Ways to say it
| Serbian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| шта | Cyrillic | ||
| што | Štokavian | Cyrillic | |
| кај | Cyrillic, Kajkavian | ||
| ча | Chakavian, Cyrillic | ||
| (Štokavian) što | Latin | ||
| šta | /ʃtâ/ | Latin | |
| kaj | /ˈkâj/ | Kajkavian, Latin | |
| ča | /t͡ʃâ/ | Chakavian, Latin |
The primary way to ask 'what?' is using the interrogative pronoun шта. When you need someone to repeat something or require clarification, using Шта? alone is the standard method. In informal conversations, the phrase Šta kažeš? is used to mean 'what are you saying?'
Which one should you use?
The forms provided correspond to different dialects and scripts. што is the Štokavian dialectal form written in Cyrillic, while the Latin script version is što. The form шта is the standard Serbian Cyrillic form, with the Latin version being šta. Other dialectal forms include кај (Kajkavian) and ча (Chakavian), which are also available in Latin script as kaj and ča respectively.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The forms кај and kaj are characteristic of the Kajkavian dialect, while ча and ča belong to the Chakavian dialect.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Related forms such as kakav, kakva and kakvo can be used to begin exclamations.
Did you know?
- The word šta shares a common ancestor with the English word 'what', both tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷid.
- The different words for 'what' such as шта, kaj and ča are so distinct that they actually name the three main dialects of the region: Štokavian, Kajkavian and Chakavian.
- Serbian uses шта in the phrase шта bi bilo kad bi bilo which literally means 'what would be if it were', used to dismiss unrealistic hypothetical worries.
Examples in context
- Šta ću ja ovde?What am I doing here?This sentence shows how to use šta to express confusion about one's location or situation.Tatoeba #4324471 by Lebad, translation #1839606 by CK
- Шта је то било?What was that?This sentence demonstrates the use of шта to ask about a past event.Tatoeba #8852459 by Lebad, translation #24988 by CK
- Šta bi Tom hteo?What would Tom want?This sentence shows how to use šta to ask about someone's desires.Tatoeba #4251068 by Lebad, translation #2869265 by CK
- 959 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nikola and Ana are talking about a movie.
- NikolaШта гледаш, Ана?What are you watching, Ana?
- AnaГледам нови филм.I am watching a new movie.
- NikolaШта се дешава у филму?What is happening in the movie?
- AnaТо је тајна!That is a secret!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “what” translations and entries šta, kaj, ča, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries шта, што, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
