Možeš li dešifrirati šifru?

to be able to

Breakdown of Možeš li dešifrirati šifru?

• li: whether
• šifra: code; cipher
• dešifrirati: to decipher

Questions & Answers about Možeš li dešifrirati šifru?

What does li mean in Možeš li dešifrirati šifru?

Li is a small question particle. In sentences like this, it helps turn a statement into a yes/no question.

• Možeš = you can
• Možeš li ... ? = Can you ... ?

It does not really have a direct English translation by itself. Its job is grammatical, not lexical.

This is a very common and standard way to ask questions in Croatian.

Why is it Možeš li and not some other word order?

In standard Croatian, when you form a yes/no question with li, the conjugated verb usually comes first, and li comes right after it.

So:

• Možeš li dešifrirati šifru? = correct
• Li možeš dešifrirati šifru? = not correct

This pattern is very common:

• Imaš li vremena? = Do you have time?
• Želiš li kavu? = Do you want coffee?
• Možeš li pomoći? = Can you help?

So a good rule is: verb + li.

What form is možeš?