Breakdown of Pita li tužitelj o priznanju, mi šutimo.
mi
we
li
question particle
šutjeti
to be silent
pitati
to ask
o
about / on (dependent on)
tužitelj
prosecutor
priznanje
confession
Questions & Answers about Pita li tužitelj o priznanju, mi šutimo.
How does Pita li translate to "If the prosecutor asks" without the word ako (if)?
This sentence uses conditional inversion, which you are learning in this lesson. By placing the verb Pita at the very beginning of the sentence and immediately following it with the question particle li, it creates an "if" condition. It means exactly the same thing as Ako tužitelj pita, but sounds a bit more stylized or punchy.
Why must the verb come first? Couldn't we say Tužitelj pita li o priznanju?
No, you cannot put the subject first when using this li conditional structure. To trigger the "if" meaning without ako, the verb absolutely must be in the first position. Furthermore, li is an enclitic (a strict second-position word), so it must immediately follow that fronted verb.
Why is the noun priznanje (confession) changed to priznanju here?
It follows the preposition o, which means "about" or "concerning" in this context and requires the locative case. For a neuter noun like priznanje, the locative ending is -u, making it o priznanju.
Do we have to use the pronoun mi before šutimo?
No, you could easily drop it and just say šutimo because the -mo ending already tells us it means "we". However, including mi here adds a nice emphasis and contrast between the two actors in the sentence: if he asks, we keep quiet.
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