Kašalj je simptom prehlade.

to be

Breakdown of Kašalj je simptom prehlade.

• kašalj: cough
• prehlada: a cold
• simptom: symptom

Questions & Answers about Kašalj je simptom prehlade.

Why is prehlade used instead of prehlada?

Because prehlade is the genitive singular form of prehlada.

In this sentence, simptom is followed by a noun meaning of something:

• simptom prehlade = a symptom of a cold

So the pattern is:

• prehlada = nominative, the basic dictionary form
• prehlade = genitive singular, used here after simptom

This is very common in Serbian:

• uzrok bolesti = the cause of the illness
• simptom gripe = a symptom of the flu

What case are the words in this sentence?

The cases are:

• Kašalj — nominative singular
• je — verb, so no case
• simptom — nominative singular
• prehlade — genitive singular

So the structure is basically:

• Kašalj = subject
• je simptom = is a symptom
• prehlade = of a cold

In Serbian, after to be in sentences like this, the predicate noun is commonly in the nominative.

Why is there no word for or ?