Reporting Questions (Pitao je je li...)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
When reporting a question, use 'li' or a question word to link the clauses without changing the verb tense.
- Use 'li' for yes/no questions: Pitao je je li ona došla.
- Keep the original question word for WH-questions: Pitao je gdje ona živi.
- No inversion is needed in the reported clause: Pitao je kada dolazi (not kada dolazi on).
Reporting Structure
| Main Clause | Connector | Reported Clause |
|---|---|---|
|
Pitao je
|
je li
|
ona došla
|
|
Znam
|
gdje
|
on živi
|
|
Ne znam
|
tko
|
dolazi
|
|
Zanima me
|
kada
|
počinje
|
|
Pitao je
|
zašto
|
plačeš
|
|
Znam
|
kako
|
to radiš
|
Common Contractions
| Full Form | Short Form |
|---|---|
|
je li
|
jel (informal)
|
|
što je
|
što je
|
Meanings
This structure is used to report what someone asked or to embed a question within a larger sentence.
Yes/No Reporting
Reporting a question that originally had a yes/no answer.
“Pitao me je li gladan.”
“Zanima me je li sutra praznik.”
WH-Question Reporting
Reporting a question that started with who, what, where, etc.
“Pitao je gdje radiš.”
“Zanima me tko dolazi.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Yes/No
|
Main + je li + Subj + Verb
|
Pitao je je li ona tu.
|
|
WH-Question
|
Main + WH-word + Subj + Verb
|
Znam gdje on živi.
|
|
Negative
|
Main + ne + Verb + Connector
|
Ne znam je li on došao.
|
|
Past
|
Main + Connector + Subj + Past Verb
|
Pitao je je li ona radila.
|
|
Future
|
Main + Connector + Subj + Future Verb
|
Pitao je hoće li ona raditi.
|
|
Conditional
|
Main + Connector + Subj + Conditional
|
Pitao je bi li ona radila.
|
Spectre de formalité
Zanima me hoće li gospodin doći. (Social/Business)
Pitao je hoće li on doći. (Social/Business)
Znaš li jel dolazi? (Social/Business)
Jel dolazi? (Social/Business)
Reporting Question Map
Yes/No
- je li if/whether
WH-Questions
- tko who
- gdje where
- kada when
Direct vs. Indirect
Exemples par niveau
Pitao je je li ona tu.
He asked if she is here.
Znam gdje živi.
I know where she lives.
Pitao je tko dolazi.
He asked who is coming.
Ne znam što radi.
I don't know what he is doing.
Zanima me je li sutra radni dan.
I wonder if tomorrow is a workday.
Pitao me kada počinje film.
He asked me when the movie starts.
Ne znam je li on kupio kruh.
I don't know if he bought bread.
Reci mi zašto plačeš.
Tell me why you are crying.
Nisam siguran je li to istina.
I am not sure if that is true.
Pitao je kako smo stigli do tamo.
He asked how we arrived there.
Zanima me čiji je ovo auto.
I wonder whose car this is.
Ne znam hoće li on doći.
I don't know if he will come.
Pitao se bi li bilo bolje da odemo ranije.
He wondered if it would be better if we left earlier.
Nije mi rekao zašto je to učinio.
He didn't tell me why he did that.
Zanima me koliko dugo traje sastanak.
I wonder how long the meeting lasts.
Ne znam je li mogao doći jučer.
I don't know if he could have come yesterday.
Pitao sam se je li ikada razmišljao o tome.
I wondered if he had ever thought about it.
Nije bilo jasno tko je zapravo odgovoran.
It wasn't clear who was actually responsible.
Zanima me kamo su se zaputili.
I wonder where they headed to.
Ne znam bi li itko drugi to napravio.
I don't know if anyone else would have done that.
Pitao sam se bi li se itko usudio osporiti takvu odluku.
I wondered if anyone would dare to challenge such a decision.
Nije mi bilo predočeno zašto je došlo do takvog ishoda.
It wasn't presented to me why such an outcome occurred.
Zanima me koliko bi se promijenilo da smo postupili drugačije.
I wonder how much would have changed if we had acted differently.
Ne znam je li itko ikada uspio dokučiti tajnu.
I don't know if anyone has ever managed to grasp the secret.
Facile à confondre
Learners mix up 'da' (for wishes/commands) with reporting questions.
Learners use direct question word order in indirect questions.
