Questions & Answers about Dobra večer, želimo jelovnik, molim.
Why is jelovnik (menu) in the accusative case here, and why doesn't its ending change?
Jelovnik is the direct object of the verb želimo (we want), so it must be in the accusative case. Because jelovnik is an inanimate masculine noun (a thing, not a living being), its accusative form is exactly the same as its dictionary form.
Wait, večer ends in a consonant. Why is it dobra (feminine) instead of dobar (masculine)?
You spotted an exception! Most nouns ending in a consonant are masculine, but večer (evening) is one of the few feminine nouns that end in a consonant. Because it is feminine, the adjective must match and take the feminine ending -a, making it dobra večer.
Why is molim translated as 'please' if it looks like a verb ending in -im?
Molim is actually the 'I' form of the verb moliti (to ask, pray, or beg). So literally, you are saying 'I ask'. In Croatian, this is the standard and most common way to say 'please'.
Do we need to say mi želimo for 'we want'?
No, you don't need to use the pronoun mi (we). The verb ending -imo in želimo already tells us exactly who is doing the wanting. Pronouns are usually dropped in Croatian unless you really want to emphasize who is doing the action.