Ćao, dragi prijatelji! Have you ever wanted to ask "What is Belgrade like?" or "What is the weather like?" in Serbian - and actually understand the answer? Today is your day. We are learning one little question word with four faces, and we will do it with a song.
How do you ask what something is like?
The question word is kakav (what kind of / what is something like), and it changes to match the noun you are asking about:
- "Kakav je...?" - masculine singular (Kakav je Beograd?)
- "Kakva je...?" - feminine singular (Kakva je Srbija?)
- "Kakvo je...?" - neuter singular (Kakvo je vreme?)
- "Kakvi su...?" - plural (Kakvi su ljudi?)
That is the whole system. Match the ending of kakav to the gender and number of your noun, and you are asking like a native.
Hear it (carried forward)
Press play below and listen carefully - the song will help you hear the difference between kakav, kakva, kakvo and kakvi. Music is a wonderful teacher; let it do some of the work for you.
The quiz
Listen to the song and answer the questions in the quiz. No peeking at the answers first - trust your ears! And remember my favourite classroom instruction:
"Uradite kviz odmah!" - Do the quiz immediately!
The best time to test yourself is right after you listen, while the sounds are still fresh in your head.
More Serbian examples
Here are some ready-made questions and answers. Read them as pairs, out loud - question, answer, question, answer:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| "Kakav je Beograd?" | "Beograd je velik i živahan." |
| "Kakva je Srbija?" | "Srbija je prelepa." |
| "Kakvo je vreme?" | "Vreme je sunčano." |
| "Kakvi su ljudi?" | "Ljudi su ljubazni." |
And one bonus pair to take with you: "Kakva je kafa u Srbiji?" - "Kafa je jaka i ukusna." (What is coffee like in Serbia? - The coffee is strong and delicious.)
FAQ
Why does kakav change so much?
Because it behaves like an adjective in Serbian - it agrees with the noun in gender and number. Once you see it as "the adjective in the question", the four forms stop feeling random.
Which form do I use for a plural like "gradvovi" (cities)?
Use "Kakvi su...?" - so "Kakvi su gradovi?" (What are the cities like?). The plural takes over, no matter the gender.
How do I answer if I only know simple adjectives?
Perfectly well! "Lepo." "Veliko." "Sunčano." One-word answers are completely fine when you are starting out - and they are exactly how conversations grow.
So - "Uradite kviz odmah!" and tell me in the comments: "Kakav je vaš dan?" (What is your day like?) I cannot wait to read your answers. Učite sa osmehom!
Puno pozdrava,
Marina Petrović́