How to Form Questions in Croatian for English Speakers

Understanding Question Formation in Croatian

Forming questions in Croatian is straightforward once you understand the basic structures. Unlike English, Croatian often uses intonation and question words rather than auxiliary verbs to form questions.

Yes/No Questions

Yes/no questions in Croatian are typically formed by simply raising the intonation at the end of a statement. There is no need to invert the subject and verb as in English.

For example, the statement Ti govoriš hrvatski. means "You speak Croatian." To turn it into a question, you say Ti govoriš hrvatski? with a rising intonation, meaning "Do you speak Croatian?"

Using Question Words

Croatian uses specific question words to ask for information. These words usually appear at the beginning of the question.

Common Croatian question words include:

• tko – who
• što – what
• gdje – where
• kada – when
• zašto – why
• kako – how
• koliko – how much/how many

Examples of Questions with Question Words

Here are some examples of questions using these words:

• Tko si ti? – Who are you?
• Što radiš? – What are you doing?
• Gdje je trgovina? – Where is the store?
• Kada dolaziš? – When are you coming?
• Zašto kasniš? – Why are you late?
• Kako se zoveš? – What is your name?
• Koliko to košta? – How much does it cost?

Question Word Order

In Croatian, the question word usually comes first, followed by the verb and then the subject if needed. The word order is flexible but this is the most common pattern.

For example, Gdje živiš? means "Where do you live?" Here, gdje (where) is first, followed by the verb živiš (you live).

Tag Questions in Croatian

Croatian also uses tag questions similar to English, often using zar ne? or nije li? at the end of a statement to confirm information.

For example: Ti si student, zar ne? means "You are a student, aren't you?"

Practice Examples