Punctuation in Relative Clauses
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Croatian, you MUST always place a comma before relative pronouns like 'koji', regardless of whether the information is essential or extra.
- Always put a comma before 'koji', 'što', or 'tko' when they start a relative clause. Example: 'Knjiga, koju čitam, je super.'
- If the relative clause is in the middle of a sentence, put commas on BOTH sides. Example: 'Moj brat, koji živi u Splitu, dolazi sutra.'
- Unlike English, there is no distinction between restrictive and non-restrictive clauses for punctuation; both get commas.
Placement of Comma with Relative Pronouns
| Type of Clause | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Simple End Clause
|
Main Clause + , + koji...
|
To je pas, koji laje.
|
|
Embedded Clause
|
Main Part 1 + , + koji... + , + Main Part 2
|
Pas, koji laje, ne grize.
|
|
With Preposition
|
Main Clause + , + [Prep] + koji...
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To je kuća, u kojoj živim.
|
|
Sentential Relative
|
Main Clause + , + što...
|
Pala je kiša, što je dobro.
|
Meanings
Relative clauses provide more information about a noun. In Croatian, these clauses are syntactically separated by commas to mark the boundary between the main and subordinate thought.
Defining/Restrictive
Identifying which specific person or thing we are talking about. Even though it's essential info, it needs a comma.
“Daj mi olovku, koja je na stolu.”
“Tražim auto, koji ne troši puno goriva.”
Non-defining/Parenthetical
Adding extra, non-essential information about a noun that is already identified.
“Zagreb, koji je glavni grad Hrvatske, jako je star.”
“Moja majka, koja ima 60 godina, još uvijek radi.”
Sentential Relative
Using 'što' to refer back to the entire preceding clause or idea.
“Pao je kiša, što nas je sve iznenadilo.”
“Zaboravio je ključeve, što se često događa.”
Reference Table
| Relative Pronoun | Function | Example with Punctuation |
|---|---|---|
|
koji, -a, -e
|
Who / Which (General)
|
Kupio sam kruh, koji je svjež.
|
|
što
|
That / Which (Neuter/General)
|
Sve, što vidiš, je moje.
|
|
tko
|
Who (Indefinite)
|
Onaj, tko rano rani, dvije sreće grabi.
|
|
čiji, -a, -e
|
Whose
|
To je dječak, čija je majka učiteljica.
|
|
gdje
|
Where (Relative)
|
To je grad, gdje sam rođen.
|
|
kamo / kuda
|
Where to / Which way
|
To je put, kuda smo išli.
|
Formalitätsspektrum
Gospodin, koji stoji tamo, moj je nadređeni. (Workplace)
Čovjek, koji tamo stoji, moj je šef. (Workplace)
Onaj tip, koji tamo stoji, mi je šef. (Workplace)
Lik, koji tamo brije, mi je gazda. (Workplace)
The Relative Pronoun Family
People/Things
- koji who/which
Possession
- čiji whose
Abstract/Sentential
- što that/which
Location
- gdje where
Should I use a comma?
Is there a relative pronoun (koji, što, čiji)?
Is it preceded by a preposition (u, na, s)?
Does the main sentence continue after the clause?
Beispiele nach Niveau
To je kuća, koja je velika.
That is the house, which is big.
Ovo je moj prijatelj, koji živi ovdje.
This is my friend, who lives here.
Imam psa, koji se zove Boni.
I have a dog, who is named Boni.
Kupio sam auto, koji je crven.
I bought a car, which is red.
Djevojka, koja sjedi tamo, je moja sestra.
The girl, who is sitting there, is my sister.
Knjiga, koju čitam, je jako zanimljiva.
The book, which I am reading, is very interesting.
Grad, u kojem živim, je mali.
The city, in which I live, is small.
Tražim ključeve, koji su bili na stolu.
I am looking for the keys, which were on the table.
Čovjek, čiji je ovo kaput, upravo je otišao.
The man, whose coat this is, just left.
Nisam znao odgovor, što je bilo sramotno.
I didn't know the answer, which was embarrassing.
Restoran, o kojem smo pričali, je zatvoren.
The restaurant, about which we talked, is closed.
Prijatelji, s kojima putujem, su iz Poljske.
