The question through li and da li
Serbian can ask by intonation alone, but the proper form is the particle li after the verb: Govorite li engleski? — no verb-flipping the way English moves "do you speak" to the front. For example: “Да ли је далеко?” — Is it far?. A rule from the Serbian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Serbian can ask by intonation alone, but the proper form is the particle li after the verb: Govorite li engleski? — no verb-flipping the way English moves "do you speak" to the front.
In conversation you will mostly hear the linker da li at the head of the sentence — the easier one, because nothing needs reshuffling: Da li govorite engleski? It does exactly the job English gives to "do": Da li govorite? — Do you speak?
Both forms are equally correct. Start with the second.
By example
- Да ли је далеко?Da li je daleko?Is it far?
- Имате ли воде?Imate li vode?Do you have water?
- Да ли разумеш?Da li razumeš?Do you understand?
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Li vs da li in Serbian?
Serbian can ask by intonation alone, but the proper form is the particle li after the verb: Govorite li engleski? — no verb-flipping the way English moves "do you speak" to the front.
Govorite li or da li govorite?
In conversation you will mostly hear the linker da li at the head of the sentence — the easier one, because nothing needs reshuffling: Da li govorite engleski? It does exactly the job English gives to "do": Da li govorite? — Do you speak?
How to ask a question in Serbian?
Both forms are equally correct. Start with the second.
Is li needed if the intonation is there?
Both forms are equally correct. Start with the second.
What does it look like in an example sentence Serbian?
“Да ли је далеко?” (Da li je daleko?) — Is it far?. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.