Moj otac traži daljinski, jer želi da gleda seriju na televizoru.

Because moj has to agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun it describes.

• otac = father, and it is masculine singular
• so the correct form is moj = my

Compare:

• moj otac = my father
• moja majka = my mother
• moje dete = my child

So moja otac would be incorrect because moja is the feminine form.

Here traži means is looking for.

The verb tražiti can mean:

• to look for / search for
• sometimes to ask for / request, depending on context

In this sentence, because the object is daljinski (the remote control), the meaning is clearly:

• Moj otac traži daljinski = My father is looking for the remote control

Yes. Literally, daljinski is an adjective meaning remote or distance-related, but in everyday Serbian it is very commonly used by itself to mean:

• daljinski upravljač = remote control
• shortened in speech to simply daljinski

This is very natural and common, just like English speakers often say the remote instead of the remote control.

It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of traži.

The verb tražiti takes a direct object:

• traži šta? = looking for what?
• answer: daljinski

Since daljinski is a masculine inanimate noun, its accusative form looks the same as the nominative:

• nominative: daljinski
• accusative: daljinski

This is normal in Serbian for masculine inanimate nouns.

Because in modern Serbian, it is very common to express this idea with:

• želeti + da + present tense

So:

• želi da gleda = he wants to watch

This structure is extremely normal and often preferred in everyday Serbian.

You may also encounter infinitives in some contexts, but da + present is one of the most important patterns to learn.

Examples:

• Želim da idem. = I want to go.
• Hoće da jede. = He/she wants to eat.
• Volimo da gledamo filmove. = We like to watch films.

Because seriju is the accusative singular form of serija.

The noun serija is feminine, and as a direct object after gleda (watches), it goes into the accusative:

• nominative: serija
• accusative: seriju

So:

• serija = a series / a TV show
• gleda seriju = watches a series / a TV show

This is a very common feminine pattern:

• knjiga → knjigu
• škola → školu
• serija → seriju

Because na televizoru means on the television / on TV, and after the preposition na, Serbian often uses the locative case when talking about location or where something appears.

Here:

• televizor = television set / TV
• locative singular = televizoru
• na televizoru = on the TV

So the phrase means that he wants to watch the series on the television.

Both can exist, but they do not always mean exactly the same thing.

• na televizoru = on the TV set / on the television screen
• na televiziji = on television / on TV as a medium, channel, or broadcast

So in this sentence, na televizoru focuses more on the device being used to watch it.

Very roughly:

• Gledam utakmicu na televizoru. = I’m watching the match on the TV.
• Ta emisija je na televiziji večeras. = That program is on television tonight.

It is locative singular.

The preposition na can be followed by different cases depending on meaning:

• accusative for motion toward something
• locative for location / where something is happening

Here there is no movement. It is about where the series is being watched, so Serbian uses the locative:

• na televizoru = on the television

Because jer means because, and it introduces a dependent clause explaining the reason.

So the sentence has two parts:

• Moj otac traži daljinski
• jer želi da gleda seriju na televizoru

The comma helps separate the main clause from the reason clause. This is standard punctuation in Serbian.

Yes, you could say Otac traži daljinski, but it would not mean exactly the same thing in tone.

• Moj otac = my father
• Otac = father / the father, depending on context

Using moj makes the relationship explicit and sounds natural when introducing whose father you mean. Serbian often allows possessives to be omitted when the context is obvious, but including moj is completely normal and clear here.

Yes. Serija can mean:

• a series
• a TV show
• sometimes an episode sequence or serial
• in other contexts, even a series of items or events

In this sentence, because of gleda and na televizoru, it clearly means a TV series/show.

Yes. Serbian word order is more flexible than English word order, although some versions sound more neutral than others.

The original sentence is very natural and neutral:

• Moj otac traži daljinski, jer želi da gleda seriju na televizoru.

But Serbian can move parts around for emphasis, for example:

• Jer želi da gleda seriju na televizoru, moj otac traži daljinski.
• Moj otac, jer želi da gleda seriju na televizoru, traži daljinski.

These are possible, but the original version is the most straightforward for a learner.