Potpišite privatnu ispravu vlastoručno.

to sign

Breakdown of Potpišite privatnu ispravu vlastoručno.

• privatna isprava: a private document
• vlastoručno: by one's own hand

Questions & Answers about Potpišite privatnu ispravu vlastoručno.

Why is potpišite used here instead of the dictionary form of the verb?

Potpišite is the imperative form, so it is used for a command, instruction, or polite request.

The dictionary form is potpisati = to sign.
From that verb, Croatian forms the imperative:

• potpiši = sign! (informal singular)
• potpišite = sign! (plural or formal singular)

So in this sentence, potpišite means something like please sign or sign in a formal/instructional context.

Why does potpišite end in -ite?

The ending -ite marks the imperative for:

• you all
• or formal you when speaking to one person politely

Croatian distinguishes between informal and formal you much more clearly than English does.

Compare:

• Potpiši privatnu ispravu. = Sign the private document. (to one friend, informal)
• Potpišite privatnu ispravu. = Sign the private document. (to several people, or to one person formally)

In official instructions, forms, and notices, -ite is very common because the tone is polite and formal.

What is the base verb here, and what aspect does it have?