Relative Clauses with Genitive 'Čiji' (Whose)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'čiji' to link two sentences by showing possession, making sure it agrees with the object owned, not the owner.
- Match 'čiji' to the gender/number of the thing owned (e.g., čija knjiga).
- Place 'čiji' at the start of the relative clause, right after the comma.
- The case of 'čiji' depends on its role in the second clause.
Declension of Relative Pronoun 'Čiji' (Singular)
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nominative
|
čiji
|
čija
|
čije
|
|
Genitive
|
čijeg(a)
|
čije
|
čijeg(a)
|
|
Dative
|
čijem(u)
|
čijoj
|
čijem(u)
|
|
Accusative
|
čiji/čijeg(a)
|
čiju
|
čije
|
|
Vocative
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Locative
|
čijem(u)
|
čijoj
|
čijem(u)
|
|
Instrumental
|
čijim
|
čijom
|
čijim
|
Plural Forms of 'Čiji'
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nominative
|
čiji
|
čije
|
čija
|
|
Genitive
|
čijih
|
čijih
|
čijih
|
|
Dative
|
čijim(a)
|
čijim(a)
|
čijim(a)
|
|
Accusative
|
čije
|
čije
|
čija
|
|
Locative
|
čijim(a)
|
čijim(a)
|
čijim(a)
|
|
Instrumental
|
čijim(a)
|
čijim(a)
|
čijim(a)
|
Meanings
The relative pronoun 'čiji' is used to introduce a subordinate clause that provides more information about a noun in the main clause by indicating possession or a close relationship.
Direct Possession
Indicating that someone owns a physical object.
“Upoznao sam ženu čija je kuća na moru.”
“Tražim autora čiju sam knjigu izgubio.”
Familial/Social Relationship
Connecting people through family ties or professional relationships.
“Ovo je kolega čiji brat radi u policiji.”
“Znam djevojku čiji su roditelji liječnici.”
Abstract Belonging
Attributing qualities, ideas, or parts to a whole.
“To je teorija čiji su temelji upitni.”
“Čitamo knjigu čija je tema povijest.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Noun + , + čiji + Noun + Verb
|
To je čovjek čiji pas laje.
|
|
Negative
|
Noun + , + čiji + Noun + ne + Verb
|
Znam ženu čija djeca ne jedu meso.
|
|
Question (Interrogative)
|
Čiji + Noun + Verb + ?
|
Čija je ovo knjiga?
|
|
With Preposition
|
Noun + , + Prep + čiji + Noun
|
To je stol na čijem rubu sjediš.
|
|
Plural Object
|
Noun + , + čiji (pl) + Noun (pl)
|
To je grad čiji su parkovi lijepi.
|
|
Feminine Owner/Masc Object
|
Žena + , + čiji (masc) + Noun (masc)
|
To je žena čiji je brat ovdje.
|
|
Masculine Owner/Fem Object
|
Muškarac + , + čija (fem) + Noun (fem)
|
To je muškarac čija je kuća velika.
|
طيف الرسمية
Gospodin čije je motorno vozilo otuđeno nalazi se ovdje. (Reporting a theft)
Čovjek čiji je auto ukraden je ovdje. (Reporting a theft)
Tip čiji su auto maznuli je tu. (Reporting a theft)
Lik kojem su digli pilu je tu. (Reporting a theft)
The 'Čiji' Agreement Bridge
Matches Gender
- čiji auto whose car (m)
- čija torba whose bag (f)
Matches Number
- čije dijete whose child (s)
- čija djeca whose children (p)
Matches Case
- s čijim bratom with whose brother (Instr)
Čiji vs. Koji
Choosing the right form of Čiji
What is the gender of the possessed object?
Is it the object of a preposition?
Common Antecedents for Čiji
People
- • prijatelj
- • susjed
- • autor
Places
- • grad
- • država
- • tvrtka
Things
- • knjiga
- • film
- • teorija
أمثلة حسب المستوى
Čiji je ovo ključ?
Whose key is this?
Čija je ovo torba?
Whose bag is this?
Čije je ovo dijete?
Whose child is this?
Čiji su ovo psi?
Whose dogs are these?
To je Marko, čija sestra živi u Zagrebu.
