Breakdown of Dobra večer, jesi li ti student?
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
ti
you (sg. informal)
student
student
li
question particle
Questions & Answers about Dobra večer, jesi li ti student?
Why do we use ti here instead of Vi?
The sentence uses ti because it is informal. We use ti when talking to a friend, a child, or someone our own age. If we were asking a stranger or someone older, we would use the formal Vi and the question would change to jeste li Vi student?
Why is the question formed with jesi li?
In Croatian, yes/no questions are usually formed using the long form of the verb to be plus the question particle li. The short word for you are is si, but its long form is jesi. Therefore, we combine them to make jesi li (are you?).
Why does the greeting use dobra instead of dobar?
Most Croatian words ending in a consonant are masculine, but večer (evening) is an exception. It is a feminine noun. Because it is feminine, the adjective for good must also take the feminine form, which is dobra.
Can I use student if I am asking a woman?
No, student is specifically for a male university student. If you are asking a female student, you must use the feminine form of the word and say jesi li ti studentica?