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

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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Learn to ask 'How are you?' by choosing between the informal 'si' and formal 'ste' based on who you are addressing.

  • Use 'Kako si?' for friends, family, and peers (informal).
  • Use 'Kako ste?' for strangers, elders, or in professional settings (formal).
  • The verb 'biti' (to be) changes based on the pronoun: 'si' (2nd person singular) vs 'ste' (2nd person plural/formal).
Kako (How) + si/ste (are you) = Greeting

Verb 'Biti' (To Be) - Present Tense

Person Pronoun Form Usage
1st Sing
Ja
sam
I am
2nd Sing
Ti
si
You are (informal)
3rd Sing
On/Ona
je
He/She is
1st Plur
Mi
smo
We are
2nd Plur
Vi
ste
You are (formal/plural)
3rd Plur
Oni/One
su
They are

Meanings

This phrase is the standard way to inquire about someone's current state or well-being in Croatian.

1

Informal inquiry

Asking a friend or peer how they are.

“Kako si?”

“Hej, kako si?”

2

Formal inquiry

Asking a stranger, boss, or elder how they are.

“Kako ste?”

“Dobar dan, kako ste?”

Reference Table

Reference table for Asking 'How are you?' (Kako ste/si?)
Form Structure Example
Informal
Kako + si
Kako si?
Formal
Kako + ste
Kako ste?
Emphatic Informal
Kako + si + ti
Kako si ti?
Emphatic Formal
Kako + ste + vi
Kako ste vi?
Time-based
Kako + si/ste + danas
Kako ste danas?
Past tense
Kako + ste + bili
Kako ste bili?

طیف رسمیت

رسمی
Kako ste?

Kako ste? (Greeting)

خنثی
Kako ste?

Kako ste? (Greeting)

غیر رسمی
Kako si?

Kako si? (Greeting)

عامیانه
Šta ima?

Šta ima? (Greeting)

Social Distance Map

Kako...?

Informal

  • si Friends/Family

Formal

  • ste Strangers/Bosses
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مثال‌ها بر اساس سطح

1

Kako si?

How are you? (informal)

2

Kako ste?

How are you? (formal)

3

Kako si danas?

How are you today?

4

Kako ste vi?

How are you? (emphatic)

1

Dobar dan, kako ste?

Good day, how are you?

2

Hej, kako si, prijatelju?

Hey, how are you, friend?

3

Kako ste, profesore?

How are you, professor?

4

Kako si, što ima?

How are you, what's up?

1

Nismo se dugo vidjeli, kako ste?

We haven't seen each other in a while, how are you?

2

Kako si, jesi li dobro?

How are you, are you well?

3

Kako ste proveli vikend?

How did you spend the weekend?

4

Kako si, ima li novosti?

How are you, any news?

1

Iako se znamo, pitam se kako ste danas.

Even though we know each other, I wonder how you are today.

2

Reci mi, kako si zapravo?

Tell me, how are you really?

3

Kako ste se snašli u novom gradu?

How have you settled into the new city?

4

Kako si, nadam se da je sve u redu.

How are you, I hope everything is okay.

1

Kako ste, gospodine, nadam se da vas zdravlje služi.

How are you, sir, I hope you are in good health.

2

Kako si, stari moj, što ima novo?

How are you, my old friend, what's new?

3

Kako ste, jeste li zadovoljni uslugom?

How are you, are you satisfied with the service?

4

Kako si, jesi li uspio završiti projekt?

How are you, did you manage to finish the project?

1

Kako ste, poštovani, čast mi je što vas vidim.

How are you, esteemed one, it is an honor to see you.

2

Kako si, dušo, jesi li se odmorila?

How are you, darling, did you rest?

3

Kako ste, ima li kakvih promjena u planu?

How are you, are there any changes to the plan?

4

Kako si, jesi li se navikla na promjene?

How are you, have you gotten used to the changes?

به‌راحتی اشتباه گرفته می‌شود

Asking 'How are you?' (Kako ste/si?) در مقابل si vs se

Learners confuse the verb 'si' (you are) with the reflexive particle 'se'.

Asking 'How are you?' (Kako ste/si?) در مقابل ste vs su

Learners confuse 'ste' (you are plural) with 'su' (they are).

Asking 'How are you?' (Kako ste/si?) در مقابل ti vs vi

Learners forget which pronoun matches which verb.

اشتباهات رایج

✗

Kako ti?

✓

Kako si?

Missing the verb.
✗

Kako si gospodine?

✓

Kako ste gospodine?

Mixing informal verb with formal title.
✗

Kako ste ti?

✓

Kako si ti?

Mixing formal verb with informal pronoun.
✗

Kako si vi?

✓

Kako ste vi?

Mixing informal verb with formal pronoun.
✗

Kako ste se?

✓

Kako ste?

Adding reflexive 'se' incorrectly.
✗

Kako je si?

✓

Kako si?

Redundant verb usage.
✗

Kako ste danas ti?

✓

Kako si danas?

Mixing registers.
✗

Kako si, profesore?

✓

Kako ste, profesore?

Failing to maintain formal register.
✗

Kako ste, prijatelju?

✓

Kako si, prijatelju?

Over-formalizing with a friend.
✗

Kako ste vi danas?

✓

Kako ste danas?

Pronoun is usually dropped.
✗

Kako si, gospodine?

✓

Kako ste, gospodine?

Register mismatch.
✗

Kako ste, brate?

✓

Kako si, brate?

Register mismatch.
✗

Kako ste vi?

✓

Kako ste?

Pronoun redundancy.
✗

Kako si, šefe?

✓

Kako ste, šefe?

Register mismatch.

الگوهای جمله‌سازی

Kako ___?

Kako ___ danas?

Dobar dan, kako ___?

