Šta boli?

Boli is a form of the verb boleti, which means to hurt / to ache / to cause pain.

In this sentence, boli is the 3rd person singular present tense form, so it literally means hurts.

Because the implied subject is singular.

Serbian uses:

• boli = hurts for a singular thing
• bole = hurt for plural things

Examples:

• Šta boli? = What hurts?
• Šta bole? would sound wrong here, because šta is asking about one thing in a general way.

If you were asking about multiple things, you might say:

• Šta te boli? = What hurts you?
• Koje stvari bole? = Which things hurt?

Yes. The sentence is very short, but the idea is What hurts? The subject is whatever body part, injury, or problem is causing pain.

For example, the answer could be:

• Glava boli. = The head hurts.
• Ruka boli. = The arm hurts.

In natural Serbian, though, people often prefer structures like:

• Boli me glava. = My head hurts.
• Boli me ruka. = My arm hurts.

Because Šta boli? is a very general question: What hurts?

If you want to ask What hurts you? or Where does it hurt?, Serbian usually adds a pronoun:

• Šta te boli? = What hurts you?
• Gde te boli? = Where does it hurt? / Where does it hurt you?

So Šta boli? is more abstract or context-based, while Šta te boli? is more directly addressed to a person.

It is understandable, but in everyday speech people more often say:

• Šta te boli? = What hurts you?
• Gde te boli? = Where does it hurt?

So Šta boli? is grammatical, but it can sound a little incomplete unless the context is already clear.

Š is pronounced like sh in shoe.

So:

• Šta sounds roughly like shta

The whole sentence Šta boli? is approximately:

• Shta BOH-lee?

Both can sometimes mean what, but šta is the most common form in modern everyday Serbian when asking direct questions.

So for learners, the safest choice is:

• Šta je to? = What is that?
• Šta boli? = What hurts?

You may hear što in some dialects, regions, or styles, but šta is usually the best default for speaking.

Yes, Serbian word order is flexible, but Šta boli? is the normal and simplest order here.

Because šta is the question word, it usually comes first.

Other orders are possible in special contexts, but for a learner, Šta boli? is the form to remember.

You can answer by naming the thing that hurts:

• Glava. = My head.
• Ruka. = My arm.
• Stomak. = My stomach.

Or with a full sentence:

• Glava boli. = The head hurts.
• Boli me glava. = My head hurts.

That second pattern, Boli me + body part, is extremely common in Serbian.

They ask different things:

• Šta boli? = What hurts?
  This asks which thing/body part is painful.

• Gde boli? = Where does it hurt?
  This asks in what location the pain is.

In conversation with a patient, Serbian more often uses:

• Šta te boli?
• Gde te boli?

By itself, Šta boli? is neutral, but it is also somewhat bare or clipped.

In real conversation, especially when speaking to a person, you would usually hear:

• Šta te boli? = neutral, common
• Gde vas boli? = polite/formal Where does it hurt? when addressing you formally

So formality usually becomes clearer once pronouns like te or vas are included.