Ova prodavnica prodaje košulje i pantalone.

Because ova has to agree with prodavnica in gender, number, and case.

• prodavnica = a feminine noun
• singular
• here it is in the nominative case because it is the subject

So the correct form is:

• masculine: ovaj
• feminine: ova
• neuter: ovo

That is why we get ova prodavnica = this store/shop.

It is in the nominative singular.

In this sentence, prodavnica is the subject, the thing doing the action:

• Ova prodavnica = the subject
• prodaje = sells
• košulje i pantalone = the things being sold

Subjects are normally in the nominative in Serbian.

Prodaje is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb prodavati / prodati-related verb family, here meaning sells.

In this sentence, it matches the singular subject ova prodavnica:

• ja prodajem = I sell
• ti prodaješ = you sell
• on/ona/ono prodaje = he/she/it sells

So ova prodavnica prodaje literally means this store sells.

Because the verb agrees with the subject, not with the objects.

The subject is:

• ova prodavnica = singular

The objects are:

• košulje i pantalone = plural

So the verb stays singular:

• Ova prodavnica prodaje... = This store sells...

If the subject were plural, the verb would also be plural.

They are in the accusative plural, because they are the direct objects of prodaje.

The store is selling what?

• košulje
• pantalone

That puts them in the accusative.

A useful detail: for many inanimate feminine plural nouns, the accusative plural looks the same as the nominative plural, so the forms may not visibly change.

Because košulje is the plural form of košulja.

• košulja = shirt
• košulje = shirts

Here the meaning is plural, so Serbian uses the plural noun.

Also, in this sentence it is the accusative plural, but for this noun the accusative plural looks the same as the nominative plural.

Pantalone is normally used as a plural noun, much like English pants or trousers.

So even when talking about one item of clothing, Serbian often uses a plural form:

• pantalone = pants / trousers

This is very normal and idiomatic. Learners should treat pantalone as a word that is usually plural.

Yes. Serbian generally does not have articles like English the and a/an.

So:

• prodavnica can mean store, a store, or the store, depending on context
• ova prodavnica specifically means this store

English needs articles, but Serbian usually does not.

Yes, Serbian word order is more flexible than English word order.

This version is the most neutral and straightforward:

• Ova prodavnica = subject
• prodaje = verb
• košulje i pantalone = object

So it follows a normal subject–verb–object pattern.

You can sometimes change the order for emphasis, but the basic sentence learners should use is:

• Ova prodavnica prodaje košulje i pantalone.

I means and.

So:

• košulje i pantalone = shirts and pants

It is one of the most common Serbian words.

Yes, depending on context.

The Serbian present tense often covers both:

• This store sells shirts and pants
• This store is selling shirts and pants

In many cases, the more natural English translation is the general one, sells, because the sentence sounds like a general fact about what the store carries.

A rough pronunciation guide for an English speaker would be:

• košulje ≈ KOH-shoo-lyeh
• pantalone ≈ pahn-tah-LOH-neh

A few helpful points:

• š sounds like sh
• lj is a single Serbian sound, similar to the lli in some pronunciations of million, though not exactly the same

Serbian spelling is quite phonetic, so words are usually pronounced close to how they are written.

No. Prodavnica is very common and standard, but Serbian also has other words depending on context, region, or style, such as:

• radnja = shop/store
• trgovina = trade/store, depending on usage

For a basic learner sentence, prodavnica is a very natural choice.

In Serbian, demonstratives distinguish distance:

• ova / ovaj / ovo = this
• ta / taj / to = that
• ona / onaj / ono = that over there / that one

So ova prodavnica clearly means this store.

Only the words that are supposed to agree do so.

Agreement here happens between:

• ova and prodavnica

They match in:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

The verb prodaje agrees with the subject prodavnica in number and person:

• 3rd person singular

The objects košulje i pantalone do not have to agree with the subject; they are simply in the case required by the verb, here the accusative.