Můžete popsat zloděje?

can

Breakdown of Můžete popsat zloděje?

• zloděj: the thief
• popsat: to describe

Questions & Answers about Můžete popsat zloděje?

What does můžete mean here?

Můžete is the form of moci, meaning can / are able to.
In this sentence, it is used the way English uses Can you... ? or Could you... ? in a polite question.

So Můžete popsat zloděje? is literally something like Can you describe the thief?

Why does můžete end in -te?

The ending -te shows 2nd person plural. In Czech, that form is used for:

• you all
• or one person addressed formally/politely

So můžete can mean either:

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

Is this sentence formal?

Yes, it is polite/formal if you are speaking to one person.

Czech often uses the plural form to be respectful, similar to formal you in some other languages.
The informal singular version would be:

Můžeš popsat zloděje?

That would be used with a friend, child, or someone you address informally.

Why is there no word for you in the sentence?