Mohu si to zkusit?

When to use

Use this with shop staff before trying on clothing, shoes, or an accessory. Mohu makes the request courteous without encoding the listener as ty or vy because the verb is first-person: 'may I'.

How it works

The reusable pattern is Mohu si + direct object + infinitive: 'May I do something to or for myself?' Here to is the accusative object 'it', while si shows that the trying is done on oneself.

• Mohu: may I; first-person singular of moci
• si: unstressed dative reflexive, here 'on myself'
• to: it; the direct object
• zkusit: to try; perfective infinitive

Clitic and verb aspect

Si is an unstressed second-position clitic, so it follows the first stressed element, Mohu. Zkusit is perfective and suits one bounded trial of the item. The imperfective zkoušet is used when the trying is ongoing or repeated rather than one request to try something on.

Register and Formality

Mohu is standard and somewhat more formal than everyday můžu. Both mean 'I can/may'; neither is a second-person vy form. In a shop, Mohu sounds measured and polite on its own.

Notes

A polite shop request meaning you want to try the item on yourself before buying it.