Learn Hardcore Croatian: Ne smijete zatvoriti vrata prije mene.

Smijete is the 2nd person plural present of smjeti, a modal verb meaning “to be allowed/permitted.” So ne smijete means “you are not allowed” or “you must not.” It expresses permission/prohibition, not ability. If you want “can/are able to,” you use moći (e.g., možete).

Why is the negation on smijete and not on zatvoriti?

In Croatian, the negative particle ne is placed on the finite verb, which here is the modal smijete. So you say Ne smijete zatvoriti..., not “Smijete ne zatvoriti...”. This pattern is standard with modals: negate the modal, leave the infinitive unnegated.

What’s the difference between ne smijete and nemojte?

Ne smijete = “you are not allowed/must not.” It states a rule or prohibition (legal, formal, strict).
Nemojte (zatvoriti vrata prije mene) = “don’t (close the door before me).” It’s a direct negative imperative, often more of a request or instruction.
You can soften it further with politeness: Molim vas, nemojte zatvoriti vrata prije mene.

Is smijete addressing more than one person, or is it the polite singular?

Both are possible. Smijete is 2nd person plural, but Croatian uses the plural (vi) for polite singular as well.

Speaking to one person politely: “(Vi) ne smijete...”
Speaking to several people: “(Vi) ne smijete...”
Informal singular would be Ne smiješ zatvoriti vrata prije mene.

Why is zatvoriti used (perfective) and not zatvarati (imperfective)?

Zatvoriti (perfective) refers to a single, completed act: “close (once).”
Zatvarati (imperfective) suggests ongoing/repeated action: “be (in the habit of) closing.”
So:
Ne smijete zatvoriti vrata prije mene. = You must not close the door (this/any one time) before me.
Ne smijete zatvarati vrata prije mene. = You must not be closing/keep closing the door before me (habitual/ongoing).

Why is vrata used—does it mean “door” or “doors”? Why not a singular form?

Vrata is a plural-only neuter noun (pluralia tantum). Even for one door, Croatian uses plural form vrata. There’s no commonly used singular “vrat” for “a door” (that would mean “neck”!). Context supplies definiteness since Croatian has no articles. Examples:

Zatvoriti vrata = “close the door.”
Ova/ta vrata = “this/that door (these/those doors).”

What case is vrata in, and why doesn’t it change form?

It’s in the accusative plural as the direct object of zatvoriti. Neuter plural nouns typically have the same form in nominative and accusative: vrata (nom. pl.) = vrata (acc. pl.). Hence no visible change.

Why is it prije mene and not something like prije ja or prije me?

The preposition prije (“before/earlier than”) requires the genitive case. The genitive of ja is mene (strong form). After a preposition, you use the strong form, so prije mene is correct. You cannot use ja (nominative) or the clitic me after a preposition:

✓ prije mene
✗ prije ja
✗ prije me

Does prije mene mean “before me” in time or “in front of me” in space?

Primarily it’s temporal or sequential: “before me/earlier than me.” If you want spatial “in front of me,” use:

ispred mene (genitive) = “in front of me” (location), or
preda mnom (locative with pred) = “in front of me.”
So:
Ne smijete zatvoriti vrata prije mene. = Don’t close the door before me (i.e., before I [enter/pass]).
Ne smijete zatvoriti vrata ispred mene. = Don’t shut the door right in front of me (physically blocking me).

Is there a clearer way to say “before I do (before I go through)”?

Yes, use a prije nego (što) + clause construction:

Ne smijete zatvoriti vrata prije nego (što) uđem. = “You must not close the door before I enter.”
Ne smijete zatvoriti vrata prije nego (što) prođem. = “...before I pass through.”
In careful Croatian, prije nego što is very common; colloquially prije nego also appears.

Can I replace the infinitive with a da + present clause (e.g., Ne smijete da zatvorite...)?

In standard Croatian, after modal verbs like smjeti, the infinitive is preferred: Ne smijete zatvoriti...
The da + present construction (Ne smijete da zatvorite...) is common in Serbian and in some colloquial speech, but it’s not standard Croatian usage. Stick with the infinitive in Croatian.

Is the word order fixed? Can I move prije mene or vrata?

Word order is flexible for emphasis:

Ne smijete zatvoriti vrata prije mene. (neutral)
Prije mene ne smijete zatvoriti vrata. (emphasizes the time phrase)
Vrata ne smijete zatvoriti prije mene. (emphasizes the object)
Avoid overly splitting zatvoriti vrata (e.g., “zatvoriti prije mene vrata”)—it can sound clunky.

Should I include the subject pronoun vi/ti?

Usually no; Croatian drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows person/number. Add Vi or Ti only for emphasis or contrast:

Vi ne smijete zatvoriti vrata prije mene, ali oni smiju.

Is the spelling ne smijete one word or two?

Two words: ne smijete. The negative particle ne is written separately from most verbs (there are a few fused exceptions like neću, nemam, nisam, but ne smijem/smiješ/smije/smijemo/smijete/smiju are always separate).

Any quick pronunciation tips for this sentence?

smijete: pronounce ije clearly as two sounds [i-ye]; don’t reduce it to just “je.”
vrata: rolled/trilled r; stress typically on the first syllable: VRA-ta.
prije: cluster pr at the start, then ije as [i-ye].
Speak smoothly: Ne SMI-je-te za-TVO-ri-ti VRA-ta PRI-je ME-ne.

How would I say this in the past or future?

Past (you weren’t allowed): Niste smjeli zatvoriti vrata prije mene.
Future (you won’t be allowed): Nećete smjeti zatvoriti vrata prije mene.
The infinitive zatvoriti stays the same; smjeti carries the tense.

Is there any nuance difference between “the door” and “the doors” here?

Croatian vrata covers both “the door” (a single doorway) and “the doors” (plural) because it’s plural-only. Context tells you which is meant. If needed, clarify with a determiner: ova vrata (this door/these doors), ona vrata (that door/those doors).