The friends, with whom I am traveling, are from Poland.
Projekt, na kojem radimo mjesecima, napokon je gotov.
The project, on which we have been working for months, is finally finished.
Ona je osoba, kojoj se uvijek možeš obratiti za pomoć.
She is a person, to whom you can always turn for help.
Zaboravio je ponijeti kišobran, što se pokazalo kao velika pogreška.
He forgot to bring an umbrella, which turned out to be a big mistake.
Sve ono, što si mi rekao, ostaje među nama.
Everything that you told me stays between us.
Odluka, koju je uprava donijela bez prethodne konzultacije, izazvala je gnjev.
The decision, which the management made without prior consultation, caused anger.
To je fenomen, čije uzroke znanstvenici još uvijek pokušavaju dokučiti.
That is a phenomenon, whose causes scientists are still trying to figure out.
Oni su ljudi, s čijim se stavovima duboko ne slažem.
They are people, with whose views I deeply disagree.
Pjesnik, o čijem se djelu danas malo zna, bio je ispred svog vremena.
The poet, about whose work little is known today, was ahead of his time.
Ustav, na čijim se temeljima gradi naša država, mora se poštovati.
The Constitution, on whose foundations our state is built, must be respected.
Bila je to situacija, iz koje se nije nazirao nikakav lak izlaz.
It was a situation, from which no easy exit was in sight.
Sve te promjene, kojima svjedočimo u zadnje vrijeme, plod su globalizacije.
All those changes, which we have been witnessing lately, are the fruit of globalization.
On je govornik, čijim se vještinama divim, ali čijim namjerama ne vjerujem.
He is a speaker, whose skills I admire, but whose intentions I do not trust.
Leicht verwechselbar
Learners often use 'što' for people or 'koji' for sentential relatives incorrectly.
English speakers think essential info doesn't need a comma.
Learners mix up 'that' (conjunction) and 'that' (relative pronoun).
Häufige Fehler
To je čovjek koji pjeva.
To je čovjek, koji pjeva.
Knjiga koja je na stolu je moja.
Knjiga, koja je na stolu, je moja.
Auto koji, je nov je brz.
Auto, koji je nov, je brz.
On je prijatelj koji, me voli.
On je prijatelj, koji me voli.
Grad u kojem živim je lijep.
Grad, u kojem živim, je lijep.
To je kuća u, kojoj sam rođen.
To je kuća, u kojoj sam rođen.
Znam čovjeka čiji, je to pas.
Znam čovjeka, čiji je to pas.
Rekao je da kasni što me naljutilo.
Rekao je da kasni, što me naljutilo.
Prijatelj s, kojim idem na kavu je kasnio.
Prijatelj, s kojim idem na kavu, je kasnio.
Ovo je problem o, kojem ne želim pričati.
Ovo je problem, o kojem ne želim pričati.
Odluka uprave koja je donesena jučer, stupa na snagu.
Odluka uprave, koja je donesena jučer, stupa na snagu.
To je fenomen čije, uzroke istražujemo.
To je fenomen, čije uzroke istražujemo.
Satzmuster
To je ___, koji/koja ___.
___, u kojem ___, je ___.
On je čovjek, čiji ___ ___.
Zaboravio sam ___, što je ___.
Real World Usage
Ej, onaj film, koji si mi preporučio, je super!
Zahvaljujem na razgovoru, koji smo vodili jučer.
Molim vas pizzu, koja nema gljive.
Mjesto, koje me oduševilo...
Vlada, koja je jučer zasjedala, donijela je nove mjere.
Tražim sobu, koja ima pogled na more.
The 'Which' Test
The Preposition Trap
Double Trouble
Formal vs. Casual
Smart Tips
Check if you have a comma before it AND a comma after the whole description is finished.
Think of the preposition and 'koji' as a single block. Put the comma before the whole block.
Always use ', što' and never ', koji'.
Double-check every 'koji'. If there's no comma, add one. It's the easiest way to improve your grade/impression.
Aussprache
The Comma Pause
In spoken Croatian, the comma before a relative clause usually corresponds to a slight drop in pitch and a very brief pause.
Clitic Placement
The comma marks a new clausal boundary. Short words like 'sam', 'je', 'li' (clitics) will usually want to be the second word after the comma.
