Ona je zdrava, jer često jede voće i povrće.

She is healthy, because she often eats fruit and vegetables.

Breakdown of Ona je zdrava, jer često jede voće i povrće.

• biti: to be
• ona: she
• i: and
• jesti: to eat

Questions & Answers about Ona je zdrava, jer često jede voće i povrće.

Why is it zdrava and not zdrav?

Because ona means she, so the adjective has to match a feminine singular subject.

• zdrav = healthy, masculine
• zdrava = healthy, feminine
• zdravo = healthy, neuter

So:

• On je zdrav. = He is healthy.
• Ona je zdrava. = She is healthy.

Why do we need je in Ona je zdrava?

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

So Ona je zdrava literally works like She is healthy.

Present tense of biti:

• ja sam = I am
• ti si = you are
• on/ona/ono je = he/she/it is
• mi smo = we are
• vi ste = you are
• oni/one/ona su = they are

Unlike Russian, Serbian normally does use the present tense of to be.

What does jer mean, and how is it used?

Jer means because.

It introduces the reason: