Questions & Answers about Smiri se, sve je u redu.
Why is it smiri se and not just smiri?
The verb for "to calm down" is smiriti se, which is a reflexive verb, so it requires the pronoun se. Smiri is the imperative (command) form for "you" (singular). If you dropped the se, you would need an object, meaning "calm [someone/something] down", like smiri psa (calm the dog).
Could I use the imperfective form smiruj se here?
You could, but it changes the feel of the command. Smiri se uses the perfective verb smiriti, focusing on the immediate result: get to a calm state right now. The imperfective smirivati (smiruj se) focuses on the process, sounding more like "start calming down" or "settle down gradually," which is less common for a quick reassurance.
Why does sve use the singular verb je?
Just like "everything" in English, the Croatian word sve is grammatically singular (specifically, neuter singular). Therefore, it must take the 3rd-person singular verb je. Be careful not to confuse it with svi (everyone/all people), which is plural and would take su.
What does u redu literally translate to?
It literally translates to "in order." Red means "order," "row," or "queue," and here it is in the locative case (redu) because it follows the preposition u (in). Idiomatically, u redu is the most common way to say "fine," "okay," or "alright."
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