Mačka je mala.

to be

Breakdown of Mačka je mala.

• mali: small
• mačka: cat

Questions & Answers about Mačka je mala.

What does mačka mean, and is it masculine or feminine?

Mačka means cat. It is a feminine noun in Serbian.

You can tell it is feminine because it follows the common feminine noun pattern ending in -a. That matters because adjectives and some verb forms have to agree with it.

Why is it mala and not mali?

Because mala has to agree with mačka.

In Serbian, adjectives change form to match the noun’s:

• gender
• number
• case

Since mačka is:

• feminine
• singular
• here in the nominative case

the adjective must also be feminine singular nominative: mala.

Compare:

• mali pas = the/small dog (masculine)
• mala mačka = the/a small cat (feminine)
• malo dete = the/a small child (neuter)

What is je?

Je is the 3rd person singular form of the verb biti (to be).

So:

• ja sam = I am
• ti si = you are