Prosíte

Prosíte is a Czech verb form derived from prosit, meaning to ask for or to request. It is the present tense form for the second person plural, which in Czech covers both polite singular address and plural address when using the pronoun vy. In other words, prosíte is used when speaking to one formal addressee or to several people, rather than to oneself or to a single informal listener.

In use, prosíte expresses a request or question in a courteous way, often functioning like “could you” or “would you please” in English. It can begin a polite inquiry or request, for example: “Prosíte, můžete mi říct, kde je nádraží?” (Could you please tell me where the train station is?) or “Prosíte, pomozte mi s tím.” (Please, help me with this.) In everyday casual speech, speakers may instead use profiled forms such as prosím (please) or a direct imperative, depending on tone and context.

Formally, prosíte contrasts with prosím (the first-person/neutral “please” or “you’re welcome” in certain contexts) and with prosí (third-person singular “he/she/it asks” or begs). This triplet illustrates how Czech encodes politeness and address through verb conjugation rather than separate pronouns alone.

Etymology traces prosíte to the Proto-Slavic verb prositi, meaning to beg or request; it has cognates across Slavic languages (e.g., Polish prosić, Russian просить). The form remains common in service interactions, formal communication, and polite requests in Czech. See also: prosím, prosí, prosíte (conjugation of prosit).