Learn Hardcore Croatian: U restoranu želim naručiti čaj bez mlijeka. - In the restaurant I want to order tea without milk.

Croatian has no articles. Context and word order convey definiteness. If you need to specify, you use demonstratives like taj/ovaj onaj (that/this/that over there), e.g., u tom restoranu (in that restaurant).

Why is it u restoranu and not u restoran?

u + locative = location (where?): u restoranu (in the restaurant).
u + accusative = direction (into/where to?): u restoran (into the restaurant). Here you’re talking about where you are, so it’s locative.

What case is restoranu, and why does it end in -u?

It’s the locative singular of the masculine noun restoran. Many masculine nouns take -u in the locative singular (e.g., u gradu, u parku, u restoranu). The preposition u triggers the locative when it means “in/at (location).”

Could I use na instead of u?

No. Use u for being inside enclosed spaces like u restoranu. na is for surfaces, open areas, or certain set expressions (e.g., na poslu at work, na koncertu at a concert). For a restaurant, it’s u restoranu.

What form is želim, and are there more polite ways to say “I want”?

želim = 1st person singular present of željeti (to want).
More polite/softer:
- Htio bih/Htjela bih… (I would like…; conditional of htjeti)
- Želio bih/Željela bih… (slightly more formal)
Hoću… is grammatical but can sound blunt in service contexts.

What’s the difference between naručiti and naručivati?

Aspect:

naručiti (perfective) = a single, complete act: “to order (once).”
naručivati (imperfective) = ongoing/habitual: “to be ordering / to order regularly.” In your sentence, naručiti is correct because you mean one order now.

Can I say Želim da naručim?

In standard Croatian, after verbs like željeti/htjeti/moći, the infinitive is preferred: Želim naručiti. The da + present construction (Želim da naručim) is common in Serbian and heard regionally, but it’s not standard Croatian.

Why doesn’t čaj change form here?

čaj is the direct object, so it’s in the accusative. For masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative equals the nominative: čaj → čaj. (Masculine animate nouns would change: vidim prijatelja.)

Why is it mlijeka after bez? How would I say “with milk”?

bez always takes the genitive: mlijeko → mlijeka (gen. sg) → bez mlijeka.
“With milk” uses s/sa + instrumental: s mlijekom (also sa mlijekom is fine). Other examples: bez šećera, s medom.

How do I pronounce the special letters here?

č = ch in “cherry.”
ž = s in “measure.”
lj (in mlijeka) = similar to the “lli” in British “million” said smoothly (a palatal L).
j = y in “yes.”
ije (in mlijeko) = roughly “yeh” with a longer vowel, like “m-lyeh-ko.”
u = oo in “food.”

Is the word order fixed? Can I move u restoranu?

Croatian word order is flexible. You can say:

U restoranu želim naručiti čaj bez mlijeka. (neutral/topicalizing the place)
Želim naručiti čaj bez mlijeka u restoranu. (also acceptable) If you use the conditional clitic bih, it goes to second position in the clause:
U restoranu bih htio naručiti čaj bez mlijeka.

Do I need to say ja?

No. The verb ending in želim already shows “I.” Use Ja only for emphasis or contrast: Ja želim…, a on ne želi.

How do I make it negative?

Put ne in front of the verb:

Ne želim naručiti čaj s mlijekom. (I don’t want to order tea with milk.)
Double negatives are normal in Croatian: Ne želim ništa.

How would this look in Serbian or Bosnian?

Serbian: U restoranu želim da naručim čaj bez mleka. (also Hoću da poručim… is common)
Bosnian: often like Croatian with mlijeko, but da + present is also common: U restoranu želim da naručim čaj bez mlijeka. Note: Croatian prefers kava, Serbian/Bosnian often kafa; Croatian mlijeko, Serbian mleko.

How do I order more than one tea?

2–4 take genitive singular: dva/tri/četiri čaja bez mlijeka.
5+ take genitive plural: pet čajeva bez mlijeka. Example: Želio bih naručiti tri čaja bez mlijeka.

What if I want it to go?

Add za ponijeti (to take away) or colloquial za van:

Htio bih čaj bez mlijeka, za ponijeti.
Molim vas, jedan čaj bez mlijeka, za van.

Are there synonyms or shorter ways to order?

Yes:

Jedan čaj bez mlijeka, molim.
Mogu li dobiti čaj bez mlijeka?
Uzet ću čaj bez mlijeka. (I’ll take a tea…) In Croatian, poručiti is not the usual verb for ordering in restaurants (that’s more Serbian); use naručiti or these polite request formulas.

Do I even need to say “without milk” for tea in Croatia?

Culturally, milk in tea is uncommon in Croatia. If you simply say čaj, you’ll usually get plain tea (often offered with lemon). Saying bez mlijeka is perfectly fine, just usually unnecessary for tea (more relevant for kava/kava s mlijekom).