Medicinska sestra meri temperaturu.

Because medicinska is an adjective, and it has to agree with sestra in gender, number, and case.

• sestra is feminine singular nominative
• so the adjective also becomes feminine singular nominative: medicinska

This is the same kind of agreement you see throughout Serbian:

• dobar lekar = a good doctor, male
• dobra doktorka = a good doctor, female
• medicinska sestra = nurse

Yes, literally it looks like medical sister, but as a fixed expression it means nurse.

This is completely normal Serbian usage. A learner should treat medicinska sestra as the standard term for nurse, not translate it word-for-word in actual use.

Meri means measures or, in this context, is measuring.

It comes from the verb meriti = to measure.

Here, meri is:

• 3rd person singular
• present tense

So:

• ja merim = I measure / am measuring
• ti meriš = you measure / are measuring
• on/ona meri = he/she measures / is measuring

In the sentence, the subject is medicinska sestra, so the verb is meri.

Because temperaturu is in the accusative case.

The noun temperatura is the basic dictionary form, called the nominative:

• temperatura = temperature

But here it is the direct object of the verb meri:

• the nurse measures what?
• temperaturu

For many feminine nouns ending in -a, the accusative singular ends in -u:

• knjiga → knjigu
• voda → vodu
• temperatura → temperaturu

In this medical context, it normally means body temperature.

So Medicinska sestra meri temperaturu would naturally be understood as:

• The nurse is taking the patient’s temperature
• or The nurse is measuring the temperature

Serbian often leaves some context unstated when it is obvious from the situation.

Because Serbian does not have articles like English a/an and the.

So:

• medicinska sestra can mean a nurse or the nurse
• temperaturu can mean a temperature or the temperature

The exact meaning depends on context.

In a real situation, this sentence would usually be understood as:

• The nurse is measuring the temperature or
• The nurse is taking the temperature

Because Serbian often omits subject pronouns when they are not needed.

The verb form meri already tells you it is:

• 3rd person singular = he/she/it measures

And the noun medicinska sestra already names the subject, so adding ona would usually be unnecessary.

Serbian commonly says:

• Medicinska sestra meri temperaturu.

rather than:

• Ona meri temperaturu.

unless you want special emphasis on she.

Yes. Serbian present tense often covers both:

• simple present: measures
• present continuous: is measuring

So meri can mean either, depending on context.

In this sentence, English would usually translate it as:

• The nurse is measuring the temperature because it sounds like an action happening right now.

Yes. Meriti is an imperfective verb, which is very natural here because it focuses on the process or ongoing action.

A related perfective verb is izmeriti = to measure completely / to take a measurement.

So:

• Medicinska sestra meri temperaturu. = The nurse is measuring the temperature.
• Medicinska sestra je izmerila temperaturu. = The nurse measured / has taken the temperature.

For an action happening right now, meri is the normal choice.

The word order can change, because Serbian word order is fairly flexible.

The neutral, most straightforward order is:

• Medicinska sestra meri temperaturu.

But you may also hear:

• Temperaturu meri medicinska sestra.
• Meri temperaturu medicinska sestra.

These alternatives change the focus or emphasis, not the basic meaning.

For a learner, the safest default is:

• subject + verb + object

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• Medicinska ≈ meh-dee-TSIN-ska
• sestra ≈ SEH-stra
• meri ≈ MEH-ree
• temperaturu ≈ tehm-peh-ra-TOO-roo

A few helpful points:

• c in Serbian is usually like ts
• r is rolled or tapped
• each written letter is pronounced clearly

So the full sentence sounds roughly like:

meh-dee-TSIN-ska SEH-stra MEH-ree tehm-peh-ra-TOO-roo

Sometimes in context, yes, but medicinska sestra is the full standard expression.

On its own, sestra primarily means sister. In hospitals or informal speech, context may make sestra understood as nurse, but for learners it is best to remember:

• sestra = sister
• medicinska sestra = nurse

That will help you avoid confusion.