Danas kuvam supu sa povrćem.

Because supa is the dictionary form, but in this sentence it is the direct object of the verb kuvam.

• Nominative: supa = soup
• Accusative: supu = soup as the thing being cooked

This is a normal pattern for many feminine nouns ending in -a:

• supa → supu
• žena → ženu
• kafa → kafu

So kuvam supu means I am cooking soup.

Because the preposition sa meaning with takes the instrumental case.

The noun povrće becomes povrćem in the instrumental singular:

• nominative: povrće
• instrumental: povrćem

So:

• sa povrćem = with vegetables

This is one of the most useful case patterns to learn early:

• sa prijateljem = with a friend
• sa mlekom = with milk
• sa povrćem = with vegetables

In Serbian, the verb ending usually already shows the subject, so the pronoun is often omitted.

Here, kuvam means I cook / I am cooking. The -m ending tells you it is first person singular.

So:

• Kuvam = I cook / I am cooking
• Ja kuvam = I cook / I am cooking

Both are correct, but ja is usually only added for emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

For example:

• Danas kuvam supu. = neutral
• Ja danas kuvam supu, a on pravi salatu. = I am cooking soup today, and he is making salad

It can mean both.

Serbian present tense often covers both:

• I cook
• I am cooking

The exact meaning depends on context.

In Danas kuvam supu sa povrćem, the word danas makes it sound very natural as Today I’m cooking soup with vegetables.

So Serbian does not always need a separate form like English am cooking.

This is about aspect, which is very important in Serbian.

• kuvati = imperfective, focusing on the process or repeated action
• skuvati = perfective, focusing on completion

So:

• Danas kuvam supu. = Today I’m cooking soup / I’m in the process of cooking it
• Danas ću skuvati supu. = Today I’ll cook the soup / finish cooking it

A present-tense perfective form like skuvam usually does not mean an action happening right now. It more often refers to future or completed-style meaning in context.

That is why kuvam is the natural choice here.

Because Serbian word order is fairly flexible, and putting danas first is a very natural way to set the time frame right away.

• Danas kuvam supu sa povrćem. = neutral, natural
• Kuvam supu sa povrćem danas. = possible, but more marked or emphatic
• Supu sa povrćem danas kuvam. = strongly marked, unusual unless emphasizing something

So the version with danas first is probably the most normal one for everyday speech.

s and sa are two forms of the same preposition meaning with.

In practice:

• sa is very common in everyday Serbian
• s is shorter and also correct in many contexts

With povrćem, sa povrćem sounds completely natural.

As a learner, it is very safe to use sa in sentences like this. Later, you can get used to when speakers prefer the shorter s.

Usually povrće means vegetables in a general or collective sense.

Even though English uses a plural word here, Serbian often uses the singular-form noun povrće as a mass/collective noun:

• Volim povrće. = I like vegetables.
• Supa sa povrćem. = soup with vegetables.

So don’t be surprised that Serbian uses a singular-looking form where English uses a plural.

Because Serbian does not have articles like English a/an/the.

So supu can mean:

• a soup
• the soup
• just soup

The exact meaning comes from context.

If Serbian needs to be more specific, it can use other words such as:

• ova supa = this soup
• ta supa = that soup

But in a basic sentence like this, no article is needed.

They are similar, but not exactly the same.

• supa sa povrćem = soup with vegetables in it
• supa od povrća = soup made from vegetables / vegetable soup

So sa focuses on what is added or included, while od focuses more on what something is made from.

In real life, the meanings can overlap, but the grammar shows a slightly different relationship.

It can do both.

Depending on context, kuvam can mean:

• I am cooking right now or today
• I cook as a habit

Examples:

• Danas kuvam supu. = Today I’m cooking soup.
• Često kuvam supu. = I often cook soup.

So the adverb helps a lot:

• danas = today, current situation
• često = often, habitual action
• svake nedelje = every week, habitual action