Možeš li nam pomoći?

Can you help us?

Breakdown of Možeš li nam pomoći?

• moći: to be able to
• pomoći: to help
• nam: us

Questions & Answers about Možeš li nam pomoći?

What does each word mean? What’s the literal translation?

• Možeš = you can (2nd person singular of moći, “to be able to”)
• li = yes/no question particle
• nam = to us (dative plural clitic of mi, “we”)
• pomoći = to help (infinitive, perfective)

Literal: “Can you to-us help?” Meaning: “Can you help us?”

Why is li there, and where does it go?

Li marks a yes/no question in standard Croatian. It must come right after the first stressed element of the clause. Here, the first stressed word is Možeš, so you get Možeš li …?.
Alternatives:

• Spoken/rising intonation: Možeš nam pomoći? (common in speech)
• Regional/Serbian-style: Da li možeš…? (understood but not preferred in standard Croatian)

What is nam, and why is it before pomoći?

Nam is the short (clitic) dative pronoun meaning “to us.” With pomoći (“to help”), the person being helped is in the dative: pomoći + dative.
Clitics like nam stay near the start of the clause (the “second position” rule), so you get Možeš li nam pomoći? not “Možeš li pomoći nam?”
For emphasis, you can use the strong form nama later in the sentence: Možeš li pomoći nama? (emphasizes “us” specifically).

Why is it pomoći and not pomagati?

• pomoći (perfective) = help (as a single, result-oriented act), ideal for a specific request now.
• pomagati (imperfective) = be helping/assist (ongoing or habitual action).
  Example: Možeš li nam pomagati vikendom? “Can you help us regularly on weekends?”

Is this formal or informal? How would I make it more polite?

• The given sentence uses informal singular (ti): Možeš li nam pomoći?
• Formal/polite (vi): Možete li nam pomoći?
• Softer/more polite (conditional):
  
  • Informal: Bi li nam mogao/mogla pomoći? (male/female addressee)
  • Formal/plural: Biste li nam mogli pomoći?
• Add “please”: Molim vas/te, možete/možeš li nam pomoći?

What’s the difference between Možeš li…? and Hoćeš li…?

• Možeš li…? = Can you…? (ability/possibility; also a polite request)
• Hoćeš li…? = Will you…? (willingness/intention; can sound more direct)

Why is there no subject pronoun ti?

Croatian usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person. Možeš already implies “you (singular).”
You can add ti for emphasis or contrast: Možeš li ti nam pomoći? (You specifically?)

Can I ask the same question without li?

Yes, in speech you can rely on rising intonation: Možeš nam pomoći?
In writing and in careful speech, Možeš li…? is the standard yes/no question pattern.

Is li written together with the verb?

No. Li is always a separate word: Možeš li…? Never Možešli.

How do I change “us” to other pronouns?

Replace nam (to us) with another dative clitic:

• mi (to me) → mi: Možeš li mi pomoći?
• ti (to you, informal) → ti: Mogu li ti pomoći?
• mu (to him), joj (to her), vam (to you, formal/plural), im (to them)

How would I answer this question?

• Yes: Da, mogu. / Naravno. / Mogu vam pomoći.
• No: Ne, ne mogu, žao mi je. (I can’t, I’m sorry.) You can add a reason: Ne mogu sada, žurim.

How do I say “Can you help us with X?”

Two common patterns:

• Možeš li nam pomoći s/sa + instrumental?
  Example: … s domaćom zadaćom? (with homework)
• Možeš li nam pomoći oko + genitive?
  Example: … oko selidbe? (with the move)

Pronunciation tips for this sentence?

• ž as in “measure” (zh), š as in “shoe” (sh)
• ć is a soft “ch,” lighter than č
  Approximation: “MOH-zesh lee nahm poh-MOH-chee?”
  Remember diacritics: možeš, pomoći.

Why is the infinitive used instead of a “that” clause (like “that you help”)?

In Croatian, modals like moći take a bare infinitive: možeš + infinitive.
The construction možeš da… is Serbian; standard Croatian prefers the infinitive: Možeš li nam pomoći?

Could I use an imperative instead to make a direct request?

Yes, it’s common in friendly contexts:

• Informal: Pomozi nam, molim te!
• Formal/plural: Pomozite nam, molim vas!
  Questions with moći are softer and more polite in many situations.