Questions & Answers about Ovo je mala mačka.
What does each word in Ovo je mala mačka mean?
- 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.
Why is it ovo and not ova, since mačka is feminine?
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.
What is je?