Banka je levo od trga, a pekara desno.

Because levo here is an adverb meaning to the left / on the left, not an adjective.

• leva is the feminine adjective left
• levo is the adverb leftward / on the left

So:

• Banka je leva would sound like The bank is left in the sense of describing the bank with an adjective, which is not what you want.
• Banka je levo od trga means The bank is to the left of the square.

This is similar to English using left in a location expression rather than as a descriptive adjective.

Because od means from / of, and in expressions of relative location Serbian often uses:

• levo od ... = to the left of ...
• desno od ... = to the right of ...

After od, the following noun goes into the genitive case.

So:

• trg = square
• od trga = of/from the square (genitive)

That is why it is trga, not trg.

Trga is genitive singular of trg.

The base form is:

• trg = square

After the preposition od, Serbian requires the genitive:

• od trga = of/from the square

This is a very common pattern, so learners often memorize levo od + genitive and desno od + genitive as whole chunks.

In this sentence, a links two contrasting pieces of information:

• Banka je levo od trga, a pekara desno.

Here a is like while / whereas / and with a contrast:

• The bank is to the left of the square, while the bakery is to the right.

If you used i, it would sound more like simple addition:

• ... i pekara desno = ... and the bakery [is] on the right

That is possible in some contexts, but a is more natural here because the two locations are being contrasted: left vs right.

Because Serbian often omits a repeated verb when it is easily understood from the first part of the sentence.

Full version:

• Banka je levo od trga, a pekara je desno.

Natural shortened version:

• Banka je levo od trga, a pekara desno.

The second je is understood automatically. English does this less often, so it can feel unusual to learners.

Yes, if the reference point is already clear from context.

• Banka je levo, a pekara desno. = The bank is on the left, and the bakery is on the right.

But if you need to specify left/right of what, then you use:

• levo od trga
• desno od trga

So od trga makes the location more precise.

They are related, but not exactly the same in style.

• levo = on the left / to the left
• na levoj strani = on the left side

Examples:

• Banka je levo od trga.
• Banka je na levoj strani trga.

Both can work, but levo od trga is shorter and very common when giving directions or describing location.

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

So:

• Banka je levo od trga.
• literally: The bank is left of the square.

It agrees with the singular subject:

• banka = singular
• pekara = singular

In the second half, je is omitted, but still understood.

Yes. Banka is a feminine noun, and pekara is also feminine.

That is why both usually appear with feminine adjective forms when adjectives are used directly with them. But in this sentence, levo and desno are adverbs, so they do not change to match gender.

Compare:

• velika banka = a big bank → adjective agrees with feminine noun
• banka je levo = the bank is on the left → adverb, so no feminine ending

This is a common learner question. Trg is pronounced as one syllable, roughly like trg, with the r acting like the center of the syllable.

English does not really have this pattern, so it may feel strange at first. Serbian allows r to function syllabically in words like:

• trg = square
• vrt = garden
• prst = finger

You do not need to insert a vowel in standard pronunciation.

Yes, Serbian word order is fairly flexible, but this sentence is in a very natural neutral order.

Standard version:

• Banka je levo od trga, a pekara desno.

You might also hear variants for emphasis, such as:

• Levo od trga je banka, a desno pekara.

This puts more focus on the locations first. Both are correct, but the original sentence is very natural for everyday description.

Yes, exactly.

• levo = to the left / on the left
• desno = to the right / on the right

In the second half of the sentence, desno stands alone because the rest is understood:

• a pekara desno
• full version: a pekara je desno
• or even more fully: a pekara je desno od trga

Serbian often leaves out repeated material when it is obvious from context.

Very similar, yes.

• levo od trga = to the left of the square
• sa leve strane trga = on the left side of the square

The second version is a bit longer and slightly more explicit. In everyday speech, levo od trga is often the simpler choice.

It is written in Latin script:

• Banka je levo od trga, a pekara desno.

Serbian can be written in both Latin and Cyrillic. The Cyrillic version would be:

• Банка је лево од трга, а пекара десно.

The meaning and grammar are exactly the same. Only the script changes.