čiji
Whose
Čiji means whose. Pick the form that matches the thing owned.
How It Works
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | čiji | čiji |
| feminine | čija | čije |
| neuter | čije | čija |
The word matches the thing that is owned, so a woman can ask Čiji je ovaj ključ? because ključ is masculine.
The answer is a possessive word or a name with an ending: Moj je. (It is mine.) Amirov je. (It is Amir's.) Lejlina je. (It is Lejla's.)
Do not use ko (who) for this. Ko je ovo? asks who a person is, and Čije je ovo? asks who owns something.
The question word can also come before the noun: Čija je to torba? (Whose bag is that?)
Examples (5)
- Čija je ova torba?
Whose bag is this?
Torba is feminine, so the word is čija.
- Čiji je ovaj ključ?
Whose key is this?
Ključ is masculine, so the word is čiji.
- Čije je ovo dijete?
Whose child is this?
Dijete is neuter, so the word is čije.
- Čije su ove knjige?
Whose books are these?
Knjige is a feminine plural, so the word is čije.
- Amirova je.
It is Amir's.
The answer uses a possessive that matches the thing owned.
Common Mistakes
Using ko to ask about an owner.
Ko je ova torba?Čija je ova torba?Ko asks about a person. To ask about an owner, use čiji.
Matching čiji to the owner instead of the thing.
Čiji je ova knjiga?Čija je ova knjiga?Čiji must match knjiga, which is feminine.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Čiji asks whose and agrees with the noun.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice čiji in Bubblegum
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