Language/Serbian/Grammar/Questions

Unfinished article

Question words

Зашто	Why
Шта	What
Ко	Who
Кога	Who (genitive)
Коме	Who (dative) - whom
Који/која/које	which
с киме	with who
Како	How
Где	Where
Одакле	From where (in your direction)
Куда	Where (in what direction, from your direction)
(Са) чиме	(With) what
Чега	what (accusative, for objects only)

Regular question

Question is very similar like regular sentence. Key word that marks sentence is "ли", what is always positioned as second word in sentence.

The most grammar correct question start with "да ли ...", but there are also form where verb goes at first place (имаш ли...? - have you ...?).

Another form of question what is used in colloquial speech is confirmative form of verb be (јесам, јеси): јеси ли....?

Examples:

Non question	English translation		да ли form	verb + ли form	confirmative be + ли form	English translation
Ти имаш цигару.	You have cigarete.		Да ли (ти) имаш цигару?	Имаш ли (ти) цигару?	Је ли имаш (ти) цигару?	Do you have cigarete?
Ти си гледао филм.	You watched the movie.		Да ли си (ти) гледао филм?	Гледао ли си (ти) филм?	Јеси ли (ти) гледао филм?	Did you watch the movie?
Она је правила колач.	She made a cake.		Да ли је (она) правила колач?	- [2]	Је ли (она) правила колач?	Did she make a cake?
Ми ћемо радити у шуми.	We will work in the forest.		Да ли ћемо (ми) радити у шуми?	Хоћемо[1] ли (ми) радити у шуми?	Је ли ћемо (ми) радити у шуми?	Will (shall) we work in forest?

[1] Search for explanation for future tense and using "damaged" verb have

[2] In this case, question can't be formed with verb + form. But it is possible to make question with "finished" form of verb make (направити): Она је направила колач - Направи ли она колач?

Question with negation

This form of questions is rarely used. It can be formed with "зар" + negative form of verb be (нисам, ниси, није). Another form is negative "be" + ли.

Зар ниси у школи? - Ниси ли у школи? - Haven't you in school?