Questions & Answers about Ovaj lek je stvarno dobar.
Why is it ovaj and not ova or ovo?
Because lek is a masculine singular noun, and the demonstrative ovaj must agree with it in gender, number, and case.
- ovaj = masculine singular
- ova = feminine singular
- ovo = neuter singular
So with lek, you say ovaj lek.
What case is ovaj lek in here?
It is in the nominative singular.
That is because ovaj lek is the subject of the sentence. In Serbian, the subject is normally in the nominative case.
- ovaj = nominative masculine singular
- lek = nominative singular
Why is there a separate word je in the sentence?
Je is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb biti (to be).
So in this sentence, it functions like is in English. Serbian often uses forms of biti in exactly this kind of sentence:
- On je visok. = He is tall.
- Ovaj lek je dobar. = This medicine is good.
Without je, the sentence would sound incomplete in standard Serbian.
Why is dobar masculine?