Ako ne možete da dišete, pregled je hitan.

If you cannot breathe, the examination is urgent.

Breakdown of Ako ne možete da dišete, pregled je hitan.

• biti: to be
• ne: not
• moći: can
• da: that

Questions & Answers about Ako ne možete da dišete, pregled je hitan.

Why are the verbs možete and dišete in the -te form?

Because this sentence is addressing either:

• more than one person, or
• one person formally/politely

In Serbian, vi is used both for plural you and formal singular you, and the verb matches that:

• možeš / dišeš = informal singular
• možete / dišete = plural or formal singular

So this sentence sounds like something a doctor, nurse, or medical text might say politely to a patient.

Why is it da dišete instead of an infinitive like disati?

Serbian very often uses da + present tense where English uses an infinitive.

So after moći (can / be able to), Serbian commonly says:

• možete da dišete

rather than relying only on an infinitive.

A form with the infinitive may also be possible in some contexts, but da + present is extremely common and very natural in Serbian. For learners, it is best to get used to this pattern early.

What does ne možete literally mean?

Literally, ne možete means you are not able.

So:

• možete = you can / you are able
• =