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Questions & Answers about Otvorite rječnik.
Why does the command end in -ite (otvorite)?
The ending -ite makes this a plural command (speaking to two or more people) or a formal command (speaking politely to one person). If you were telling a close friend to open the dictionary, you would use the informal singular form, otvori.
Is rječnik in the accusative case here?
Yes! It is the direct object (the thing being opened), so it must be in the accusative case. However, because rječnik is a masculine inanimate noun (a thing, not a living creature), its accusative form looks exactly the same as its base dictionary form.
How do we know it means "open the dictionary" when there is no word for "the"?
Croatian does not use articles like "a", "an", or "the". Context tells you whether it means "open a dictionary" or "open the dictionary". Since this is a specific instruction, "the" makes the most sense in English.
How is the command otvorite formed from the base verb?
The full verb is otvoriti (to open). For many verbs ending in -iti, you drop that ending to get the root. Then you add -i for informal commands (otvori) and -ite for plural or formal commands (otvorite).