Rising-Falling
Grad, (rise) u kojem sam rođen, (fall) je lijep.
The rising intonation before the second comma indicates the parenthetical info is ending.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Koji is a 'Comma-Magnet'—it always pulls a comma to its left side.
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine the comma as a small hook that attaches the relative clause 'trailer' to the main sentence 'truck'. Without the hook, the trailer falls off!
Rhyme
Before 'koji', 'što', or 'čiji' you see, a comma there must always be!
Story
A little comma was lonely until it met 'Koji'. Now, they are best friends and never go anywhere without each other. Whenever 'Koji' enters a room, the comma is always one step ahead, opening the door for him.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Look at the last three things you wrote in Croatian. Did you use 'koji'? If so, check if there's a comma. If not, add one now!
Kulturelle Hinweise
Standard Croatian is very strict about these commas. In school, children are heavily penalized for missing them, which is why most adults are very conscious of this rule.
In casual speech, 'koji' is often replaced by 'kaj'. Even then, the comma remains in writing.
On platforms like Instagram or TikTok, younger Croatians often skip these commas to look 'faster' or more 'globalized' (imitating English style), but it is still considered a sign of poor literacy.
The use of relative pronouns like 'koji' stems from Proto-Slavic *kъ-jь. The punctuation rules, however, were standardized much later.
Gesprächseinstiege
Možeš li mi opisati grad, u kojem živiš?
Postoji li neka knjiga, koja ti je promijenila život?
Što misliš o ljudima, koji uvijek kasne?
Opiši mi idealnog kolegu, s kojim bi volio raditi.
Tagebuch-Impulse
Häufige Fehler
Test Yourself
Which sentence is correct?
Grad ___ u kojem živim ___ je jako star.
Find and fix the mistake:
Knjiga koju, čitam je dosadna.
Combine using 'čiji'.
In Croatian, you don't need a comma if the relative clause is essential to the meaning.
A: Gdje je tvoj brat? B: Moj brat ___ koji radi u Zagrebu ___ danas je slobodan.
Select the correct group.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesWhich sentence is correct?
Grad ___ u kojem živim ___ je jako star.
Find and fix the mistake:
Knjiga koju, čitam je dosadna.
Combine using 'čiji'.
In Croatian, you don't need a comma if the relative clause is essential to the meaning.
A: Gdje je tvoj brat? B: Moj brat ___ koji radi u Zagrebu ___ danas je slobodan.
Select the correct group.
Match the pairs.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
Yes! Even in a short sentence like `To je pas, koji laje.`, the comma is grammatically required.
If `Koji` starts a question (e.g., `Koji je tvoj?`), you do NOT use a comma before it. The rule only applies when it's linking two parts of a sentence.
The comma always goes **before** the preposition. Example: `Grad, u kojem...` or `Prijatelj, s kojim...`.
It's common to skip them in very casual texts, but it can sometimes make the sentence harder to read. For B1 learners, it's better to practice using them.
English punctuation is often based on the 'restrictive vs non-restrictive' logic, whereas Croatian punctuation is based on the 'clausal boundary' logic. Every new clause gets a comma.
Yes, when `gdje` is used as a relative pronoun (e.g., `Kuća, gdje živim...`), it follows the same comma rule.
It's when you use `, što` to refer to the whole previous idea. Example: `Pao je, što je bilo smiješno.` (He fell, which was funny).
Yes, they will understand you perfectly, but you will clearly sound like a non-native speaker in writing.
Scaffolded Practice
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3
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Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Relative clauses (who/which/that)
English: Comma depends on meaning. Croatian: Comma is mandatory for structure.
Relativsätze
German word order changes in the relative clause (verb at the end), while Croatian order remains mostly flexible.
Oraciones de relativo
Spanish restrictive clauses (e.g., 'el hombre que...') do not take commas, unlike Croatian.
Adnominal clauses (連体修飾節)
Japanese has no relative pronouns; Croatian has a complex system of them plus mandatory commas.
Sifat / Al-sila (الصلة)
Arabic relative pronouns change for dual and plural, and commas are often optional or used differently.
De-particles (的)
Chinese is head-final (description first); Croatian is head-initial (noun first) and uses commas.
