Questions & Answers about Jeste li vi sigurni?
Why is jeste used here instead of the short form ste?
In Croatian, you cannot start a sentence with short verb forms like ste. When the verb is the very first word in a yes/no question, you must use its full form, which is jeste.
What is the word li doing in this sentence?
The word li is a tiny question word (a particle) that turns a statement into a yes/no question. It does not have a direct translation in English. In this question structure, it always locks in directly after the full verb.
If jeste already tells us the subject is 'you', do we really need the word vi?
Strictly speaking, no. You could just ask Jeste li sigurni? because the verb form already tells us who you are talking to. However, adding vi is very common for a little extra emphasis or politeness.
Why does the adjective sigurni end in an 'i'?
The adjective has to match the subject. Because the pronoun vi is grammatically plural, the adjective must take the plural ending -i. You use this plural form even if you are using vi formally to speak to just one person.
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