat is small, which is a different structure

So for a beginner, the given order is the best one to use.

Mačka is grammatically feminine.

It can be used for:

• a cat in general
• often a female cat specifically

If you want to be clearly specific about a male cat, Serbian commonly uses:

• mačak = male cat / tomcat

So:

• Ovo je mala mačka. = This is a small cat.
• Ovo je mali mačak. = This is a small male cat.

Notice how the adjective changes too:

• mala with feminine mačka
• mali with masculine mačak

Because ovo already fills that role in the sentence.

English says:

• This is a small cat.

Serbian says:

• Ovo je mala mačka.

So ovo already gives the idea of this or this thing here. You do not need another separate word for it.

Usually not for this meaning.

• Ovo je mala mačka. = This is a small cat.
• Ova mala mačka... = this small cat...

If you say ova, it normally needs to agree with a feminine noun it directly accompanies or clearly refers to. On its own, ova sounds incomplete unless the feminine noun is understood from context.

So for basic identification, use:

• Ovo je mala mačka.

Literally, mala mačka means small cat.

Depending on context, English might interpret that as a kitten, but Serbian has a separate common word for kitten:

• mače

So:

• mala mačka = small cat
• mače = kitten

If you specifically mean a kitten, mače is usually better.

You would say:

• Ova mačka je mala.

That is different from:

• Ovo je mala mačka.

The difference is:

• Ovo je mala mačka. = identifying what something is
• Ova mačka je mala. = talking about this cat and saying it is small

This contrast is very useful:

• ovo = this in this is...
• ova mačka = this cat