Reported Commands with "da"
In English, we often report commands with an infinitive ("He ordered us to leave"). In Croatian, use the conjunction da (that) followed by a present-tense verb—even if the reporting verb is in the past.
| The firefighter ordered that we leave the building immediately. | Vatrogasac je naredio da smjesta izađemo iz zgrade. |
| The smoke is dangerous, so they ordered that we put on masks. | Dim je opasan, pa su naredili da stavimo maske. |
Verbs of Commanding and Requesting
Common reporting verbs for emergencies include narediti (to order), zahtijevati (to demand), and tražiti (to request).
| The firefighters demand that you move away from the fire. | Vatrogasci zahtijevaju da se udaljite od požara. |
| The police ask that we move away from the flame. | Policija traži da se udaljimo od plamena. |
For negative commands, simply negate the verb inside the da clause.
| The director demands that you do not enter the building because of the fire! | Direktor zahtijeva da ne uđete u zgradu zbog požara! |
Fetching Items with "po"
To say you are going to "get" or "fetch" something, use a verb of motion plus the preposition po and the accusative case.
| for (to fetch) | po |
| She went to fetch the hose for the evacuation. | Otišla je po crijevo za evakuaciju. |
This frequently appears in reported commands when authorities instruct you to retrieve equipment.
| The firefighter asks that I go fetch the mask and the hose. | Vatrogasac traži da idem po masku i crijevo. |
| The fire is big, I demand that you go fetch the firefighters! | Požar je velik, zahtijevam da ideš po vatrogasce! |
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