That is Marko, whose sister lives in Zagreb.
Ovo je pas čiji je rep jako dug.
This is a dog whose tail is very long.
Znam ženu čiji muž radi u banci.
I know a woman whose husband works in a bank.
To je kuća čiji su prozori zeleni.
That is a house whose windows are green.
Tražim studenta čiju sam bilježnicu pronašao.
I am looking for the student whose notebook I found.
To je pisac čije knjige svi čitaju.
That is the writer whose books everyone reads.
Upoznao sam ljude čiji su običaji zanimljivi.
I met people whose customs are interesting.
Ovo je grad čija povijest seže u antiku.
This is a city whose history dates back to antiquity.
Razgovarali smo s redateljem čijim se filmovima divimo.
We talked with the director whose films we admire.
To je problem čijem rješenju moramo težiti.
That is a problem whose solution we must strive for.
Pomažemo djeci čiji su roditelji nezaposleni.
We are helping children whose parents are unemployed.
Ovo je zgrada u čijem se prizemlju nalazi ljekarna.
This is the building in whose ground floor a pharmacy is located.
Riječ je o autoru čijem je opusu posvećena izložba.
It is about an author to whose opus the exhibition is dedicated.
To su države čijim se gospodarstvima predviđa rast.
Those are the states whose economies are predicted to grow.
Suočavamo se s krizom čije razmjere još ne znamo.
We are facing a crisis whose proportions we do not yet know.
On je znanstvenik na čijim se istraživanjima temelji ovaj rad.
He is a scientist on whose research this paper is based.
Pjesnik je to čijim stihovima odjekuje bol cijelog naroda.
He is a poet whose verses echo the pain of an entire nation.
Pristupili smo rješavanju spora čijoj se složenosti nismo nadali.
We approached solving a dispute whose complexity we had not expected.
To je institucija pod čijim se okriljem razvijala znanost.
It is an institution under whose wing science developed.
Govorimo o čovjeku čijoj se hrabrosti i danas klanjamo.
We are talking about a man to whose courage we still bow today.
سهل الخلط
Learners use 'kojeg' (whom) when they mean 'whose' because both involve the Genitive case in English translations.
Both indicate possession, but 'svoj' is a reflexive possessive adjective, while 'čiji' is a relative pronoun.
Thinking 'čiji' must match the person it refers to (the owner).
أخطاء شائعة
Čiji je ovo torba?
Čija je ovo torba?
Čija je ovo mobitel?
Čiji je ovo mobitel?
Čiji su ovo knjiga?
Čija je ovo knjiga?
Čije je ovo ključ?
Čiji je ovo ključ?
Znam čovjeka čija auto je plav.
Znam čovjeka čiji je auto plav.
To je djevojka čiji brat poznajem.
To je djevojka čijeg brata poznajem.
Ovo je pas čija ime je Rex.
Ovo je pas čije je ime Rex.
Pričam o ženi čiju kćer sam vidio.
Pričam o ženi čiju sam kćer vidio.
To je grad čiji ljudi su dobri.
To je grad čiji su ljudi dobri.
Tražim knjigu čija tema ne znam.
Tražim knjigu čiju temu ne znam.
Autor o čijem knjizi pričamo...
Autor o čijoj knjizi pričamo...
Zemlja čijim se resursima loše upravlja.
Zemlja čijim se resursima loše upravlja.
أنماط الجُمل
To je ___ (person), čiji je ___ (object) ___ (adjective).
Tražim ___ (noun), čiju ___ (noun-acc) sam ___ (verb).
Ne volim ___ (noun-pl), čiji su ___ (noun-pl) ___ (adjective).
Divim se ___ (noun-dat), čijem se ___ (noun-dat) ___ (verb).
Real World Usage
Tagiraj frenda čiji je pas najslađi!
Radio sam na projektu čiji su rezultati objavljeni u časopisu.
Znaš onu curu čija je sestra u Londonu?
Tražimo muzej čiji je ulaz besplatan.
Naruči iz restorana čija je dostava najbrža.
Uhićen je političar čija je imovina pod istragom.
The 'Next Word' Rule
Don't forget the comma!
Case Tracking
Politeness
Smart Tips
Check if that noun belongs to the person. If yes, 'čiji' is your best friend.
