KO? - who?
ŠTA? - what?
KADA? - when?
GDE? - where?
KAKO? - how?
KOLIKO? - how much/many?
ZAŠTO ? - why?
ZBOG ČEGA ? - for what reason?
S KIM? - with whom?
KOME? - to whom?


A single question word can open an entire conversation. Ko? finds a person, gde? finds a place, and zašto? invites a reason—but the form around that small word decides how natural the question sounds.

Give each question word a destination

Serbian question words usually stand near the beginning, although spoken emphasis can move them. Distinguish ko (who, as subject), koga (whom) and kome (to whom). S kim? asks about company, while koliko? can ask about number, amount, price or duration.

Five questions that can start a conversation

LatinicaĆirilicaEnglish
Ko danas kuva ručak?Ко данас кува ручак?Who is cooking lunch today?
Gde čekaš autobus?Где чекаш аутобус?Where are you waiting for the bus?
Kada počinje film?Када почиње филм?When does the film begin?
S kim putuješ u Niš?С ким путујеш у Ниш?Who are you travelling to Niš with?
Zašto učiš srpski?Зашто учиш српски?Why are you learning Serbian?

Let curiosity choose the next word

Look around the room and ask one question about a person, one about a place and one about time. Do not answer immediately; leave a short pause so your ear learns the shape of the question.

Which little word is missing?

  1. ______ živi u toj kući?
  2. ______ košta ova knjiga?
  3. ______ ideš posle posla?
  4. ______ razgovaraš telefonom?
  5. ______ kasni autobus?

Five doors opened

  1. Ko
  2. Koliko
  3. Gde
  4. S kim
  5. Zašto