Learn Croatian: Konobaru, ugledna gospoda čekaju račun! - Waiter, the distinguished gentlemen are waiting for the bill!

Gospoda is a collective noun meaning a group of gentlemen. Even though it refers to multiple men, grammatically it declines just like a feminine singular noun (such as žena). This is a special category of nouns that also includes djeca (children) and braća (brothers).

If gospoda means multiple men, why is the adjective ugledna (distinguished) in the feminine singular form?

Adjectives modifying collective nouns like gospoda, braća, or djeca must match the grammatical shape of the word, not its natural meaning. Since gospoda behaves like a feminine singular noun in its endings, the adjective must also take the feminine singular form (ugledna).

Wait, the adjective ugledna is singular, but the verb čekaju (are waiting) is plural. Is that correct?

Yes, this is the trickiest part of collective nouns! While adjectives describing gospoda take the feminine singular form, the verb must take the 3rd person plural form because it refers to multiple people. So you have a singular-looking subject and adjective (ugledna gospoda) paired with a plural verb (čekaju).

Why does the sentence start with Konobaru instead of Konobar?