Deliberative questions with da
In short
| Question word | da + present | infinitive (impersonal) |
|---|---|---|
| Kako | Kako da počnem? | Kako početi? |
| Šta | Šta da radim? | Šta raditi? |
| Gde | Gde da idemo? | Gde tražiti posao? |
| Kada | Kada da dođem? | — |
Person shows whose move: Šta da radim / radiš / radi / radimo / radite / rade? Never da + infinitive.
B2 · Lesson 48 · Pitanja o tome šta da se radi: Kako da...? Šta da...?
The full explanation, from the lesson that teaches this rule
When you are stuck and ask for advice — What should I do? How do I tell her? Where should we go? — English reaches for should or how do I. Serbian has no separate word for this. It simply puts da plus the present tense straight after the question word: Šta da radim? — literally 'What that I do?', meaning What should I do?
You already know da + present from sentences like Hoću da idem and Moram da kažem. Here the same da-clause stands alone after a question word, and the question it makes is not 'what do I do (usually)?' but 'what am I supposed to do now?' This is called a deliberative question — a question you ask while deciding.
The pattern
| Question word | + da + present | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Kako | Kako da joj kažem? | How should I tell her? / How do I tell her? |
| Šta | Šta da radim? | What should I do? |
| Gde | Gde da parkiram? | Where should I park? |
| Kada | Kada da dođem? | When should I come? |
| Koga | Koga da pitam? | Who should I ask? |
| Da li | Da li da mu se javim? | Should I get in touch with him? |
The verb after da is always in the present tense, never the infinitive and never the future. Šta da radim? — not Šta da raditi? and not Šta da ću raditi?
Who is deciding: the person of the verb
The ending of the verb shows whose move is being decided. Most often it is your own (I or we), but you can just as well ask about someone else's: What should he do?
| Person | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ja | Šta da radim? | What should I do? |
| ti | Šta da radiš? Pa, reci joj istinu. | What should you do? Well, tell her the truth. |
| on / ona | Šta da radi kad niko ne sluša? | What is she supposed to do when nobody listens? |
| mi | Gde da idemo večeras? | Where should we go tonight? |
| vi | Kako da znate kome da verujete? | How are you supposed to know whom to trust? |
| oni / one | Šta da rade deca kad pada kiša? | What are the kids supposed to do when it rains? |
With ti, on or oni the question often sounds like 'what can they possibly do?' — a sympathetic or slightly frustrated tone: A šta da radi? Nema para. 'And what is he supposed to do? He has no money.'
Inside a longer sentence
The same piece fits after verbs like ne znam, pitam se, reci mi: Ne znam šta da radim. 'I don't know what to do.' Reci mi kako da ga ubedim. 'Tell me how to convince him.' English uses 'what to do', 'how to convince' — Serbian keeps da + the present with the right person.
The infinitive alternative
A question word can also be followed directly by an infinitive, with no da and no person at all: Šta raditi? 'What is to be done?', Kako početi? 'How to begin?' This sounds general and impersonal — typical of headlines, titles of advice articles and people thinking out loud. When you ask about a real person's next move, use da + present.
| Personal (da + present) | Impersonal (infinitive) |
|---|---|
| Kako da počnem? | Kako početi? |
| Šta da kažem? | Šta reći? |
| Gde da tražimo posao? | Gde tražiti posao? |
Do not mix the two: after the question word, it is either da + present (Kako da počnem?) or a bare infinitive (Kako početi?). Kako da početi is wrong.
Check what you read
6 of the 14 questions this lesson asks in the app. Type the form or pick the answer.
Šta da ___? Nemam pojma.
Kako da joj(kazati) istinu?
Gde da(parkirati) auto? Nema mesta.
Kada da(doći) sutra?
Ne znamo gde da ___ večeras.
Which one sounds like the title of an advice article — general, about nobody in particular?
Examples from the course
The marked word is where the rule applies. Press play to hear the sentence.
Gde da idemo večeras?
Where should we go tonight?
Ne znam šta da radim.
I don't know what to do.
Kada da dođem po tebe?
When should I come to pick you up?
Kako početi novi život posle razočaranja?
How to start a new life after a disappointment?
A šta da radi? Nema para.
And what is he supposed to do? He has no money.
Kako ostati miran kad sve ide naopako?
How to stay calm when everything goes wrong?
Kada da zatražim povišicu? Radim prekovremeno već mesecima.
When should I ask for a raise? I've been working overtime for months.
Pitam se kako da izađem iz ovog ćorsokaka.
I wonder how to get out of this dead end.
Pitaš me šta da radiš? Slušaj svoju intuiciju.
You're asking me what you should do? Listen to your intuition.
Gde da nađu posao mladi ljudi bez iskustva?
Where are young people without experience supposed to find work?
Sentences in the course that use this rule: 27
Try it yourself
Translate a sentence that uses this rule. The check marks the word that went wrong and names the rule behind it, as in the app.
Sentences
Write it in Serbian
Where should we go tonight?