Breakdown of Gdje je ovo dijete?
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
gdje
where
ovaj
this (m) / ova (f), ovo (n)
dijete
child
Questions & Answers about Gdje je ovo dijete?
Why do we use ovo here instead of ovaj or ova?
ovo means "this" for neuter nouns. Demonstrative pronouns have to match the gender of the noun they describe. Because dijete (child) is neuter, we use ovo. If the noun were masculine, we'd use ovaj, and if it were feminine, we'd use ova.
How can I tell that dijete is a neuter noun?
In Croatian, most nouns that end in -o or -e in their basic dictionary form are neuter. Since dijete ends in -e, it falls perfectly into the neuter category, which is why it pairs with ovo.
Could I change the word order to Gdje ovo dijete je?
No, because je is a special type of short verb called an enclitic. Enclitics are "weak" words that almost always have to go in the second position in a sentence. Here, it must come right after the first word, Gdje.
What if the child is standing next to the person I'm talking to? Do I still use ovo?
No. ovo specifically means "this" (close to the speaker). If the child is closer to the person you are talking to, you would use to (to dijete). If the child is far away from both of you, you would use ono (ono dijete).
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