Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Croatian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Kako si?
Where is the word for "you" in this sentence?
In Croatian, you usually don't need to say the subject pronoun (like ti for "you"). The verb si already specifically means "you are" (informal singular). Dropping the pronoun is completely natural and expected!
Why does si come immediately after Kako?
The word si is a special type of short, unstressed word called a "clitic". In Croatian, clitics follow a strict rule: they must almost always go in the exact second position of a sentence or clause. Since Kako is the first word, si has to be the second.
If I really wanted to include the word "you", could I say Kako ti si?
No, that would break the second-position rule! If you want to include ti (you) for emphasis, the clitic si still has to be the second word. So you would say Kako si ti? (literally: "How are you?").
I've seen the verb "to be" listed as biti. How does that become si?
biti is the dictionary form (the infinitive, just like "to be" in English). When you actually use it in a sentence, it changes shape depending on who is doing the action. si is the short, present-tense form specifically for "you are".