A0 Preguntas 1 min read Fácil

Question Words: Tko? Što? (Who? What?)

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Practícalo

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Use 'Tko' for people and 'Što' for things to ask basic questions in Croatian.

  • Use 'Tko' when asking about a person: 'Tko je to?' (Who is that?)
  • Use 'Što' when asking about an object or concept: 'Što je to?' (What is that?)
  • These words usually start the sentence and do not change based on gender.
Tko/Što + je + to?

3. Basic Interrogative Usage

Question Word Target Example Meaning
Tko
Person
Tko je to?
Who is that?
Što
Object
Što je to?
What is that?
Tko
Person
Tko radi?
Who is working?
Što
Object
Što radiš?
What are you doing?
Tko
Person
Tko dolazi?
Who is coming?
Što
Object
Što želiš?
What do you want?

Meanings

These are the fundamental interrogative pronouns used to identify subjects or objects in a sentence.

1

Identifying people

Asking for the identity of a human subject.

“Tko je ovo?”

“Tko dolazi?”

2

Identifying objects

Asking for the identity of a non-human object or abstract concept.

“Što je ovo?”

“Što želiš?”

Reference Table

Reference table for Question Words: Tko? Što? (Who? What?)
Form Structure Example
Question
Tko/Što + Verb
Tko dolazi?
Question
Tko/Što + je + to
Što je to?
Answer
Subject + Verb
Ivan dolazi.
Answer
To + je + Object
To je knjiga.
Negative
Tko/Što + ne + Verb
Tko ne radi?
Short Answer
Only the subject
Ivan.
Short Answer
Only the object
Knjiga.

Espectro de formalidad

Formal
Tko je to, molim Vas?

Tko je to, molim Vas? (Meeting someone)

Neutral
Tko je to?

Tko je to? (Meeting someone)

Informal
Tko je to?

Tko je to? (Meeting someone)

Jerga
Tko je ovo?

Tko je ovo? (Meeting someone)

Who vs What

Interrogatives

People

  • Tko Who

Things

  • Što What
Regístrate gratis para leer la explicación completa

Ejemplos por nivel

1

Tko je ovo?

Who is this?

2

Što je ovo?

What is this?

3

Tko je tamo?

Who is there?

4

Što je to?

What is that?

1

Što radiš danas?

What are you doing today?

2

Tko dolazi na večeru?

Who is coming to dinner?

3

Što želiš kupiti?

What do you want to buy?

4

Tko zna odgovor?

Who knows the answer?

1

Što se dogodilo jučer?

What happened yesterday?

2

Tko je napisao ovu knjigu?

Who wrote this book?

3

Što misliš o tome?

What do you think about that?

4

Tko je rekao da ne može?

Who said it's not possible?

1

Što god odlučiš, bit će dobro.

Whatever you decide, it will be fine.

2

Tko god dođe, dobrodošao je.

Whoever comes is welcome.

3

Ne znam što bih rekao.

I don't know what I would say.

4

Tko bi to mogao znati?

Who could know that?

1

Što se tiče plana, moramo ga promijeniti.

Regarding the plan, we must change it.

2

Tko se zadnji smije, najslađe se smije.

He who laughs last, laughs best.

3

Što god da se desi, ostajemo ovdje.

Whatever happens, we are staying here.

4

Tko god je to učinio, mora odgovarati.

Whoever did that must be held accountable.

1

Što li su mislili kad su to gradili?

What on earth were they thinking when they built that?

2

Tko bi rekao da će se tako završiti?

Who would have thought it would end like that?

3

Što god bilo, ne smijemo odustati.

Whatever it may be, we must not give up.

4

Tko god da je, neka uđe.

Whoever it is, let them enter.

Fácil de confundir

Question Words: Tko? Što? (Who? What?) vs Tko vs. Netko

Learners confuse the question word 'Tko' with the indefinite pronoun 'Netko' (someone).

Question Words: Tko? Što? (Who? What?) vs Što vs. Nešto

Learners confuse 'Što' (what) with 'Nešto' (something).

Question Words: Tko? Što? (Who? What?) vs Što vs. Šta

Learners are unsure if they should use 'Što' or 'Šta'.

Errores comunes

✗

Što je on?

✓

Tko je on?

You cannot use 'what' for a person.
✗

Tko je to stol?

✓

Što je to?

Stol is a thing, use Što.
✗

Što radiš ti?

✓

Što radiš?

Subject pronouns are usually dropped.
✗

Tko je to auto?

✓

Što je to?

Auto is a thing.
✗

Tko želiš?

✓

Što želiš?

You want a thing, not a person.
✗

Što je tvoj brat?

✓

Tko je tvoj brat?

Brother is a person.
✗

Tko je to jelo?

✓

Što je to jelo?

Food is a thing.
✗

Što je čovjek?

✓

Tko je čovjek?

Human is a person.
✗

Tko je taj predmet?

✓

Što je taj predmet?

Object is a thing.
✗

Što si ti?

✓

Tko si ti?

Asking for identity requires Tko.
✗

Što god da je, ne znam.

✓

Tko god da je, ne znam.

If referring to a person, use Tko.
✗

Tko god da je to, baci ga.

✓

Što god da je to, baci ga.

If referring to an object, use Što.
✗

Što je tvoj otac?

✓

Tko je tvoj otac?

Father is a person.

Patrones de oraciones

Tko je ___?

Što je ___?

Tko ___?

Što ___?

Real World Usage

Social Media constant

Tko je ovo?

Texting constant

Što radiš?

Job Interview common

Tko je odgovoran za projekt?

Travel common

Što je ovo jelo?

Food Delivery occasional

Što je u paketu?

Classroom very common

Tko zna odgovor?

