Molim te, dođi do stola.

Please come to the table.

Breakdown of Molim te, dođi do stola.

• do: to
• stol: table
• molim te: please
• doći: to come

Questions & Answers about Molim te, dođi do stola.

What does Molim te actually mean, and how polite is it?

• Literally: “I beg/ask you,” but it functions as “please.”
• It’s informal (T-form), used with friends, family, children.
• Formal/polite (V-form) is Molim vas.
• Molim on its own can also serve as “please,” and in other contexts it also means “you’re welcome.”

Why is there a comma after Molim te?

• Molim te is a parenthetical politeness phrase, so it’s set off by a comma: Molim te, …
• You can also move it to the end: Dođi do stola, molim te.
• In casual messages people sometimes omit the comma, but the comma is standard.

What grammatical form is dođi?

• Dođi is the 2nd person singular imperative of doći (to come).
• Plural/polite: dođite. Example: Molim vas, dođite do stola.
• Imperative from a perfective verb (like doći) tells someone to perform a single, complete action.

Why do we use dođi and not idi?

• Dođi = come (toward the speaker or the speaker’s location).
• Idi = go (away from the speaker or to some other place).
• Here you’re calling someone over to where you are, hence dođi.

How do I pronounce dođi and doći?

• đ sounds like the “j” in “jeans.”
• ć is a soft “ch,” like the “t” in “nature” when it sounds like “ch.”
• Roughly: dođi ≈ DOH-jee; doći ≈ DOH-chee.
• The diacritics matter; writing without them can change meaning or look wrong.

Why is it do stola and not stolu?

• The preposition do (“up to, as far as, to the vicinity of”) always takes the genitive case.
• Stol (table) → genitive singular stola.
• Other examples: do kuće (to the house), do petka (until Friday).

What’s the difference between do stola, za stol, na stol, and na stolu/za stolom?

• do stola: up to/over to the table (approach the table).
• za stol (accusative): to the table to sit/join it (take your seat).
• na stol (accusative): onto the surface of the table.
• na stolu (locative): on the table.
• za stolom (instrumental): at the table (seated/located there).

Does dođi do stola sound redundant because of the two dos?

• No. Doći is a verb with the prefix do- (reach/arrive), and do is an independent preposition taking genitive.
• The combination dođi do + GEN is natural: e.g., dođi do mene (come over to me).

Could I say Priđi stolu instead?

• Yes: Priđi stolu means “Approach/come up to the table.”
• Nuance: prići can sound a bit more formal or descriptive of the movement; doći do is very common and neutral.
• Note the case change: prići governs dative (stolu), while do takes genitive (stola).

How do I make the sentence formal or address multiple people?

• Formal/polite or plural: Molim vas, dođite do stola.
• You can optionally capitalize Vas in very formal writing: Molim Vas, … (not required in everyday use).

Can I drop molim te, or move it?

• Yes. Dođi do stola. = “Come to the table.” (no “please”)
• You can place it at the end: Dođi do stola, molim te.
• Molim alone also works: Molim, dođi do stola.

How do I say “Please don’t come to the table”?

• For a one-off action: Nemoj doći do stola, molim te.
• For ongoing/repeated action: Ne dolazi do stola, molim te. or Nemoj dolaziti do stola, molim te.

When would I use do stola vs. za stol?

• do stola: when you want someone to come up to the table (e.g., to look at something, to pick something up).
• za stol: when you want someone to come to the table to sit/join a meal or activity.

Is this word order fixed? Can I say Do stola dođi?

• Default and most natural: Dođi do stola.
• Do stola dođi is possible for emphasis or poetic effect but sounds marked/unusual in everyday speech.
• You can also insert the politeness phrase in different places: Dođi, molim te, do stola.

Does molim also mean “you’re welcome”?

• Yes. Molim is used for both “please” and “you’re welcome,” depending on context.
• As a response to “thank you” (hvala), molim = “you’re welcome.”