Na pijaci vagamo paradajz.

In Serbian, na often means on, but it can also mean at in certain places or activities.

So na pijaci means at the market. This is just the normal Serbian expression. In the same way, Serbian often says:

• na poslu = at work
• na fakultetu = at the faculty / at university
• na selu = in the countryside

So this is something you often learn as a phrase: na pijaci = at the market.

Because after na in this sentence, Serbian uses the locative case to show location.

The noun is:

• pijaca = market

In the locative singular, it becomes:

• na pijaci = at the market

So the change is:

• pijaca → pijaci

This is a regular case change for many feminine nouns ending in -a.

Here paradajz is the direct object of the verb vagamo (we weigh), so it is in the accusative case.

But paradajz is a masculine inanimate noun, and for masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative singular is usually the same as the nominative singular.

So:

• nominative: paradajz
• accusative: paradajz

That is why it looks unchanged.

Vagamo is the 1st person plural present tense form of the verb vagati or vagati / meriti by context, meaning to weigh.

So:

• vagam = I weigh
• vagaš = you weigh
• vaga = he/she/it weighs
• vagamo = we weigh
• vagate = you all weigh
• vagaju = they weigh

So vagamo means we weigh or we are weighing, depending on context.

Because Serbian usually does not need subject pronouns when the verb already shows the subject.

The ending -mo in vagamo already tells you the subject is we.

So:

• Vagamo paradajz. = We weigh / are weighing tomatoes.

You could add mi for emphasis:

• Mi vagamo paradajz.

But that would usually sound more like we are weighing tomatoes (perhaps not someone else).

In Serbian, paradajz can be used as a mass noun or general food item, not only as a single countable tomato.

So vagamo paradajz can naturally mean:

• we are weighing tomatoes
• we are weighing some tomato produce
• we are weighing tomato(es) in a market/food context

If you wanted to emphasize separate individual tomatoes, you could use the plural paradajzi, but in everyday speech paradajz is very common for the food item in general.

Yes, Serbian word order is fairly flexible.

The given sentence starts with Na pijaci to set the scene first: At the market, we weigh tomatoes.

Other possible orders include:

• Vagamo paradajz na pijaci.
• Paradajz vagamo na pijaci.
• Na pijaci paradajz vagamo.

They do not all sound equally neutral, though.

The most neutral choices are usually:

• Na pijaci vagamo paradajz.
• Vagamo paradajz na pijaci.

Changing the order usually changes focus or emphasis, not the basic meaning.

This is mostly a matter of idiomatic usage.

Serbian normally says na pijaci for at the market. Even though English uses in or at depending on context, Serbian uses na with pijaca as the standard expression.

So this is one of those combinations that is best learned as a set phrase:

• na pijaci = at the market

Using u pijaci would usually sound unnatural in standard everyday Serbian.

Vagamo comes from an imperfective verb.

That matters because the present tense of an imperfective verb can describe:

• an action happening now
• a habitual action
• a general activity

So this sentence could mean:

• We are weighing tomatoes at the market.
• We weigh tomatoes at the market.

The exact meaning depends on context.

If you wanted a perfective idea such as completing the weighing, Serbian would normally use a different verb or a different structure, depending on the verb pair available in context.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

Na pijaci vagamo paradajz
nah pee-YAH-tsee VAH-gah-moh pah-rah-DAHYZ

A few helpful notes:

• j is pronounced like English y
• c is pronounced like ts
• z is like English z
• r is trilled or tapped

So:

• pijaci sounds roughly like pee-YAH-tsee
• paradajz sounds roughly like pah-rah-DAHYZ

Serbian has no articles like English a, an, or the.

So paradajz can mean different things depending on context, such as:

• tomato
• the tomato
• tomatoes
• the tomatoes
• some tomatoes

Context tells you which meaning is intended.

That is why Serbian sentences often look shorter than English ones.