Kusur je u mojoj torbi.

Kusur means change in the sense of money returned after payment.

For example:

• You pay with a large bill.
• The seller gives you back some money.
• That returned money is kusur.

So this sentence means that the change is in the speaker’s bag.

Je is the 3rd person singular form of the verb biti (to be), meaning is.

So:

• Kusur = the change
• je = is
• u mojoj torbi = in my bag

Together: The change is in my bag.

U usually means in or into, depending on the case that follows it.

Here it means in, because it shows location, not movement.

• u mojoj torbi = in my bag

If there were movement into the bag, Serbian would use a different case:

• Stavljam kusur u moju torbu. = I am putting the change into my bag.

So in your sentence, u is used with the locative case because the change is already located there.

Because after u when it means in (location), Serbian uses the locative case.

The basic form is:

• moja torba = my bag

But in the locative:

• u mojoj torbi = in my bag

Both words change:

• moja → mojoj
• torba → torbi

That is because adjectives and pronouns in Serbian must agree with the noun in case, gender, and number.

Torbi is in the locative singular.

The noun is:

• torba = bag

Its locative singular form is:

• torbi

So:

• u torbi = in the bag
• u mojoj torbi = in my bag

Because mojoj must match torbi.

The noun torba is:

• feminine
• singular
• here in the locative

So the possessive word moja (my) changes to the feminine singular locative form:

• moja → mojoj

This agreement is very important in Serbian.

Yes. Serbian word order is more flexible than English.

The neutral sentence is:

• Kusur je u mojoj torbi.

But you could also say:

• U mojoj torbi je kusur.
• Kusur je u torbi. (if my is already understood)

Changing the order can shift the emphasis:

• Kusur je u mojoj torbi. → focus on where the change is
• U mojoj torbi je kusur. → stronger emphasis on in my bag

All of these can be natural, depending on context.

No. Serbian does not use articles like English a/an/the.

So kusur can mean:

• the change
• sometimes just change

The exact meaning depends on context.

Likewise:

• torba = bag / the bag
• moja torba = my bag

English needs articles, but Serbian does not.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

KOO-soor yeh oo MOH-yoy TOR-bee

A few notes:

• j in Serbian sounds like English y
• je sounds roughly like yeh
• mojoj has two j sounds: MOH-yoy
• stress is often not marked in normal writing, but this approximation is good for a learner

Yes. Torba is a broad word meaning bag, and sometimes purse, depending on context.

Possible translations include:

• bag
• handbag
• purse
• sometimes even satchel

In this sentence, my bag is a very natural translation.

Yes, it could be, but it changes the nuance.

• torba = bag, a general word
• tašna = handbag / purse, often more specifically a woman’s handbag

So:

• Kusur je u mojoj torbi. = The change is in my bag.
• Kusur je u mojoj tašni. = The change is in my purse/handbag.

Both are correct, but they suggest slightly different kinds of bags.

Here it is treated as a singular mass noun, much like English change in I have your change.

So:

• Kusur je... = The change is...

Even though change consists of multiple coins or bills, the word itself is grammatically singular here.

Normally, in a full standard sentence, you should keep je.

• Kusur je u mojoj torbi. = complete sentence

Without je:

• Kusur u mojoj torbi

this sounds incomplete in standard Serbian, unless it is being used as a note, heading, or very informal fragment.

So for normal speech and writing, use je.