či

Whether: Či

Level 3

Neviem, či príde. (I don't know whether he'll come.) Opýtaj sa, či majú čas. (Ask whether they have time.)

How It Works

From direct to indirect

  • Máš čas? → Pýta sa, či máš čas. (He's asking whether you have time.)
  • Prídeš? → Neviem, či prídeš. (I don't know whether you'll come.)

The tense does not change

Slovak keeps the tense of the original question: Spýtal sa ma, či mám čas. (He asked me if I had time.) The present mám stays, although English moves it to had.

či versus ak

  • Neviem, či príde. (I don't know whether he'll come.)
  • Ak príde, zavolám ti. (If he comes, I'll call you.) See If: ak.

Whether or not

Neviem, či je to pravda, alebo nie. (I don't know whether it's true or not.) Put a comma before alebo in this pair.

Or in questions

Či can also mean or between choices: Dáte si čaj či kávu? (Would you like tea or coffee?)

Questions with kde, kedy, prečo and other question words are covered in Indirect Questions.

Examples (6)

  1. Neviem, či príde.

    I don't know whether he'll come.

    Word by Word: I-don't-know, whether comes.

    The direct question was Príde?

  2. Opýtaj sa, či majú čas.

    Ask whether they have time.

    Či after a command.

  3. Spýtal sa ma, či hovorím po slovensky.

    He asked me whether I spoke Slovak.

    The present tense hovorím stays, although English uses spoke.

  4. Nie som si istá, či som zamkla dvere.

    I'm not sure whether I locked the door.

    The speaker is a woman. Som comes right after či.

  5. Neviem, či je to pravda, alebo nie.

    I don't know whether it's true or not.

    Či ... alebo nie means whether or not.

  6. Dáte si čaj či kávu?

    Would you like tea or coffee?

    Here či means or between two choices.

Common Mistakes

  • Using ak for whether, copying English if.

    Neviem, ak príde.
    Neviem, či príde.

    Ak only introduces a condition (if he comes, then...). A reported yes-no question needs či.

  • Changing the tense as in English. The intended meaning is "He asked if I have time (now)".

    Spýtal sa, či som mal čas.
    Spýtal sa, či mám čas.

    Slovak keeps the tense of the original question, Máš čas? Či som mal čas asks about time in the past.

How It Connects

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

čiLevel 3Whether: Či

Learn This First

Before Whether: či, learn Yes-No Questions and Saying That: že. či turns a yes-no question into a clause. It introduces a clause the way že does.

Words in This Pattern