Скажи, действует ли гарантия на мой телефон?

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Breakdown of Скажи, действует ли гарантия на мой телефон?

• телефон: the phone
• сказать: to tell
• ли: whether

Questions & Answers about Скажи, действует ли гарантия на мой телефон?

Why does the sentence start with Скажи, and why is there a comma after it?

Скажи is an imperative meaning Tell me / Say. It works as a short “lead-in” (like Tell me, … in English), so Russian often sets it off with a comma: Скажи, …. You’ll also see Скажи пожалуйста, … with the same punctuation pattern.

Is Скажи formal or informal? What would I say to a stranger?

Скажи is informal (to a friend, someone you address as ты). For polite/formal speech, use:

• Скажите, действует ли гарантия на мой телефон? (to вы) You can also add пожалуйста: Скажите, пожалуйста, …

What does ли do here, and why is it placed after действует?

ли turns the clause into a yes/no question, similar to English whether/if in an embedded-question style. It typically comes right after the word being “questioned” or focused—here the verb:

• действует ли гарантия… = is the warranty valid/does it apply…? Placing ли after действует is the most neutral, standard pattern.

Can I move ли somewhere else in the sentence?