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Questions & Answers about Откройте словарь, пожалуйста.
Why does the verb откройте end in -йте instead of -ите?
To make a polite or plural request, we add an ending to the verb's stem. Because the stem of this verb ends in a vowel (from the future tense я открою), we use -йте. If the stem ended in a consonant, we would use -ите.
Can I use откройте when talking to just one person?
Yes! The -те ending makes it plural (for a group) OR polite/formal (for one person, like a teacher). If you were talking to a close friend, you would drop the -те and use the informal command: Открой.
словарь is the direct object being opened. Why doesn't its ending change?
Direct objects take the Accusative case, but словарь is a masculine, inanimate noun (it is an object, not a living being). For masculine inanimate nouns, the Accusative case looks exactly the same as the basic dictionary form, even when they end in a soft sign.
How should I pronounce пожалуйста?
The letter й in пожалуйста is completely silent. You pronounce it as if it were spelled пожалуста (pa-ZHA-loo-sta).