Smem li da pozajmim primerak?

question particle

Breakdown of Smem li da pozajmim primerak?

• primerak: a copy (of a publication)
• pozajmiti: to borrow; lend
• smeti: may; be allowed to

Questions & Answers about Smem li da pozajmim primerak?

What does smem mean here, and how is it different from mogu?

Smem means am I allowed / may I, so it asks for permission.

• Smem li da pozajmim primerak? = May I borrow a copy?
• Mogu li da pozajmim primerak? can also mean Can I borrow a copy?, but mogu is more about possibility/ability, though in everyday speech it is also often used for permission.

So:

• smeti = to be allowed to, may
• moći = can, to be able to

In this sentence, smem is slightly more precise if you are asking permission.

Why is there li after smem?

Li is a particle used to form yes/no questions in Serbian.

So:

• Smem da pozajmim primerak. = I am allowed to borrow a copy.
• Smem li da pozajmim primerak? = May I borrow a copy?

This pattern is very common:

• Mogu li da uđem? = May/Can I come in?
• Hoćeš li doći? = Will you come?

In these question forms, li usually comes right after the first verb or stressed element.

Why is the word order Smem li da... and not something else?