Asking for a Word

Level 1

Ask Kako se kaže...? for a word you need and Šta znači...? for a word you heard.

How It Works

Two questions open up any conversation. The first is Kako se kaže...? It literally means "How is it said?"

The second is Šta znači...? ("What does it mean?").

You want to knowYou ask
the Bosnian wordKako se kaže "thank you" na bosanskom?
the meaningŠta znači "komšija"?
the spellingKako se to piše?

The answer to Kako se kaže often begins Kaže se...: Kaže se hvala.

Learn na bosanskom and na engleskom as chunks for now. The ending -om belongs to a case you will meet later, the locative.

Examples (4)

  1. Kako se kaže "bread" na bosanskom?

    How is "bread" said in Bosnian?

    Kako se kaže asks for the Bosnian word.

  2. Šta znači "sedmica"?

    What does "sedmica" mean?

    Šta znači asks for a meaning.

  3. Kako se to piše?

    How is that written?

    The same pattern asks about spelling.

  4. Kaže se hljeb.

    You say hljeb.

    A typical answer starts with Kaže se.

Common Mistakes

  • Learners often add the language name without the case ending.

    Kako se kaže "bread" na bosanski?
    Kako se kaže "bread" na bosanskom?

    The language name after na takes the ending -om.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Asking for a WordLevel 1

Learn This First

Asking how to say something uses a question word.

Words in This Pattern

kazatiznačiti