How to Express Ability and Permission in Croatian

Understanding Ability and Permission in Croatian

In Croatian, expressing ability and permission often involves using modal verbs and specific phrases. These help you communicate what someone can do or is allowed to do. Unlike English, Croatian verbs change according to person, number, and tense, so it's important to learn the correct forms.

Common Modal Verbs for Ability and Permission

The most common modal verbs used to express ability and permission in Croatian are moći (can, to be able to) and smjeti (may, to be allowed to). These verbs are essential for everyday conversations.

Here are the present tense conjugations of moći (to be able to):

• ja mogu (I can)
• ti možeš (you can)
• on/ona/ono može (he/she/it can)
• mi možemo (we can)
• vi možete (you all can)
• oni/one/ona mogu (they can)

And the present tense conjugations of smjeti (to be allowed to):

• ja smijem (I may)
• ti smiješ (you may)
• on/ona/ono smije (he/she/it may)
• mi smijemo (we may)
• vi smijete (you all may)
• oni/one/ona smiju (they may)

Using <em>moći</em> to Express Ability

The verb moći is used to say that someone is able to do something. It is often followed by an infinitive verb.

Using <em>smjeti</em> to Express Permission

The verb smjeti is used to ask for or give permission. It is also followed by an infinitive verb.

Important Notes on Usage

Both moći and smjeti are modal verbs and are followed by the infinitive form of the main verb without the particle to (which Croatian does not use). Also, remember that Croatian verbs conjugate according to the subject.