Relative Pronoun 'Koji' (Which, Who, That)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The word 'koji' acts as a bridge, connecting a noun to extra information about it, matching its gender and number.
- Koji must match the gender and number of the noun it describes (e.g., čovjek koji, žena koja).
- Koji changes its case (padež) based on its role inside the relative clause, not the main clause.
- Always place 'koji' immediately after the noun it modifies to avoid confusion.
Koji Agreement Table (Nominative)
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
|
Masculine
|
koji
|
koji
|
|
Feminine
|
koja
|
koje
|
|
Neuter
|
koje
|
koja
|
Meanings
The relative pronoun 'koji' is used to introduce a relative clause, providing additional information about a noun mentioned previously.
Subject/Object Linker
Connecting a noun to a description.
“Čovjek koji pjeva.”
“Auto koji vozi.”
Possessive/Genitive
Indicating belonging within a clause.
“Dječak čijeg oca poznajem.”
“Kuća čiji krov prokišnjava.”
Prepositional
Used with prepositions.
“Prijatelj s kojim idem.”
“Grad u kojem živim.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Noun + koji + Verb
|
Čovjek koji radi
|
|
Negative
|
Noun + koji + ne + Verb
|
Čovjek koji ne radi
|
|
Question
|
Je li to + Noun + koji + Verb?
|
Je li to čovjek koji radi?
|
|
Prepositional
|
Noun + Prep + koji (case)
|
Grad u kojem živim
|
|
Possessive
|
Noun + čiji + Noun
|
Dječak čiji pas laje
|
|
Plural
|
Noun (pl) + koji (pl) + Verb
|
Ljudi koji rade
|
طيف الرسمية
Gospodin koji stoji ondje. (Describing someone.)
Čovjek koji stoji tamo. (Describing someone.)
Lik koji stoji tamo. (Describing someone.)
Tip koji stoji tamo. (Describing someone.)
Koji Gender Matching
Masculine
- koji who/which
Feminine
- koja who/which
Neuter
- koje who/which
أمثلة حسب المستوى
Ovo je čovjek koji pjeva.
This is the man who is singing.
Ovo je žena koja čita.
This is the woman who is reading.
To je dijete koje spava.
That is the child who is sleeping.
To su ljudi koji rade.
Those are the people who are working.
Kupio sam auto koji je brz.
I bought a car that is fast.
Ovo je prijateljica koja živi u Splitu.
This is the friend who lives in Split.
Gdje je pismo koje sam dobio?
Where is the letter that I received?
To su knjige koje volim.
Those are the books that I like.
Grad u kojem živim je lijep.
The city in which I live is beautiful.
Djevojka s kojom razgovaram je pametna.
The girl with whom I am talking is smart.
To je problem o kojem moramo pričati.
That is the problem about which we must talk.
Ljudi kojima vjerujem su ovdje.
The people whom I trust are here.
Čovjek čiji auto je ukraden je ljut.
The man whose car was stolen is angry.
Ovo je pravilo kojeg se moramo držati.
This is the rule which we must follow.
Svi studenti kojima je potreban savjet mogu doći.
All students who need advice can come.
To je odluka koju smo donijeli jučer.
That is the decision which we made yesterday.
Prijedlog, o kojem se dugo raspravljalo, je odbijen.
The proposal, which was discussed for a long time, was rejected.
Osoba kojoj dugujem zahvalnost je ovdje.
The person to whom I owe gratitude is here.
To su principi kojih se nikada ne odričem.
Those are the principles which I never renounce.
Sve ono što smo planirali, ostvarit ćemo.
Everything that we planned, we will achieve.
Bijahu to dani u kojima se sve mijenjalo.
Those were the days in which everything was changing.
Nije to ono čemu sam se nadao.
That is not what I was hoping for.
Svi oni, kojih se sjećam, su otišli.
All of them, whom I remember, have left.
To je stvar o kojoj se ne može pregovarati.
That is a matter which cannot be negotiated.
سهل الخلط
Learners use 'koji' for everything, but 'što' is for abstract ideas.
Learners mix up 'which' and 'whose'.
Learners use 'gdje' (where) instead of 'u kojem' (in which).
