Držite hitni broj pri ruci.

Here držite means keep or have ready / have on hand.

It comes from the verb držati, which often means:

• to hold
• to keep
• to maintain

In this sentence, it does not mainly mean physically holding something in your hand. It means keep the emergency number available and easy to access.

Držite is the 2nd person plural imperative form, and in Croatian it is also used as the polite singular imperative.

So it can mean:

• you all, keep ...
• you, sir/ma’am, keep ... in a polite/formal way

Compare:

• Drži hitni broj pri ruci. = Keep the emergency number handy. (informal singular)
• Držite hitni broj pri ruci. = Keep the emergency number handy. (plural or polite singular)

This is very common in instructions, public notices, and formal advice.

Hitni broj is in the accusative singular, because it is the direct object of držite.

However, with a masculine inanimate noun like broj, the accusative singular looks the same as the nominative singular.

So:

• nominative: hitni broj
• accusative: hitni broj

The adjective hitni agrees with broj in gender, number, and case.

Yes, hitni often literally means urgent, but in context it can also mean emergency.

So hitni broj is understood as an emergency number.

Croatian often uses adjectives in ways that English might express with a noun:

• hitni slučaj = emergency case
• hitna pomoć = emergency medical service / ambulance
• hitni broj = emergency number

Depending on context, more explicit alternatives are also possible, such as:

• broj za hitne slučajeve
• broj hitne službe

But hitni broj is short and clear in an instructional context.

Pri ruci is an idiomatic expression meaning:

• at hand
• close by
• within easy reach
• handy

So the sentence is telling you to keep the number easily accessible.

This is a set phrase, and it is very common in Croatian.

Because the preposition pri normally takes the locative case in this meaning.

The noun ruka changes like this in the singular:

• nominative: ruka
• accusative: ruku
• locative: ruci

So:

• pri ruci = at hand / near at hand

That is why you see ruci.

Because pri ruci and u ruci do not mean the same thing.

• pri ruci = at hand, available, nearby
• u ruci = in your hand

So:

• Držite hitni broj pri ruci. means Keep the emergency number handy.
• Držite broj u ruci. would suggest Hold the number in your hand, which sounds much more literal and less natural in this context.

No. Croatian does not have articles like a or the.

So hitni broj can mean:

• an emergency number
• the emergency number

Which one is intended depends on context.

In practical instructions like this, English often uses the because the situation makes the reference specific, but Croatian simply leaves that unstated.

Grammatically, it is an imperative, so it is a command form. But in real use, it often functions more like:

• a practical instruction
• safety advice
• a formal recommendation

Croatian imperatives are often used in notices, manuals, and public guidance in exactly this way.

So držite can sound less like somebody bossing you around and more like please make sure you keep this available.

Yes. Imajte hitni broj pri ruci is also possible and natural.

The difference is slight:

• držite hitni broj pri ruci emphasizes keeping it available
• imajte hitni broj pri ruci emphasizes having it available

In many contexts, they are very close in meaning.
Držite may sound a bit more like an instruction to maintain that state, while imajte can sound a bit more general.

Yes, it is natural and understandable, especially in instructional or safety-related language.

A native speaker might also use alternatives depending on the exact meaning:

• Držite broj za hitne slučajeve pri ruci.
• Imajte broj hitne službe pri ruci.
• Neka vam hitni broj bude pri ruci.

But Držite hitni broj pri ruci. is perfectly normal as a short, clear instruction.