Signification
Asking for identity
Contexte culturel
When you ask 'Tko je to?' at the door, be prepared to host. If it's a neighbor or friend, it's culturally expected to offer them a drink (coffee, juice, or rakija). In big cities like Zagreb, many buildings have intercoms (parafon). You will press the button and say 'Tko je?' before buzzing someone in. In Dalmatian 'kalas' (narrow streets), people often shout 'Tko je to?' from balconies to see who is passing by. It's a form of social monitoring. While Croatians are social, asking 'Tko je to?' about a phone call someone else is having can be seen as slightly nosy, though common among family.
Shorten it!
In casual settings, just say 'Tko je?'. It's faster and very natural.
Don't say 'Što'
Never use 'Što je to?' for a person unless you want to be very rude.
Signification
Asking for identity
Shorten it!
In casual settings, just say 'Tko je?'. It's faster and very natural.
Don't say 'Što'
Never use 'Što je to?' for a person unless you want to be very rude.
Intonation matters
Rise at the end of 'to' to make it a clear question.
Teste-toi
Choose the correct word to complete the question: '___ je to?'
___ je to?
'Tko' is used for people, 'Što' for things.
Fill in the missing verb: 'Tko ___ to?'
Tko ___ to?
'Je' is the 3rd person singular form of 'biti' (to be).
Match the phrase to the situation.
You hear a knock on the door. What do you say?
You are asking for the identity of a person.
Complete the dialogue.
Ana: Vidi ovu fotografiju! Ivan: ______?
Ivan is asking about a person in the photo.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
When to use Tko je to?
Physical
- • Doorbell
- • Knocking
- • Footsteps
Visual
- • Photos
- • TV
- • Social Media
Banque d exercices
4 exercices___ je to?
'Tko' is used for people, 'Što' for things.
Tko ___ to?
'Je' is the 3rd person singular form of 'biti' (to be).
You hear a knock on the door. What do you say?
You are asking for the identity of a person.
Ana: Vidi ovu fotografiju! Ivan: ______?
Ivan is asking about a person in the photo.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
4 questionsYes! Even if there are five people, you can ask 'Tko je to?'. The 'to' remains singular and neutral.
It's not wrong, but it's informal. In Croatia, 'Tko' is the standard, while 'Ko' is common in Serbia and Bosnia.
You can say 'Ja sam' (It's me), 'Ovdje [Name]' (It's [Name] here), or 'To je [Name]'.
Yes, it is the standard way to verify a visitor before opening the door.
Expressions liées
Tko si ti?
similarWho are you?
Što je to?
contrastWhat is that?
Koga trebate?
specialized formWho do you need?
Tko je tamo?
similarWho is there?