أخطاء شائعة
Žena koji radi
Žena koja radi
Auto koja vozi
Auto koji vozi
Dijete koji spava
Dijete koje spava
Ljudi koja rade
Ljudi koji rade
S koji idem
S kojim idem
U koja živim
U kojem živim
O koji pričamo
O kojem pričamo
To je ono koji želim
To je ono što želim
Prijatelj čija majka je ovdje
Prijatelj čija je majka ovdje
Knjiga kojeg čitam
Knjiga koju čitam
Čovjek koji sam vidio
Čovjek kojeg sam vidio
Stvari koji volim
Stvari koje volim
Grad u koji živim
Grad u kojem živim
أنماط الجُمل
Ovo je ___ koji/koja/koje ___.
To je grad u kojem ___.
Ovo je osoba s kojom ___.
To su pravila kojih se ___.
Real World Usage
Ovo je slika koju sam jučer objavio.
Gdje je onaj film koji si spomenuo?
Ovo je projekt na kojem sam vodio tim.
Želim pizzu koja ima puno sira.
Tražim hotel u kojem ima bazen.
U prilogu je dokument o kojem smo pričali.
Check the Noun
Don't Forget Cases
Use 'što' for Ideas
Keep it Simple
Smart Tips
Always check if the person is male or female before picking 'koji' or 'koja'.
Stop and think: what case does this preposition require?
Don't use 'koji', use 'što'.
Ensure the pronoun is also in the plural form.
النطق
Koji
Pronounced as 'ko-yee'. The 'j' is a soft 'y' sound.
Statement
To je čovjek koji radi. ↘
Falling intonation at the end of the sentence.
Question
Je li to čovjek koji radi? ↗
Rising intonation at the end.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Koji, Koja, Koje — match the gender, you'll be okay!
ربط بصري
Imagine a bridge (the relative clause) connecting two islands (the noun and the verb). The bridge must be painted the same color (gender) as the island it starts from.
Rhyme
If the noun is a guy, use koji, if it's a girl, koja is the key, for everything else, koje is free!
Story
Once there was a boy who loved his dog. The boy (dječak) who (koji) loved his dog (pas) walked in the park. The park (park) in which (u kojem) they walked was green.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Write 5 sentences describing 5 items in your room using 'koji'.
ملاحظات ثقافية
In some coastal dialects, 'koji' might be replaced by 'ki' or 'ka' in very informal speech.
Standard Croatian is used, but 'koji' is often used in casual speech to refer to people.
Standard usage, very clear pronunciation.
Koji comes from Proto-Slavic *koji, meaning 'which one'.
بدايات محادثة
Koji film si zadnji gledao?
Imaš li prijatelja koji živi u inozemstvu?
Koji je grad u kojem bi volio živjeti?
Što je ono što te najviše veseli?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
أخطاء شائعة
Test Yourself
Ovo je žena ___ radi u banci.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
To je grad u koji živim.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
The book which I am reading.
Answer starts with: Knj...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
To je problem ___ moramo riješiti.
Ovo je prijateljica s ___ idem na kavu.
Score: /8
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercisesOvo je žena ___ radi u banci.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
To je grad u koji živim.
koji / pas / laje / je / to
The book which I am reading.
Match: 1. Čovjek, 2. Žena, 3. Dijete
To je problem ___ moramo riješiti.
Ovo je prijateljica s ___ idem na kavu.
Score: /8
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
No, you must match the gender and number of the noun. Also, use 'što' for abstract concepts.
Croatian is a case-based language. The pronoun must reflect the grammatical role it plays in the sentence.
Yes, it is standard in all registers. However, formal writing might use more complex relative constructions.
'Koji' means 'which/who', while 'čiji' means 'whose'.
Look at the preposition or the verb in the relative clause. The case is determined by the clause itself.
Generally no, unlike English where you can sometimes omit 'that'.
Yes, though some dialects use 'ki' or 'ka'.
Write sentences about things around you. Use 'koji' to describe them.
Scaffolded Practice
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2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
der/die/das/welcher
German has more complex case endings.
que/el cual
Spanish 'que' is much more common than 'el cual'.
qui/que/lequel
French distinguishes between subject and object, Croatian uses case.
no (particle)
Japanese has no relative pronouns.
alladhi
Arabic relative pronouns are fixed to the noun's gender.
de (particle)
Chinese has no pronoun agreement.
