Igra počinje u sedam.

Not always. Igra can mean several things depending on context, such as:

• game or match
• play in the theater
• dance
• more generally, play as an activity

So the exact meaning comes from context. In a sentence like Igra počinje u sedam, it often means the game starts at seven or the play starts at seven, depending on the situation.

Igra is:

• feminine
• singular
• in the nominative case

It is in the nominative because it is the subject of the sentence, the thing that is starting.

Serbian does not have articles like the and a/an.

So igra can mean:

• the game
• a game

Which one is meant depends on context. In many sentences, Serbian simply leaves that unstated.

Počinje is the 3rd person singular present form, matching the singular subject igra.

It is normally understood as coming from the imperfective verb počinjati, while počne is from the perfective verb početi.

In sentences about schedules or timetables, Serbian usually prefers počinje:

• Igra počinje u sedam. = a neutral statement of schedule

By contrast, počne is more common in contexts like:

• Kad igra počne... = When the game starts...

So for a simple scheduled event, počinje is the most natural choice.

Because Serbian, like English, often uses the present tense for fixed or scheduled future events.

Compare English:

• The game starts at seven.

That is present in form, but future in meaning. Serbian works the same way here:

• Igra počinje u sedam.

The time expression u sedam makes it clear that this is about a future scheduled start.

For clock times, Serbian uses u + accusative to mean at a certain time.

So:

• u sedam = at seven
• u pet = at five
• u jedan = at one

Even though u often means in in other contexts, with times it corresponds to English at.

Because it is often omitted when the meaning is obvious.

So all of these are possible:

• Igra počinje u sedam.
• Igra počinje u sedam sati.
• Igra počinje u sedam časova.

The version without sati/časova is very common in everyday speech. Adding sati or časova makes it more explicit, and sometimes a bit more formal.

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

The neutral order here is:

• Igra počinje u sedam.

But you can also say:

• U sedam igra počinje.
• U sedam počinje igra.

These are grammatically possible, but they shift the emphasis. Putting u sedam first emphasizes the time. The original version is the most neutral and natural in many situations.