Breakdown of Prije nego što napišeš objavu, provjeri činjenice.
napisati
to write (perfective)
činjenica
fact
provjeriti
to check
prije nego što
before
objava
post
Questions & Answers about Prije nego što napišeš objavu, provjeri činjenice.
Why is it prije nego što and not just prije?
In Croatian, you must use prije nego što when introducing a whole clause with a verb (like napišeš). You only use prije on its own when it is followed directly by a noun in the genitive case, like prije objave (before the post).
Why do we use the perfective present verb napišeš here? Doesn't the perfective present usually require a trigger word?
Time clauses introduced by phrases like prije nego što act similarly to da clauses or ako clauses. They trigger the perfective present to describe an action that will be completed in the future, before the main action happens.
Could I use the imperfective verb pišeš instead of napišeš?
Using pišeš would change the meaning to "Before you are in the process of writing." Because the sentence implies checking facts before the entire task of writing the post is done, the perfective napišeš (focusing on the completed act of writing) is the natural choice.
How can I tell if provjeri is the imperative (command) or just a present tense verb?
The ending is your main clue here. If it were the regular present tense for "you check", it would be provjeriš. Because it drops the -š, it forms the 2nd person singular imperative, giving a direct command to the listener.
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