Peškir je u kupatilu, a sapun je blizu ogledala.

The towel is in the bathroom, and the soap is near the mirror.

Breakdown of Peškir je u kupatilu, a sapun je blizu ogledala.

• biti: to be
• u: in
• a: and
• blizu: near

Questions & Answers about Peškir je u kupatilu, a sapun je blizu ogledala.

Why is je used twice in this sentence?

Je is the 3rd person singular present form of biti (to be) — in other words, is.

The sentence has two separate clauses:

• Peškir je u kupatilu
• a sapun je blizu ogledala

Each clause has its own subject and its own je, so repeating it is completely normal.

What does a mean here? Is it just and?

A often translates as and, but it is not exactly the same as English and in every situation.

Here, a links two ideas while also slightly contrasting or shifting attention:

• The towel is in the bathroom, and/as for the soap, it is near the mirror.

So a is very common when Serbian moves from one topic to another. It is weaker than ali (but), but it can still suggest a mild contrast.

Why is it u kupatilu and not u kupatilo?

Because u changes case depending on meaning.

• u + locative = in/inside a place, with no movement
• u + accusative = into a place, showing movement

Here the towel is already located in the bathroom, so Serbian uses the locative: