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When reading public signs or learning the rules of a new place, you will frequently encounter words for what is allowed or forbidden.

### Allowed and forbidden

You can state rules using the adjectives **dozvoljen** (allowed) and **zabranjen** (forbidden). They are often used with nouns, or in the neuter form (**dozvoljeno** / **zabranjeno**) followed by an infinitive verb to state a general rule.

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### The modal verb "smjeti"

To express that someone is personally allowed to do something (or "may" do it), use the modal verb **smjeti**. It is followed by another verb in the infinitive.

Here is the present tense conjugation of **smjeti**:

| Pronoun | Affirmative | Negative |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ja | smijem | ne smijem |
| ti | smiješ | ne smiješ |
| on / ona / ono | smije | ne smije |
| mi | smijemo | ne smijemo |
| vi | smijete | ne smijete |
| oni / one / ona | smiju | ne smiju |

When used in the negative (**ne smjeti**), it translates to "must not" or "may not"—expressing a strict prohibition.

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You will often see **smjeti** used alongside words like **dozvoljen** and **zabranjen** to clarify rules and warnings.

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### Asking for permission

If you are unsure of the rules in a given place, you can ask for permission by forming a question with **smjeti** and the question particle **li**.

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Permission and prohibition (smjeti, ne smjeti)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

prep

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Singular pronouns and to be (sam, si, je)

Noun genders (-Ø, -a, -o/-e)

Demonstrative pronouns (ovaj, ova, ovo)

Plural pronouns and to be (smo, ste, su)

Masculine plural nouns (-i)

Feminine plural nouns (-e)

Neuter plural nouns (-a)

Full verb to be (jesam, jesi)

Negative verb to be (nisam, nisi)

Yes/no questions (je li)

Wh- questions (tko, gdje)

Formal vs informal address (ti vs Vi)

Regular present tense (-ati)

Regular present tense (-iti)

Regular present tense (-jeti)

Verb negation (ne)

The verb to have (imati / nemati)

Inanimate direct objects

Feminine direct objects (-u)

Plural direct objects (-e, -a)

Accusative pronouns (me, te, ga, ju)

Adjective agreement

Plural adjectives

Accusative adjectives

Numbers 1 to 10 (jedan, dva, tri)

The locative case (-u)

Feminine locative (-i)

The verb to go (ići)

Destination (u, na)

The genitive case (-a)

Accusative pronouns (nas, vas, ga, ih)

Animate masculine accusative (-a)

Adjective agreement for animate masculine (-og, -eg)

The verb can (moći)

The verb must (morati)

The verb to want (htjeti, hoću)

The future tense (ću/ćeš + infinitive)

The past tense: l-participle (radio, radila)

Past tense word order (Prvo sam radio...)

Past tense with plural subjects (-li, -le, -la)

Feminine genitive singular (-e)

Possession and origin (od, iz)

Negative existence (nema)

Numbers 2, 3, and 4

Genitive plural (-a)

Numbers 11 to 20

Past tense negation (nisam)

Past tense questions (jeste li)

Dative singular

Dative pronouns (ti, mu, joj)

Past tense negation (nisam, nisi...)

Double object pronouns (mu ga, ti ju...)

Reflexive verbs (se)

Reflexive clitic word order

Commands and requests (radi, radite)

Plural demonstratives (ovi, ove, ova)

Possessive determiners (moj, naš, njegov)

Greetings (Dobar dan, doviđenja)

The body: Boli me glava

Directions (lijevo, desno, ravno)

There is, there are (ima)

Politeness (molim vas, hvala lijepa)

How you feel (Sviđa mi se)

Counting by tens to 100 (trideset, četrdeset...)

Quantifiers with the genitive case (malo, puno...)

Adjective agreement in the genitive singular (-og, -e)

Adjective agreement in the genitive plural (-ih)

Genitive prepositions (kod, do, bez...)

Asking what kind and which (kakav, koji)

Possessive determiners (njegov, njezin...)

Possessives in the accusative case

The reflexive possessive (svoj)

Indefinite pronouns (netko, nešto, neki)

Negative pronouns (nitko, ništa)

The verb to need (trebati)

Reciprocal verbs (se)

Introduction to verbal aspect

Perfective verbs with prefixes

Perfective verbs with stem changes

Irregular perfective verbs

Aspect in the past tense

Aspect in the future tense

Vehicular motion (voziti se, putovati)

Arrival and departure ('doći', 'otići')

Entering and exiting ('ući', 'izaći')

Singular accompaniment ('s', 'sa')

Question	Answer
warning	upozorenje
forbidden	zabranjen
to photograph	fotografirati
This warning means that it is forbidden to photograph animals here.	Ovo upozorenje znači da je ovdje zabranjeno fotografirati životinje.
use	upotreba
allowed	dozvoljen
The use of mobile phones is not allowed.	Upotreba mobitela nije dozvoljena.
to feed	hraniti
You must not feed the bears, that is forbidden.	Ne smijete hraniti medvjede, to je zabranjeno.
to bring in	unositi
drink	piće
We must not bring food and drinks into the museum.	Ne smijemo unositi hranu i piće u muzej.
to step on	gaziti
The children must not step on the grass in the park.	Djeca ne smiju gaziti travu u parku.
alcohol	alkohol
Alcohol is not allowed in the school.	Alkohol nije dozvoljen u školi.
The use of cameras is allowed, but we must not photograph the paintings.	Upotreba fotoaparata je dozvoljena, ali ne smijemo fotografirati slike.
It is forbidden to step on the plants.	Zabranjeno je gaziti biljke.
Will I be allowed to bring in apples and feed the horses?	Hoću li smjeti unositi jabuke i hraniti konje?
Are they allowed to drink alcohol here?	Smiju li oni ovdje piti alkohol?
We must not hide here.	Ne smijemo se ovdje skrivati.
Am I allowed to contact you tomorrow?	Smijem li ti se javiti sutra?
I read the warning on the door.	Pročitao sam upozorenje na vratima.
We must not bring food and drinks here.	Ovdje ne smijemo unositi hranu i piće.