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Questions & Answers about To je ključ.
Why do we use to here? Doesn't the word for "that" change depending on the gender of the noun?
When we are simply pointing something out or introducing it (like saying "That is a..." or "This is a..."), we use the fixed word to. It doesn't matter if the noun that follows is masculine, feminine, or neuter. Even though ključ is masculine, for introducing objects, to je is the standard phrase.
How would I ask "What is that?" to get this sentence as an answer?
You would ask Što je to?. Notice how it uses the same verb je (is) and the word to (that), just adding the question word Što (What) at the beginning. This fits perfectly with the Tko je... (Who is...) and Gdje je... (Where is...) questions you are learning right now!
Where is the word for "a" in this sentence?
Croatian does not use articles like "a", "an", or "the". The single word ključ means "a key" here, but in another context, it could just as easily mean "the key".
How do I pronounce the lj and č in ključ?
The lj is actually a single letter in the Croatian alphabet, pronounced like the "lli" in "million". The č is a "hard ch" sound, like the "ch" in "match".