Regístrate gratis para ver todos los ejemplos
💡

Drop the pronouns

In Croatian, you don't need to say 'ti' (you) in 'Što radiš?'. The verb ending already tells us who.
⚠️

Don't mix them

Never use 'Što' for a person. It sounds like you are calling them an object!
🎯

Listen for the verb

If the verb is singular, the answer will be singular. Listen to the verb to know what to expect.
💬

Regional variation

If you hear 'Šta' instead of 'Što', don't worry—it's just a regional preference.

Smart Tips

Always use Tko. If you are unsure, point and say 'Tko?'.

Što je on? → Tko je on?

Always use Što. It's the universal 'what'.

Tko je to stol? → Što je to stol?

Drop the subject pronoun.

Što ti radiš? → Što radiš?

Recognize it as 'Što'. Don't let it confuse you.

What is 'Šta'? → It's just 'Što'!

Pronunciación

/tko/

Tko

Pronounced as 'T-ko', the 'k' is crisp.

/ʃto/

Što

The 'Š' is like 'sh' in 'ship'.

Rising

Tko je to? ↑

Standard question intonation.

Memorízalo

Mnemotecnia

Tko sounds like 'T-K-O' (Think: 'The Kid's Okay' - a person). Što sounds like 'Stow' (Think: 'Stow the thing away').

Asociación visual

Imagine a person wearing a 'Tko' badge pointing at themselves, and a box labeled 'Što' containing various objects.

Rhyme

Tko is for a person you know, Što is for a thing in a row.

Story

A detective walks into a room. He points at a man and asks 'Tko?' (Who?). Then he points at a mysterious bag and asks 'Što?' (What?). The man answers, and the mystery is solved.

Word Web

TkoŠtoOsobaStvarPitanjeOdgovor

Desafío

For 5 minutes, point at 5 people and 5 objects around you and ask 'Tko je to?' or 'Što je to?' out loud.

Notas culturales

Uses 'Što' as the standard form for 'what'.

Often uses 'Šta' instead of 'Što' in daily speech.

Also prefers 'Šta' in colloquial settings.

Both words are of Proto-Slavic origin, common to many Slavic languages.

Inicios de conversación

“

Tko je tvoj najbolji prijatelj?

“

Što radiš vikendom?

“

Tko je najpoznatija osoba u Hrvatskoj?

“

Što bi promijenio u svom gradu?

Temas para diario

Describe your family members using 'Tko'.
List 5 things in your room and ask 'Što je to?' for each.
Write about a person you admire and what they do.
Reflect on a recent event using 'Tko' and 'Što'.

Errores comunes

Incorrect

Correcto

Incorrect

Correcto

Incorrect

Correcto

Incorrect

Correcto

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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank with Tko or Što.

___ je to?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tko
If the answer is a person, use Tko.
Choose the correct word. Opción múltiple

___ radiš?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Što
You are asking about an action.
Correct the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Što je tvoj brat?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tko je tvoj brat?
Brother is a person.
Reorder the words. Sentence Building

je / to / Tko / ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tko je to?
Standard word order.
Match the question to the answer. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: To je Ivan. / To je stol.
Match person to Tko and thing to Što.
Is this correct? True False Rule

Tko je to? (referring to a chair)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Chair is a thing.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: ___ dolazi? B: Marko dolazi.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tko
Marko is a person.
Select the correct verb form. Conjugation Drill

Što ___ (raditi - 2nd person singular)?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: radiš
2nd person singular is radiš.

Score: /8

Ejercicios de practica

8 exercises
Fill in the blank with Tko or Što.

___ je to?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tko
If the answer is a person, use Tko.
Choose the correct word. Opción múltiple

___ radiš?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Što
You are asking about an action.
Correct the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Što je tvoj brat?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tko je tvoj brat?
Brother is a person.
Reorder the words. Sentence Building

je / to / Tko / ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tko je to?
Standard word order.
Match the question to the answer. Match Pairs

Tko je to? / Što je to?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: To je Ivan. / To je stol.
Match person to Tko and thing to Što.
Is this correct? True False Rule

Tko je to? (referring to a chair)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Chair is a thing.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: ___ dolazi? B: Marko dolazi.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tko
Marko is a person.
Select the correct verb form. Conjugation Drill

Što ___ (raditi - 2nd person singular)?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: radiš
2nd person singular is radiš.

Score: /8

Preguntas frecuentes (8)

Yes, Tko is used for both singular and plural people.

Yes, it covers objects, abstract concepts, and events.

Use the context to decide. If you are unsure, ask 'Što je to?' first.

It is a regional variant of 'Što'. Both are understood.

In basic nominative questions, no. They change in other cases.

Yes, but be careful with the rest of the sentence structure.

Yes, like Gdje (where), Kada (when), Zašto (why).

Yes, it is the most common way to form questions.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

Regístrate gratis para practicar

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Quién/Qué

Spanish has gendered forms for 'quién' (quiénes) in plural.

French high

Qui/Quoi

French word order in questions is more complex.

German high

Wer/Was

German 'wer' declines for case more aggressively than Croatian 'tko' in basic usage.

Japanese moderate

Dare/Nani

Japanese uses particles like 'ka' at the end of the sentence.

Arabic moderate

Man/Ma

Arabic grammar is entirely different in structure.

Chinese moderate

Shéi/Shénme

Chinese does not conjugate verbs.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Asking Yes/No Questions with Intonation
Next
Basic Negation with 'Ne'

Related Grammar Rules

A0

Asking 'How are you?' (Kako ste/si?)
A0

Asking for the Price (Koliko košta?)
A1

Question Forms with 'Biti'
A1

Forming Information Questions (Gdje? Kada? Zašto?)
A1

Answering Questions (Da/Ne)
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