Reported Wh- Questions and Clitic Placement
When you report a question that starts with a question word like tko (who), gdje (where), kada (when), or zašto (why), the new clause follows a strict rule: Wackernagel's Law.
This rule dictates that clitics—short, unstressed words like auxiliary verbs (je, su, će) and pronouns—must occupy the second position in their clause. Because a reported question clause begins with the Wh-word, any clitics must immediately follow it.
The Shift From English Word Order
In English, the subject usually precedes the verb in reported questions ("He wonders why these sights are..."). In Croatian, the clitic "jumps" ahead of the subject to maintain its mandatory second position right after the question word ("...zašto su ove znamenitosti...").
Stacking Multiple Clitics
If the reported question contains multiple clitics (like an indirect object pronoun, a direct object pronoun, and a past tense auxiliary verb), they form a rigid cluster. This entire cluster shifts together to follow the Wh-word.
Multiple Questions
When reporting multiple questions combined with i (and) in the same sentence, treat each as its own independent clause. The clitic rule restarts for each new question word.