In the last post we looked at question words -- who, what, when, where, and so on. But a huge number of everyday questions are simpler than that: they just ask "yes or no?" This post is entirely devoted to the mechanics of forming those yes/no questions in Serbian, including a useful shortcut that native speakers use all the time in casual conversation.
How do you ask a yes/no question?
The standard, textbook way to form a yes/no question in Serbian is to begin with the particle DA LI. Think of it as the Serbian equivalent of turning a statement into a question -- it signals immediately that you want a yes or no answer. The rest of the sentence follows in normal statement order: subject, then verb.
Here are the three main situations you will encounter:
With a regular verb:
Da li Ivan zivi u Novom Sadu? -- Does Ivan live in Novi Sad?
Da li zivimo u Novom Sadu? -- Do we live in Novi Sad?
With the verb "to be" (biti):
Da li si u Parizu? -- Are you in Paris?
Da li si ti Ivan? -- Are you Ivan?
With a reflexive verb (verbs using "se"):
Da li se on zove Ivan? -- Is his name Ivan? (Literally: Does he call himself Ivan?)
Da li se budis u pet ili u sest? -- Do you wake up at five or at six?
Notice that with reflexive verbs the particle "se" stays with the verb and comes after "da li" + subject, just as it would in a normal statement. Word order inside the question is surprisingly stable in Serbian once you have the "da li" at the front.
The shorter, chatty version
In natural, fast-paced conversation, Serbs often drop "da li" entirely and instead attach the question marker -li directly to the verb, placing it in second position. The result sounds much more colloquial and you will hear it constantly.
Zivi li Ivan u Novom Sadu? -- Does Ivan live in Novi Sad? (chatty form)
Jesi li u Parizu? -- Are you in Paris? (chatty; "jesi" is the long form of "si", used specifically for questions)
With reflexive verbs in the short form, the order becomes verb + li + se:
Zove li se Ivan? -- Is his name Ivan?
Budis li se u pet? -- Do you wake up at five?
A helpful rule of thumb: the particle "-li" always wants to be in second position in the sentence. If the verb comes first, "-li" attaches to it. "Jesi li" is a fixed combination worth memorizing as a chunk -- you will use it every single day.
Try it
Here is your exercise for today. Using the information below, form six yes/no questions about Ivan -- three using the full "da li" form and three using the short "-li" form. Leave your answers in the comments and I will post the answer key there.
- Ivan's name is Ivan (use "zvati se").
- He lives in Novi Sad (use "ziveti").
- He works in an office (use "raditi", "kancelarija").
- He has a sister (use "imati", "sestra").
- He speaks English (use "govoriti", "engleski").
- He likes coffee (use "voleti", "kafa").
Take your time. Write the sentences out by hand if you can -- the physical act of writing locks new grammar in faster than typing for most people.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is "da li" more formal than the "-li" form?
- Not exactly more formal -- "da li" is simply the complete, careful form that you will see in writing, teaching materials, and slower speech. The "-li" form is the natural, flowing spoken version. Both are perfectly correct.
- Can I answer a "da li" question with just "da" or "ne"?
- Yes, and that is exactly what most Serbs do. "Da" (yes) and "ne" (no) are complete answers. You can also say "da, jeste" (yes, indeed) or "ne, nije" (no, it is not) for a little more emphasis.
- What about "li" on its own without a verb -- does that ever happen?
- Occasionally you will see "li" attached to other parts of speech in older or literary texts (e.g. "il'" as a shortened "ili" = or). But in modern standard Serbian, "-li" for questions always attaches to the verb.
Yes/no questions are the engine of conversation. Once you are comfortable with "da li" and "-li", you will be able to keep a dialogue going even when your vocabulary is still small -- you simply ask and confirm. Practice the exercise, leave your sentences below, and let us see how you get on.
Srecno! -- Marina