Serbian Question Words: ko, šta, gde, kada, zašto, kako
An open question in Serbian (the kind you can't answer with yes or no) always starts with the question word, then comes the verb, then the rest of the sentence. The good news for English speakers: it's the same fronting you already use. You put the question word first and the sentence carries on from there. These are the seven question words you need at beginner level: - ko = who (asking about a person) - šta = what (asking about a thing or an action) - gde = where (asking about a place) - kada / kad = when (asking about time; kad is the short form, same meaning) - zašto = why (asking about a reason) - kako = how (asking about manner) - koliko = how much / how many (asking about quantity) The best way to lock these in is to learn the Serbian examples as ready-made building blocks: - Ko je to? – Who is that? - Šta radiš? – What are you doing? - Gde živiš? – Where do you live? - Kada dolaziš? – When are you coming? - Zašto plačeš? – Why are you crying? - Kako si? – How are you? - Koliko košta? – How much does it cost? A word on word order compared to English: English usually needs a helper verb (do, are, is) to build a question — "What ARE you doing?". Serbian doesn't bother with that. There's no do/does/did; the verb already carries the meaning, so Šta radiš? is literally just "What you-do?" One thing English doesn't usually allow but Serbian does: a preposition can sit in front of the question word, as in sa kim (with whom) or za koga (for whom). You'll absorb that naturally later. The most common mistakes for English speakers: 1. Mixing up ko and šta. ko always asks about a person, šta about a thing or an action. "ko radiš" is wrong — the correct form is Šta radiš? (What are you doing?). 2. Confusing zašto with zato što. zašto is the question (why?), zato što starts the answer (because). Zašto plačeš? – Zato što sam tužan. (Why are you crying? – Because I'm sad.) 3. Worrying about cases too soon. Yes, ko and šta change form later (koga, kome, čega, čemu), but at A1 the base forms are completely fine. Speak first, refine later.
Examples
- Ko je to? Who is that?
- Šta radiš? What are you doing?
- Gde živiš? Where do you live?
The full lesson
Everything in the video, in text.
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Want to ask who, what, where or why — but don't know where that word goes in the sentence? Good news: it always goes in the same place.
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There are two kinds of questions. Yes/no questions, answered with yes or no. And open questions, which ask for specific information — and those start with a question word.
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Here are the six most important ones. Ko for a person, šta for a thing, gde for a place, kada for time, zašto for a reason, and kako for manner. Learn these six and you can ask almost anything.
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The rule is simple: the question word goes first, and the rest of the sentence just follows it. You don't need to change anything else.
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Let's start with ko, when you ask about a person. Ko je to?
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With šta you ask about a thing or an action. A very common one in everyday conversation. Šta radiš?
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Gde asks about a place. The word goes first, the verb right after. Gde živiš?
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Kada asks about time. In speech you'll often hear the shorter form too — kad. Kada dolaziš?
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Zašto asks about a reason. The answer usually starts with zato što. Zašto plačeš?
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And kako, when you ask how something is done — or how someone is. Kako si?
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There's one more very useful word: koliko. With it you ask about quantity or number — how much of something there is. Koliko košta?
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Here's the most common beginner mistake: mixing up ko and šta. Ko is only for a person — who. Šta is for a thing — what. If you ask ko radiš, it makes no sense; you need šta radiš.
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A quick note for later: ko and šta change by case — koga, čega. But at the start, just use the base forms, ko and šta, and you'll be perfectly clear.
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Let's recap. Six question words: ko, šta, gde, kada, zašto, kako — plus koliko. They all go right at the front of the sentence, and the rest stays the same. That's all you need for open questions.