Use 'čiji' to link features to the place, like 'tvrtka čiji su uredi...'
The ending is always '-u' (čiju).
Avoid repeating 'njegov/njezin' and use 'čiji' to create a complex sentence.
النطق
Short-falling accent
The 'č' in 'čiji' has a short-falling accent (kratkosilazni).
Vowel length
The second 'i' in 'čiji' is long.
Relative Clause Dip
To je čovjek, (pause/lower pitch) čiji je sin... (rise)
The comma signals a slight drop in pitch before the relative clause starts.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Čiji is a 'Chameleon'—it changes its color (ending) to hide next to the noun it owns.
ربط بصري
Imagine a man holding a leash. The leash is the word 'čiji'. It connects the man to the dog, but the leash's color must match the dog's collar, not the man's shirt.
Rhyme
Kad je posjed u pitanju, 'čiji' je u điru, / pazi na rod i broj, da budeš u miru!
Story
Marko (masculine) has a sister (feminine). When we talk about Marko, we use 'čija' because of his sister. If he buys a car (masculine), we switch to 'čiji'. The 'owner' stays the same, but 'čiji' dances to the tune of the object.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Look around your room. Pick 5 objects and describe them using 'čiji' by linking them to a person (e.g., 'To je stol čija je površina drvena').
ملاحظات ثقافية
In standard Croatian, 'čiji' is strictly for possession. Using 'koji' in Genitive (kojeg) is preferred for non-possessive relationships.
In northern Croatia, you might hear 'od kojega' instead of 'čiji' in informal speech.
In Dalmatia, relative clauses are often simplified using 'što' for everything, though 'čiji' remains for clear possession.
Derived from the Proto-Slavic interrogative-relative pronoun *čьjь.
بدايات محادثة
Znaš li nekoga čiji je hobi jako neobičan?
Postoji li film čiji ti se kraj nije svidio?
Možeš li opisati grad čija te arhitektura oduševila?
Jesi li ikada upoznao osobu čiji ti je glas zvučao poznato?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
أخطاء شائعة
Test Yourself
To je žena ___ kćer poznajem.
Ovo je grad ___ su parkovi predivni.
Find and fix the mistake:
To je čovjek čija auto je crven.
Imam prijatelja ___ otac je pilot.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
A: Tko je to? B: To je pisac ___ knjigu upravo čitam.
Case of 'čijim'?
'Čiji' must always agree with the gender of the person in the main clause.
Score: /8
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercisesTo je žena ___ kćer poznajem.
Ovo je grad ___ su parkovi predivni.
Find and fix the mistake:
To je čovjek čija auto je crven.
Imam prijatelja ___ otac je pilot.
1. Djevojka (brat), 2. Muškarac (sestra), 3. Dijete (igračke)
A: Tko je to? B: To je pisac ___ knjigu upravo čitam.
Case of 'čijim'?
'Čiji' must always agree with the gender of the person in the main clause.
Score: /8
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
You can use it for both! While it literally means 'whose', in Croatian it is perfectly fine to say `grad čiji su parkovi` (the city whose parks).
`Čiji` is Nominative (subject), while `čijeg` is Genitive or Accusative for masculine animate nouns.
Yes, in Croatian grammar, all relative clauses must be preceded by a comma.
You use the same word: `Čija je ovo knjiga?` (Whose book is this?).
In some dialects yes, but in standard Croatian `čiji` is the correct way to form a relative possessive clause.
No, it only changes based on the number of objects being owned. `Ljudi čiji je pas...` (People whose dog is...).
You must determine it! Every noun in Croatian has a gender, and `čiji` must match it.
Yes, it is very common in legal and administrative Croatian to define relationships between entities.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
cuyo / cuya
Spanish 'cuyo' is becoming rare in spoken language, while 'čiji' is very common in Croatian.
dont
Croatian 'čiji' declines; French 'dont' does not.
dessen / deren
German matches the owner; Croatian matches the possessed object.
...no (の)
Japanese has no relative pronouns like 'čiji'.
idafa + relative pronoun
Arabic uses a suffix pronoun to show possession in relative clauses.
...de (的)
Chinese has no declension or gender agreement.
