Cev ispod česme curi.

• cev = pipe. It is the subject of the sentence.
• ispod česme = under the faucet/tap. This is a prepositional phrase describing location.
• curi = is leaking / drips / runs. This is the verb.

So the structure is basically:

[subject] + [location] + [verb]

Because ispod normally requires the genitive case.

• dictionary form: česma = faucet / tap
• genitive singular: česme

So:

• ispod česme = under the faucet/tap

This is very common in Serbian: certain prepositions automatically require a specific case, and ispod is one of the prepositions that takes the genitive.

Yes, cev is a feminine noun.

Even though it does not end in -a, some Serbian feminine nouns end in a consonant. You usually learn their gender from usage and agreement.

You can tell here because the verb form fits a singular subject, but the strongest clue comes from knowing the noun itself:

• ta cev = that pipe
• genitive: cevi

So cev is one of those feminine nouns that learners simply need to memorize.

Curi comes from the verb curiti.

Its basic idea is that liquid is flowing out, dripping, or leaking. In this sentence, the most natural English translation is usually:

• is leaking
• sometimes drips
• sometimes is dripping

The exact English wording depends on context, but the Serbian verb itself is very natural for water or some other liquid coming out where it should not.

Because Serbian does not need an extra verb like English is before a main verb in the present tense.

In English, you say:

• The pipe is leaking.

In Serbian, the present tense verb already carries that meaning:

• Cev curi.

So curi already means something like leaks / is leaking, depending on context.

Yes. Serbian word order is more flexible than English word order.

The neutral version here is:

• Cev ispod česme curi.

But depending on emphasis, you could also hear:

• Ispod česme cev curi.
• Curi cev ispod česme.

These alternatives are possible, but they may sound more marked or emphasize different parts of the sentence. For a learner, the original version is a good, natural order to use.

Here it most naturally means physical location: the pipe that is under/below the faucet.

In context, it could refer to:

• a pipe under a sink faucet
• a visible pipe below a tap
• the pipe located beneath the faucet area

So yes, it is mainly spatial here.

Serbian has no articles.

So cev can mean:

• a pipe
• the pipe

and česme can mean:

• of a faucet
• of the faucet

The context tells you which one is meant. In this sentence, English often prefers the pipe under the faucet is leaking, but Serbian does not mark that with articles.

Usually it is close to faucet or tap, but the exact translation can depend on region and context.

In everyday household context, česma commonly refers to:

• a tap
• a faucet

In some contexts in the Balkans, česma can also refer to a public water fountain or spout. But in this sentence, with cev and curi, the household faucet/tap meaning is the most likely.

č is pronounced roughly like ch in chocolate, but usually a bit firmer and more clearly articulated.

So:

• česme sounds approximately like CHES-me

A common learner issue is confusing č and ć. In many varieties of speech they may sound quite close to an English speaker, but Serbian spelling keeps them separate, so it is good to notice the difference early.

Yes, depending on the standard variety.

• cev is the Ekavian form
• cijev is the Ijekavian form

Both mean pipe. So:

• Cev ispod česme curi.
• Cijev ispod česme curi.

Both are correct in the appropriate variety of Serbian. The sentence you were given uses the Ekavian form cev.

Yes, curiti is an imperfective verb.

That means it typically describes:

• an ongoing process
• repeated action
• a state in progress

So curi is very natural for something that is currently leaking or dripping.

If you are just describing the situation, imperfective is exactly what Serbian normally uses here.