Mixing up 'tko' (who) as a question word vs relative pronoun.
Erreurs courantes
Pitao je je li je ona došla.
Pitao je je li ona došla.
Pitao je gdje je on.
Pitao je gdje je on.
Pitao je da li ona dolazi.
Pitao je je li ona dolazi.
Pitao je gdje dolazi on.
Pitao je gdje on dolazi.
Znam tko on je.
Znam tko je on.
Pitao je kada on dolazi.
Pitao je kada on dolazi.
Ne znam je li on.
Ne znam je li on došao.
Pitao je bi li on došao bi.
Pitao je bi li on došao.
Zanima me je li on bi došao.
Zanima me bi li on došao.
Pitao je zašto on je to učinio.
Pitao je zašto je on to učinio.
Pitao je bi li se itko usudio.
Pitao je bi li se itko usudio.
Nije bilo jasno tko je bio odgovoran.
Nije bilo jasno tko je bio odgovoran.
Structures de phrases
Pitao sam se ___ ___ ___.
Ne znam ___ ___ ___.
Zanima me ___ ___ ___.
Nije mi jasno ___ ___ ___.
Real World Usage
Znaš li jel Marko dolazi?
Zanima me kada počinje radno vrijeme.
Možete li mi reći gdje je kolodvor?
Zanima me je li hrana stigla.
Zna li itko tko je ovo napisao?
Pitao sam se je li izvještaj gotov.
Use 'li' for Yes/No
Avoid 'da li'
Keep the Tense
Informal 'jel'
Smart Tips
Always use 'je li' as the bridge.
Keep the question word as the bridge.
Think of the original question and just add the main clause at the front.
Avoid 'jel' and use 'je li'.
Prononciation
Intonation
Reported questions have a falling intonation, unlike direct questions.
Statement intonation
Pitao je gdje je on. ↘
It's a statement about a question.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Just remember: 'Li' is the key for Yes/No, and the question word stays for the rest.
Association visuelle
Imagine a bridge connecting two islands. The bridge is labeled 'li' or 'tko/gdje'. You walk across the bridge from the 'Asking' island to the 'Information' island.
Rhyme
Za 'da' ili 'ne' stavi 'li', za ostalo pitanje samo reci.
Story
Marko asked, 'Is it raining?' (Pitao je je li pada kiša). He then asked, 'Where is my umbrella?' (Pitao je gdje je moj kišobran). Finally, he knew what to do (Znao je što treba raditi).
Word Web
Défi
Write 5 sentences reporting questions you asked today.
Notes culturelles
Using 'jel' instead of 'je li' is very common in speech but should be avoided in formal writing.
The particle 'li' is an ancient Slavic interrogative marker.
Amorces de conversation
Znaš li je li sutra praznik?
Možeš li mi reći gdje je pošta?
Zanima me tko je ovo napisao.
Pitao sam se bi li bilo bolje da odemo.
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
Pitao je ___ ona dolazi.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Pitao je da li ona dolazi.
Gdje je on? -> Znam ___.
In indirect questions, the verb tense changes.
A: Je li Marko došao? B: Ne znam ___.
Pitao / je / je li / ona / došla.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesPitao je ___ ona dolazi.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Pitao je da li ona dolazi.
Gdje je on? -> Znam ___.
In indirect questions, the verb tense changes.
A: Je li Marko došao? B: Ne znam ___.
Pitao / je / je li / ona / došla.
1. Gdje je on? 2. Je li on tu?
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
In standard Croatian, it is better to use 'je li'. 'Da li' is common in speech but often discouraged in formal writing.
No, the word order in the reported clause remains the same as in the original question.
Only if the entire sentence is a question. If the main clause is a statement, use a period.
Keep the past tense. Example: 'Pitao je je li ona radila.'
Yes, it is very common in professional emails and meetings.
'Tko' is for people, 'koji' is for selection.
No, for commands use 'da' clauses.
It is a particle that must follow the verb of the reported clause.
Scaffolded Practice
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Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Indirect questions
Croatian keeps the original word order.
Indirekte Fragen
German verb goes to the end.
Preguntas indirectas
Spanish doesn't have a particle like 'li'.
Kansetsu gimonbun
Japanese uses a particle at the end, not the beginning.
As'ila ghayr mubashira
Arabic structure is very different.
Jianjie wenju
Chinese doesn't change word order.
