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Croatian

### Asking Yes/No Questions with "li"

While English uses helper words like "do" or "does" (e.g., "Do you know?"), standard Croatian forms yes/no questions by changing the word order. 

Place the conjugated main verb at the very beginning of the sentence, immediately followed by the question particle **li**.

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The word **li** is an enclitic. It has no accent of its own and must sit in the second position of the sentence, attaching to the first stressed word—which, in these inverted questions, is always the verb.

### "Is it...?" using "Je li"

When your question uses the third-person singular of the verb **biti** (to be), apply the same inversion rule: start with **je**, followed by **li**. The phrase **je li** (is it / is there) is incredibly common in Croatian.

{{item:1056389}}

### Modal Verbs and Complex Sentences

The inversion rule applies to all verbs. With modal verbs like **željeti** (to want) or **morati** (to have to), the modal verb takes the first position, followed by **li**, and the secondary action stays in the infinitive.

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Even in longer sentences, the structure of the main clause remains exactly the same: Verb + **li**.

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Inverted yes/no questions (li)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

prep

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Singular pronouns and to be (sam, si, je)

Noun genders (-Ø, -a, -o/-e)

Demonstrative pronouns (ovaj, ova, ovo)

Plural pronouns and to be (smo, ste, su)

Masculine plural nouns (-i)

Feminine plural nouns (-e)

Neuter plural nouns (-a)

Full verb to be (jesam, jesi)

Negative verb to be (nisam, nisi)

Yes/no questions (je li)

Wh- questions (tko, gdje)

Formal vs informal address (ti vs Vi)

Regular present tense (-ati)

Regular present tense (-iti)

Regular present tense (-jeti)

Verb negation (ne)

The verb to have (imati / nemati)

Inanimate direct objects

Feminine direct objects (-u)

Plural direct objects (-e, -a)

Accusative pronouns (me, te, ga, ju)

Adjective agreement

Plural adjectives

Accusative adjectives

Numbers 1 to 10 (jedan, dva, tri)

The locative case (-u)

Feminine locative (-i)

The verb to go (ići)

Destination (u, na)

The genitive case (-a)

Accusative pronouns (nas, vas, ga, ih)

Animate masculine accusative (-a)

Adjective agreement for animate masculine (-og, -eg)

The verb can (moći)

The verb must (morati)

The verb to want (htjeti, hoću)

The future tense (ću/ćeš + infinitive)

The past tense: l-participle (radio, radila)

Past tense word order (Prvo sam radio...)

Past tense with plural subjects (-li, -le, -la)

Feminine genitive singular (-e)

Possession and origin (od, iz)

Negative existence (nema)

Numbers 2, 3, and 4

Genitive plural (-a)

Numbers 11 to 20

Past tense negation (nisam)

Past tense questions (jeste li)

Dative singular

Dative pronouns (ti, mu, joj)

Past tense negation (nisam, nisi...)

Double object pronouns (mu ga, ti ju...)

Reflexive verbs (se)

Reflexive clitic word order

Commands and requests (radi, radite)

Plural demonstratives (ovi, ove, ova)

Possessive determiners (moj, naš, njegov)

Greetings (Dobar dan, doviđenja)

The body: Boli me glava

Directions (lijevo, desno, ravno)

There is, there are (ima)

Politeness (molim vas, hvala lijepa)

How you feel (Sviđa mi se)

Counting by tens to 100 (trideset, četrdeset...)

Quantifiers with the genitive case (malo, puno...)

Adjective agreement in the genitive singular (-og, -e)

Adjective agreement in the genitive plural (-ih)

Genitive prepositions (kod, do, bez...)

Asking what kind and which (kakav, koji)

Possessive determiners (njegov, njezin...)

Possessives in the accusative case

The reflexive possessive (svoj)

Indefinite pronouns (netko, nešto, neki)

Negative pronouns (nitko, ništa)

The verb to need (trebati)

Reciprocal verbs (se)

Introduction to verbal aspect

Perfective verbs with prefixes

Perfective verbs with stem changes

Irregular perfective verbs

Aspect in the past tense

Aspect in the future tense

Vehicular motion (voziti se, putovati)

Arrival and departure ('doći', 'otići')

Entering and exiting ('ući', 'izaći')

Singular accompaniment ('s', 'sa')

Question	Answer
investigation	istraga
murder	ubojstvo
Are you finishing the investigation of that murder?	Završavate li istragu tog ubojstva?
weapon	oružje
crime	zločin
Is this the weapon from that crime?	Je li ovo oružje iz tog zločina?
to suspect / to doubt	sumnjati
alibi	alibi
Do you suspect him because he has no alibi?	Sumnjate li na njega jer nema alibi?
blood	krv
victim	žrtva
Do you see blood near the victim?	Vidite li krv blizu žrtve?
evidence	dokaz
motive	motiv
Do you have evidence for his motive?	Imate li dokaz za njegov motiv?
Is the investigation lasting long because you do not have evidence?	Traje li istraga dugo jer nemate dokaze?
Do you know the victim of this murder?	Poznajete li žrtvu ovog ubojstva?
Do you want to hide the weapon and the blood?	Želite li sakriti oružje i krv?
Do you know the motive of the crime?	Znate li motiv zločina?
Do you have to suspect every alibi?	Morate li sumnjati u svaki alibi?
Is there sure evidence for that alibi?	Postoji li siguran dokaz za taj alibi?
Do you consider that the motive is clear?	Smatrate li da je motiv jasan?