Levo je banka, a desno apoteka.

to be

Breakdown of Levo je banka, a desno apoteka.

• a: and
• banka: bank
• levo: to the left

Questions & Answers about Levo je banka, a desno apoteka.

Why are levo and desno used here instead of leva and desna?

Because levo and desno are functioning as adverbs, meaning on the left and on the right.

By contrast, leva and desna are adjectives, so they have to describe a noun:

• leva strana = left side
• desna ruka = right hand

So in this sentence, Serbian uses the adverbial forms to describe location:

• Levo je banka = The bank is on the left
• Desno apoteka = The pharmacy is on the right

What exactly do levo and desno mean in this sentence: position or movement?

Here they express position, not movement.

So:

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

The sentence is describing where things are located.

If you wanted movement, Serbian often uses forms like:

• nalevo = to the left
• nadesno = to the right

For example:

• Skreni nalevo. = Turn left.

Why is there only one je? Shouldn’t it be Levo je banka, a desno je apoteka?