Sve je u torbi.

In this sentence, sve means everything.

It is a pronoun, not an adjective here. So Sve je u torbi means Everything is in the bag.

A useful contrast:

• sve = everything / all
• svi = all people / everyone (masculine plural form)

So:

• Sve je spremno. = Everything is ready.
• Svi su spremni. = Everyone is ready.

Because sve is treated as grammatically singular in Serbian.

So even though in English everything refers to many things, Serbian uses the singular verb:

• Sve je u torbi. = Everything is in the bag.

Compare:

• Sve je dobro. = Everything is fine.
• Sve je gotovo. = Everything is finished.

If you were talking about people with svi, then you would use plural:

• Svi su ovde. = Everyone is here.

Because the preposition u requires a different case depending on meaning.

Here, u means in in the sense of location, so it takes the locative case:

• torba = bag (dictionary form / nominative)
• u torbi = in the bag (locative)

So:

• Sve je u torbi. = Everything is in the bag.

This is a very important pattern:

• u + locative = in/at, when showing where something is
• u + accusative = into, when showing movement toward the inside

Compare:

• Knjiga je u torbi. = The book is in the bag.
• Stavljam knjigu u torbu. = I am putting the book into the bag.

Torbi is the locative singular of torba.

The noun torba is a feminine noun ending in -a, and many nouns of that type form the locative singular in -i:

• torba → u torbi
• škola → u školi
• soba → u sobi

So in Sve je u torbi, torbi is locative because it follows u in a location meaning.

Torba is a general word for bag. Depending on context, it can refer to:

• a bag
• a handbag
• a shopping bag
• sometimes a purse-like bag

So Sve je u torbi could mean:

• Everything is in the bag.
• Everything is in the purse.

The exact English translation depends on context. If Serbian speakers want to be more specific, they may use other words too, but torba itself is quite broad.

Yes, it is completely natural.

Serbian word order is more flexible than English, but this version is the most neutral and straightforward:

• Sve je u torbi.

You may also hear other orders for emphasis, for example:

• U torbi je sve. = It’s all in the bag. / Everything is in the bag.
  (focus on where it is)

• Sve u torbi je... would usually start a different structure, like Everything in the bag is..., so that is not the same sentence.

So the original order is the best basic version for learners.

Not usually.

In Serbian, Sve je u torbi normally has the literal meaning Everything is in the bag.

The English idiom It’s in the bag means something like success is certain or it’s already secured, and Serbian would usually express that idea differently.

So unless the context is joking or very unusual, learners should understand Sve je u torbi literally.

A rough pronunciation guide for an English speaker is:

• Sve ≈ sveh
• je ≈ yeh
• u ≈ oo
• torbi ≈ TOR-bee

So roughly:

sveh yeh oo TOR-bee

A few notes:

• j in Serbian is pronounced like English y in yes
• e is usually a clear eh
• r in torbi is a tapped/trilled Serbian r, though learners often start with a simpler English-like r

Normally, no.

In the present tense, Serbian usually requires the appropriate form of biti (to be) in sentences like this:

• Sve je u torbi.

Leaving out je would sound incomplete or ungrammatical in standard Serbian.

Serbian sometimes omits forms of to be in certain styles, headlines, or special contexts, but for normal everyday speech, keep je here.

Mostly, yes.

In a sentence like this, sve usually refers to things, facts, events, or everything in general, not people.

Examples:

• Sve je spremno. = Everything is ready.
• Sve znam. = I know everything.

For all people / everyone, Serbian normally uses svi:

• Svi su u kući. = Everyone is in the house.

So this is an important distinction:

• sve = everything
• svi = everyone / all people

Not if you mean Everything is in the bag.

U torbu is accusative, and it usually implies movement into the bag:

• Stavljam sve u torbu. = I am putting everything into the bag.

But with a verb like je (is), you are describing location, not movement, so you need locative:

• Sve je u torbi. = Everything is in the bag.

So:

• u torbi = in the bag
• u torbu = into the bag

It is neutral and works in both formal and informal situations.

There is nothing especially slangy, literary, or formal about it. It is just a simple everyday Serbian sentence.

That makes it a very good model sentence for learners because it shows:

• sve = everything
• je = is
• u + locative for location
• torba → torbi

This sentence is short, but it teaches several useful Serbian patterns:

1. sve can mean everything

   • Sve je dobro. = Everything is fine.

2. sve takes a singular verb

   • Sve je..., not Sve su...

3. u + locative shows location

   • u torbi = in the bag

4. Feminine nouns in -a often become -i in the locative singular

   • torba → u torbi

5. Serbian word order is flexible, but Sve je u torbi is the most neutral version

So even though the sentence is simple, it is a very useful beginner pattern.