Ovaj kaput je moj, a onaj je tvoj.

Ovaj means this.

It appears as ovaj because it agrees with kaput, which is:

• masculine
• singular
• nominative

Serbian demonstratives change form to match the noun:

• ovaj = this (masculine)
• ova = this (feminine)
• ovo = this (neuter)

Since kaput is a masculine noun, ovaj kaput is the correct form.

These are all demonstratives, but they show different distance or reference:

• ovaj = this / this one here, near the speaker
• taj = that / that one near the listener, or already mentioned
• onaj = that over there / that one farther away

In this sentence, ovaj kaput contrasts with onaj, so the idea is roughly this coat here ... that one over there.

Because Serbian often leaves out a noun when it is already understood.

So:

• Ovaj kaput je moj = This coat is mine
• a onaj je tvoj = and that one is yours

In the second part, onaj stands on its own, but the noun kaput is still understood. English does something similar with that one.

The full version would be:

• Ovaj kaput je moj, a onaj kaput je tvoj.

But repeating kaput is usually unnecessary.

Moj means my/mine, and tvoj means your/yours.

In this sentence, they mean:

• moj = mine
• tvoj = yours

Serbian uses the same possessive words both before a noun and, in many contexts, without the noun when the noun is understood:

• moj kaput = my coat
• Kaput je moj = The coat is mine

So moj and tvoj are the natural choices here.

They match the understood noun kaput, which is masculine singular.

Even when the noun is omitted, the possessive still agrees with it:

• kaput → masculine singular → moj, tvoj
• if it were knjiga (book, feminine), you would get moja, tvoja
• if it were a neuter noun, you would get moje, tvoje

So the grammar is still based on kaput, even when kaput is not repeated.

They are basically possessive adjectives, but they can also stand alone when the noun is understood.

So:

• moj kaput = my coat
• Kaput je moj = The coat is mine

English often uses different forms like my vs mine, but Serbian usually uses the same possessive word, with meaning determined by context.

A is a conjunction. In this sentence it connects two contrasting statements.

Depending on context, it can be translated as:

• and
• while
• whereas
• sometimes even but

Here it has a contrastive feel:

• Ovaj kaput je moj, a onaj je tvoj.
• This coat is mine, and that one is yours.

It is not a strong contradiction, just a comparison or contrast between two things.

Because each part is its own clause, and each clause needs the verb to be:

• Ovaj kaput je moj
• onaj je tvoj

So je means is in both places.

Repeating it is normal and expected in standard Serbian. Leaving it out here would sound incomplete.

The main forms here are in the nominative.

Why?

• ovaj kaput is the subject
• moj and tvoj are predicate complements after je
• onaj also functions as a nominative form

So you are seeing:

• ovaj = nominative masculine singular
• kaput = nominative singular
• moj = nominative masculine singular
• onaj = nominative masculine singular
• tvoj = nominative masculine singular

This is one reason the sentence is a good beginner example: everything is in a very basic form.

The sentence as given is the most neutral and natural order:

• Ovaj kaput je moj, a onaj je tvoj.

Serbian word order is more flexible than English, but changing it usually adds emphasis or changes the focus.

For example, other orders may sound more emphatic or marked, not neutral. So for a learner, the given order is the best one to use first.

Yes, that is grammatically correct.

It simply repeats kaput in the second clause:

• Ovaj kaput je moj, a onaj kaput je tvoj.

That version is a bit more explicit, but usually less natural unless you want extra clarity or emphasis. In ordinary speech, Serbian normally omits the repeated noun when it is obvious.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

OH-vy kapoot yeh moy, ah OH-nye yeh tvoy

A few useful points:

• j is pronounced like English y
• je sounds roughly like ye
• oj in moj and tvoj sounds like oy in boy
• c in kaput is not present; kaput is pronounced roughly kah-POOT

This is only an approximation, but it helps an English speaker get close.