Moja sestra sada čisti pod, a ja perem sudove.

My sister is cleaning the floor now, and I am washing the dishes.

Breakdown of Moja sestra sada čisti pod, a ja perem sudove.

• ja: I
• sada: now
• moj: my
• a: and

Questions & Answers about Moja sestra sada čisti pod, a ja perem sudove.

Why is it moja sestra and not moj sestra?

Because sestra is a feminine noun, and the possessive adjective moj must agree with it in gender, number, and case.

• masculine: moj brat = my brother
• feminine: moja sestra = my sister
• neuter: moje dete = my child

Here, sestra is feminine singular, so moja is the correct form.

Why is it sestra, not some changed form?

Sestra is the subject of the clause, so it is in the nominative case, which is the basic dictionary form.

In Moja sestra sada čisti pod, the person doing the action is moja sestra, so nominative is used.

What does sada mean here, and does it have to go in that exact position?

Sada means now.

It does not have to stay only in that one position. Serbian word order is fairly flexible, so you may also hear:

• Moja sestra čisti pod sada
• Sada moja sestra čisti pod

But Moja sestra sada čisti pod sounds very natural and neutral.

Why are the verbs čisti and perem different if both are in the present tense?