Hej, kako ___?

Real World Usage

Texting a friend constant

Hej, kako si?

Job interview very common

Dobar dan, kako ste?

Ordering coffee common

Kako ste?

Meeting a professor common

Kako ste, profesore?

Social media comment occasional

Kako si?

Travel check-in common

Kako ste danas?

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💡

When in doubt, use 'ste'

If you are unsure about the relationship, 'ste' is always the safer, more polite choice.
⚠️

Don't over-formalize

Using 'ste' with a close friend can sound sarcastic or distant.
🎯

Body language matters

A smile and a nod make your 'Kako ste?' sound much more genuine.
💬

The 'Vi' is for respect

In Croatia, using 'Vi' is a sign of respect, not just distance.

Smart Tips

Always start with 'Kako ste?' to be safe.

Kako si? → Kako ste?

Use 'Kako si' to show closeness.

Kako ste? → Kako si?

Add 'ti' or 'vi' at the end.

Kako si? → Kako si ti?

Stick to 'Kako ste'.

Kako si, šefe? → Kako ste, šefe?

تلفظ

/kako/

Kako

Pronounced KAH-koh.

/si/

si

Pronounced like 'see'.

/ste/

ste

Pronounced like 'steh'.

Rising intonation

Kako si↗?

Standard question intonation.

حفظ کنید

روش یادسپاری

Si is for Small (friends), Ste is for Stately (formal).

تداعی تصویری

Imagine a small 'si' bird chirping at a friend, and a tall 'ste' statue standing formally in a suit.

Rhyme

For a friend use 'si', for a boss use 'ste', keep it simple, you'll do great!

Story

Mark meets his friend Ana and says 'Kako si?'. Then he meets his boss and says 'Kako ste?'. He remembers the difference because he wants to be polite to his boss.

شبکه واژگان

Kakosistedanasbititivi

چالش

Say 'Kako si' to a mirror for a friend, and 'Kako ste' for a boss, 5 times each.

نکات فرهنگی

Formality is highly valued in business. Always use 'Vi' until invited to use 'Ti'.

People are often more relaxed and might use 'ti' sooner.

Traditional values often emphasize formal address for elders.

The construction comes from the Proto-Slavic verb 'byti' (to be).

شروع‌کننده‌های مکالمه

“

Kako si danas?

“

Kako ste, profesore?

“

Kako si, što ima novo?

“

Kako ste, jeste li se odmorili?

موضوعات نگارش

Write a dialogue between two friends.
Write a dialogue between a customer and a waiter.
Describe a formal meeting.
Reflect on the importance of formal address.

اشتباهات رایج

Incorrect

صحیح

Incorrect

صحیح

Incorrect

صحیح

Incorrect

صحیح

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Test Yourself

Choose the correct form for a friend. چند گزینه‌ای

Kako ___?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Use 'si' for informal address.
Choose the correct form for a boss. چند گزینه‌ای

Kako ___?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
Use 'ste' for formal address.
Fill in the blank for a friend.

Hej, kako ___?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Informal.
Correct the sentence: 'Kako si, profesore?' Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Kako si, profesore?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Formal address requires 'ste'.
Match the register. جفت کردن

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

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Correct register mapping.
Unscramble: 'danas / Kako / ste' Sentence Building

danas / Kako / ste

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Standard word order.
Is 'Kako si' formal? True False Rule

True or False: 'Kako si' is formal.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
It is informal.
Complete: A: Kako ste? B: ___ Dialogue Completion

A: Kako ste? B: ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Appropriate response.

Score: /8

تمرین‌های عملی

8 exercises
Choose the correct form for a friend. چند گزینه‌ای

Kako ___?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Use 'si' for informal address.
Choose the correct form for a boss. چند گزینه‌ای

Kako ___?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
Use 'ste' for formal address.
Fill in the blank for a friend.

Hej, kako ___?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Informal.
Correct the sentence: 'Kako si, profesore?' Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Kako si, profesore?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Formal address requires 'ste'.
Match the register. جفت کردن

Match: Friend vs Boss

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Correct register mapping.
Unscramble: 'danas / Kako / ste' Sentence Building

danas / Kako / ste

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Standard word order.
Is 'Kako si' formal? True False Rule

True or False: 'Kako si' is formal.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
It is informal.
Complete: A: Kako ste? B: ___ Dialogue Completion

A: Kako ste? B: ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Appropriate response.

Score: /8

سوالات متداول (8)

No, teachers should be addressed with 'Kako ste' to show respect.

It is a 'plural of respect' used to distance the speaker from the listener.

No, the verb already contains the information.

People will understand, but you might sound rude or overly formal.

Yes, it is standard Croatian.

No, that mixes formal and informal.

No, it is used for individuals too.

Say 'Ja sam dobro, hvala' (I am well, thanks).

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Spanish high

Cómo estás / Cómo está usted

Spanish uses different verbs (estar) while Croatian uses 'biti'.

French high

Comment vas-tu / Comment allez-vous

French uses 'aller' (to go) instead of 'être' (to be).

German moderate

Wie geht es dir / Wie geht es Ihnen

German uses a dative object structure.

Japanese low

O-genki desu ka

Japanese relies on honorific levels rather than verb conjugation.

Arabic partial

Kayfa haluka / Kayfa haluki

Arabic distinguishes gender in the second person, Croatian does not.

Chinese none

Ni hao ma

Chinese grammar is isolating and lacks inflection.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Introducing Yourself (Ja sam...)
Next
Expressing Thanks and Apologies (Hvala, Oprostite)

Related Grammar Rules

A0

Asking for the Price (Koliko košta?)
A1

Question Forms with 'Biti'
A1

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

Answering Questions (Da/Ne)
A1

Using Possessive Pronouns in Questions
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