Question Formation & Interrogative Words in Serbian

In Serbian syntax, questions are structured into two distinct operational models: *Polar Yes/No Questions (Opšta pitanja) and Information/Wh- Questions (Posebna pitanja)*:

1. Polar Yes/No Questions (Two Standard Formats): - Format A: Particle 'Da li' + Verb (Neutral, extremely common in both spoken and written registers): - Da li govoriš srpski? (Do you speak Serbian?) - Da li ste pročitali ovu knjigu? (Have you read this book?) - Format B: Verb + Clitic 'li' (Direct, slightly more dynamic/formal): - Govoriš li srpski? - Znaš li gde je stanica? (Do you know where the station is?) - Note: 'Li' is a strict second-position clitic placed directly after the finite verb. - Format C: Rhetorical / Incredulous Particle 'Zar': Zar ne znaš? (Don't you know?!).

*2. Core Interrogative Words (Upitne reči): - Ko? (Who?): Ko je to? (Who is that?) - Šta? (What?): Šta radiš? (What are you doing?) - Gde? (Where?): Gde živiš? (Where do you live?) - Kuda? / Kamo? (Where to?): Kuda ideš? (Where are you going?) - Kada? (When?): Kada počinje predavanje? (When does the lecture start?) - Zašto? (Why?): Zašto učiš srpski? (Why are you learning Serbian?) - Kako? (How?): Kako se zoveš? (What is your name? / How are you called?) - Koliko? (How much / how many?): Koliko to košta?* (How much does that cost?).