How to Use Interrogative Pronouns and Form Questions in Croatian

Understanding Interrogative Pronouns in Croatian

Interrogative pronouns are words used to ask questions. In Croatian, these pronouns are essential for forming questions about people, things, places, reasons, and more. Knowing these pronouns helps you ask clear and precise questions.

Common Croatian Interrogative Pronouns

• Tko? – Who?
• Što? – What?
• Koji? – Which?
• Gdje? – Where?
• Kada? – When?
• Zašto? – Why?
• Kako? – How?

Each of these pronouns serves a specific purpose in a question. For example, tko asks about a person, while što asks about a thing or an action.

Forming Questions in Croatian

Croatian questions can be formed in several ways, often by using interrogative pronouns at the beginning of the sentence. The word order in Croatian questions is generally similar to statements, but intonation and question words signal that it is a question.

Yes/No Questions

Yes/no questions in Croatian are usually formed by intonation alone, without changing word order or adding auxiliary verbs. For example:

• Ti govoriš hrvatski. (You speak Croatian.)
• Govoriš li hrvatski? (Do you speak Croatian?)

Notice the addition of li after the verb in the question form, which is a common way to form yes/no questions.

Questions with Interrogative Pronouns

When using interrogative pronouns, place the pronoun at the beginning of the sentence. For example:

• Tko je to? (Who is that?)
• Što radiš? (What are you doing?)
• Gdje živiš? (Where do you live?)

Tips for Using Interrogative Pronouns in Croatian

• Remember that Croatian is a pro-drop language, so the subject pronoun is often omitted.
• The verb usually agrees with the subject in person and number, even in questions.
• Intonation plays a key role in signaling questions, especially yes/no questions.
• Practice common question phrases to become comfortable with their usage.