kad / kada

When

Level 2

Kad and kada mean when. You can use either one.

How It Works

Two forms, one meaning. Kad is shorter and common in speech. Kada is a little more careful. Neither one is wrong.

  • Kad dolaziš? When are you coming?
  • Kada počinje škola? When does school start?

Good answers come from words you know already: danas, sutra, u ponedjeljak, u šest sati.

Kad also joins two parts of a sentence. It means "when" in the middle of a sentence, as in Kad sam kod kuće, pijem kafu (When I am at home, I drink coffee). That use returns at Level 3.

For "where" use gdje, not kad.

Examples (4)

  1. Kad dolazi autobus?

    When does the bus come?

    Kad starts the question.

  2. Kada je tvoj rođendan?

    When is your birthday?

    Kada is the longer form.

  3. Kad ideš kući?

    When are you going home?

    Kad works with any present verb.

  4. Kada počinje škola?

    When does school start?

    Počinje is the third person singular.

How It Connects

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

kad / kadaLevel 2When

Learn This First

Kad asks when.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

kadkada