Reci mi to u lice.

me (dative short form)

Breakdown of Reci mi to u lice.

• to: it (demonstrative, neuter)
• reći u lice: to say to someone's face

Questions & Answers about Reci mi to u lice.

What does reci mean here, and what form is it?

Reci is the imperative singular of the verb reći, which means to say / to tell.

So reci means say! / tell! when speaking to one person informally.

Examples:

• Reci istinu. — Tell the truth.
• Reci mi. — Tell me.

If you were speaking to more than one person, or using the formal you, you would say:

• Recite mi to u lice.

Why is it mi and not mene?

Because mi is the dative form of ja (I / me), and here it means to me.

In Croatian, when you say something to someone, that person is usually in the dative:

• Reci mi = Tell me
• literally: Say to me

Mene is a different form, usually used where English would have me as a direct object or for emphasis in certain structures, but not here.

So:

• Reci mi to. = correct
• Reci mene to. = incorrect

What does to mean in this sentence?