Questions & Answers about Zatvori vrata, molim te, jer je sada hladno.
Why is zatvori used here? Is it a command form?
Yes. Zatvori is the imperative form, meaning close!
In this sentence, it is the 2nd person singular imperative, so it is used when speaking to one person informally.
It comes from the verb zatvoriti (to close, perfective).
So:
- zatvoriti = to close
- zatvori! = close!
Because the sentence is giving an instruction/request, Serbian uses the imperative here, just as English does.
Is zatvori singular? How would I say this to more than one person or formally?
Yes, zatvori is for one person informally.
If you are speaking:
- to one person formally, or
- to more than one person
you would usually say:
- Zatvorite vrata, molim vas, jer je sada hladno.
So the forms are:
- zatvori = close! (singular informal)
- zatvorite = close! (plural or formal singular)
This is very similar to the ti / vi distinction in Serbian.
Why is it vrata and not something that looks singular? Doesn’t vrata mean doors?