Mašina za pranje veša je pokvarena.

to be

Breakdown of Mašina za pranje veša je pokvarena.

• mašina za pranje veša: washing machine
• pokvaren: broken or out of order

Questions & Answers about Mašina za pranje veša je pokvarena.

Why does mašina end in -a? Is it feminine?

Yes. Mašina is a feminine noun in Serbian, and many feminine nouns end in -a.

Because it is feminine, words that describe it also need to be feminine. That is why the adjective is pokvarena, not pokvaren or pokvareno.

• pokvaren = masculine
• pokvarena = feminine
• pokvareno = neuter

So mašina ... je pokvarena shows normal gender agreement.

What does za pranje literally mean?

It literally means for washing.

• za = for
• pranje = washing

So mašina za pranje veša is literally machine for washing laundry.

This is a very common Serbian way to name objects by function:

• četka za zube = toothbrush, literally brush for teeth
• mašina za sudove = dishwasher, literally machine for dishes
• aparat za kafu = coffee machine, literally device for coffee

Why is it veša and not veš?

Because after pranje in this phrase, Serbian uses the : = .