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Questions & Answers about Je li voda hladna?
What is je li and why is it used at the beginning of the sentence?
je li pairs the verb je (is) with the enclitic question particle li. In Croatian, placing je li at the start makes it a yes/no question: “Is …?”
Why can’t I just say Voda je hladna? with a rising intonation to ask “Is the water cold?”
You can use intonation alone in spoken Croatian—Voda je hladna?—but the standard written form for yes/no questions uses je li (verb + li) or inverted word order: Je li voda hladna?
What’s the difference between je li and the colloquial jel?
jel is a contraction of je li common in informal speech and writing. Grammatically they’re identical, but jel is less formal.
How does the adjective hladna agree with voda?
voda is feminine singular in the nominative case. The adjective hladan (cold) must match in gender, number, and case, so it becomes hladna (feminine singular nominative).
Why is voda in the nominative case here?
In Je li voda hladna?, voda is the subject of the verb je. Subjects of finite verbs in Croatian typically appear in the nominative case.
How would you answer this question affirmatively or negatively?
Affirmative: Da, voda je hladna. or simply Da, hladna je.
Negative: Ne, voda nije hladna. or Ne, nije hladna.
How is je li pronounced, and are there any assimilation rules I should watch for?
Pronounce it roughly as [ye-lee], with a light glide between je and li. In fast speech you might hear [yeʎ], with the l blending into je: essentially the same as colloquial jel.
Can I form a negative question like Nije li voda hladna? What’s the nuance?
Yes. Nije li voda hladna? literally means “Isn’t the water cold?” It suggests you expect the answer “yes, it is cold” or expresses surprise if it isn’t. It combines the negative verb nije with li.