Breakdown of Uključi lampu, molim te, jer bez nje ne mogu da čitam.
ne
not
čitati
to read
moći
can
jer
because
Questions & Answers about Uključi lampu, molim te, jer bez nje ne mogu da čitam.
Why is it uključi? What form is that?
Uključi is the imperative form of the verb uključiti, which means to turn on / switch on.
In this sentence, it is telling one person informally to do something:
- uključi = turn on! / switch on!
This is the singular informal command form, used with ti.
Related forms:
- uključiti = to switch on
- uključi! = switch on! (to one person, informal)
- uključite! = switch on! (to several people, or one person formally)
Because the sentence is asking for one completed action, Serbian naturally uses the perfective verb uključiti here.
Is Uključi lampu formal or informal?
It is informal singular.
Serbian distinguishes between:
- ti = informal you (one person)
- vi = formal you (one person) or plural you (more than one person)
So:
- Uključi lampu = Turn on the lamp. (to one person, informal)
- Uključite lampu = Turn on the lamp. (formal or plural)
The phrase molim te also shows that the speaker is talking to someone with ti.