Breakdown of Uključi mobitel i nazovi tatu.
mobitel
cellphone
nazvati
to call (perfective)
tata
dad
uključiti
to turn on (perfective)
Questions & Answers about Uključi mobitel i nazovi tatu.
Why does tata become tatu here, but mobitel doesn't change?
Both are direct objects, meaning they are in the accusative case. Mobitel is an inanimate masculine noun (an object, not a living thing), so its accusative form looks exactly like its nominative dictionary form. Tata is a masculine noun that ends in -a, meaning it follows feminine noun declension rules. For these nouns, the accusative ending is -u, making it tatu.
How do we get the command form nazovi from the verb nazvati?
To form the imperative, you use the third-person plural present tense of the verb. For nazvati (to call), that form is nazovu (they call). You drop the final -u to get the root nazov-, and then add -i for the singular command, giving you nazovi.
Could I use upali instead of uključi for turning on a phone?
Yes! Upaliti literally means 'to ignite' or 'to light', but in everyday conversation it is an extremely common way to say 'turn on' for electronics, lights, and cars. Uključiti is also completely correct and just a tiny bit more formal, closer to 'power on' or 'connect'.
Why are both of these verbs in the perfective aspect?
When you give a command for a single, complete action to be done right now, you almost always use a perfective verb. You are telling the person to finish the act of turning the phone on and to complete the phone call, rather than doing these things continuously or repeatedly.