Igračka je pored kreveta.

Igračka is the nominative singular form, which is the basic dictionary form of the noun meaning toy.

In this sentence, igračka is the subject, so nominative is the correct case.

• igračka = toy
• feminine noun
• singular

Because the sentence is saying where the toy is, igračka is the thing being talked about, so it stays in the nominative.

Je means is.

It is the 3rd person singular present form of the verb biti (to be).

So:

• igračka = the toy / a toy
• je = is
• pored kreveta = beside the bed

Together: The toy is beside the bed or A toy is beside the bed, depending on context.

Because pored requires the genitive case.

The base form is:

• krevet = bed

But after pored (beside / next to), Serbian uses the genitive:

• pored kreveta = beside the bed

So the change is:

• nominative: krevet
• genitive singular: kreveta

This is one of the most important things to learn in Serbian: many prepositions require specific cases.

Yes, pored normally takes the genitive.

Examples:

• pored kreveta = beside the bed
• pored kuće = beside the house
• pored škole = beside the school

So if you use pored, you should expect the following noun to be in the genitive form.

Pored usually means beside or next to.

It often suggests something is close by, at the side of something.

So:

• pored kreveta = beside the bed / next to the bed

If you want a broader meaning like near, Serbian often uses blizu:

• blizu kreveta = near the bed

In many everyday situations, beside and next to are the best translations for pored.

Serbian does not have articles like a or the.

So igračka can mean:

• a toy
• the toy

And kreveta can mean:

• of a bed
• of the bed

The exact meaning depends on context. In many simple example sentences, English uses the because it sounds natural, but Serbian does not need an article.

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

The neutral, natural order here is:

• Igračka je pored kreveta.

But you may also hear:

• Pored kreveta je igračka.
• Pored kreveta igračka je. (less neutral, more marked)

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

For a learner, the safest default is:

• subject + je + location

So Igračka je pored kreveta is a very good standard pattern.

A rough pronunciation guide for an English speaker is:

• Igračka ≈ EE-gra-chka
• je ≈ yeh
• pored ≈ PO-red
• kreveta ≈ kre-VE-ta

A few useful sound notes:

• j is pronounced like English y
• č sounds like ch in chocolate
• r is rolled or tapped more than in English
• stress can vary by dialect, but the rough guide above is good enough for a beginner

Yes, igračka is feminine.

A very common clue is that many feminine nouns in Serbian end in -a in the nominative singular.

So:

• igračka → probably feminine
• kuća → feminine
• škola → feminine

That said, there are exceptions in Serbian, so this is a helpful pattern, not an absolute rule.

• igračka is in the nominative
• kreveta is in the genitive

Why?

• igračka is the subject of the sentence
• kreveta follows the preposition pored, which requires the genitive

So this sentence is a good example of two cases working together:

• nominative for the thing being talked about
• genitive after a preposition

You might hear similar expressions, but pored kreveta is the most direct way to say beside the bed.

Kod usually means something more like:

• at
• by
• near
• sometimes at someone's place

So:

• pored kreveta = right beside / next to the bed
• kod kreveta = by the bed / near the bed

In many situations they are similar, but pored is more precise for physical position immediately next to something.

In a normal present-tense statement like this, je should be included:

• Igračka je pored kreveta.

Leaving it out would sound incomplete or unnatural in standard Serbian.

Serbian can omit subject pronouns, but not the main verb here. So while you often do not need a word for it, you do need je.

The dictionary forms are:

• igračka → igračka (toy)
• je → from biti (to be)
• pored → pored (beside / next to)
• kreveta → dictionary form krevet (bed)

This is useful because when you look up kreveta in a dictionary, you usually need to know that the base form is krevet.