Kakav je ovaj film?

to be

Breakdown of Kakav je ovaj film?

• film: movie
• ovaj: this
• kakav: what kind of

Questions & Answers about Kakav je ovaj film?

What does kakav mean here, exactly?

Kakav is an interrogative adjective meaning “what kind of” / “what … like”.

So Kakav je ovaj film? is literally:

• Kakav – what kind of
• je – is
• ovaj film – this film

Literal sense: “What kind of film is this?” → natural English: “What is this film like?” / “How is this film?” (quality)

It’s not just “what” in the sense of što (“what thing”), but “what kind / what sort / what quality”.

Why do we use kakav and not što for “what” here?

Što is a pronoun meaning “what (thing)”, used when there is no noun after it:

• Što radiš? – What are you doing?
• Što gledaš? – What are you watching?

Kakav is an adjective, and it is used with a noun to ask about the type or quality of that noun:

• Kakav film gledaš? – What kind of film are you watching? / What is the film like?

In Kakav je ovaj film?, we’re asking about the quality / nature of this film, so kakav is the correct interrogative word.

Why is it kakav and not kakva or kakvo?