Questions & Answers about Želite li zdjelu juhe?
Why does the word for soup end in -e (juhe)?
Juhe is in the genitive case, which is often used to express quantities, similar to saying "of" something in English. The dictionary form is juha (soup). Because it is a feminine noun ending in -a, its ending changes to -e in the genitive case to give us "of soup".
Why is the word for bowl written as zdjelu instead of zdjela?
Zdjela (bowl) is the direct object of the verb želite (you want) because it is the thing being wanted. In Croatian, direct objects take the accusative case. For feminine nouns ending in -a, the -a changes to -u in the accusative, making it zdjelu.
What does the little word li do in this sentence?
Li is a question particle used to form yes/no questions. To ask a yes/no question in Croatian, you take the verb (želite), put it at the very beginning of the sentence, and add li right after it. So, želite li simply means "do you want?".
Is želite addressed to one person or a group of people?
It could be either! Želite is the "you" plural form of the verb željeti (to want). However, Croatians also use this plural form as a polite, formal way to address a single person, which is exactly what a waiter would use when speaking to a single customer in a restaurant.
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