Learn Hardcore Croatian: Biste li mi mogli reći gdje je sastanak? - Could you please tell me where the meeting is?

Biste li is the 2nd‑person plural conditional of biti (biste) plus the question particle li, used to make a deferential request: “Would you…?” It’s a very polite/formal opener, suitable with strangers or in service contexts.

Why do we have both biste and mogli—is that like “would you could you”?

Yes. Biste … mogli literally means “would you be able (to)…,” a standard way to phrase a very polite request. English does this too (“Would you be able to tell me…”). A simpler but still polite option is present tense: Možete li mi reći…

Why is mogli plural?

It agrees with vi (you plural/polite). With polite singular Vi, Croatian typically uses plural agreement: Biste li mi mogli reći… In practice, some speakers use gendered singular to reflect the addressee: Biste li mi mogao… (to a man) / mogla… (to a woman). Plural is the safest neutral choice.

What does mi mean here, and why not meni?

Mi is the unstressed dative clitic “to me,” required by reći (“to tell [something] to [someone]”). Meni is the stressed form and is used for emphasis: Biste li mogli reći meni… Neutral Croatian prefers the clitic mi.

Why is mi placed before mogli? Could I say Biste li mogli mi reći?

No. Croatian clitics gather early (the “second‑position” rule). After the first stressed word (Biste), clitics line up in a fixed order: li, then the dative mi, then the main verb phrase: mogli reći. So: Biste li mi mogli reći…

Can I omit mi?

Grammatically yes (Biste li mogli reći gdje je sastanak?), but in real requests you usually keep mi because you want them to tell you personally. A very natural everyday option is simply: Oprostite, gdje je sastanak? or Možete li mi reći gdje je sastanak?

How do I pronounce gdje?

Roughly “gyeh.” Many speakers soften the d+j to a palatal sound, so you may hear something close to [gʑe]. In standard Croatian it’s spelled gdje (not gđe); Serbian has gde.

Why is it gdje je sastanak and not a locative like sastanku?

Because je (“is”) is a copular verb. Sastanak is the subject and stays nominative: gdje je sastanak (“where is the meeting”). Note that je is also a clitic and tends to appear early in its clause, hence gdje je, not gdje sastanak je. With a verb of occurrence you change structure, e.g. Gdje se sastanak održava?

What’s the difference between gdje, kamo, and odakle?

Gdje = where (location, no movement): Gdje je sastanak?
Kamo = to where (direction): Kamo idemo na sastanak?
Odakle = from where (origin): Odakle kreće polazak na sastanak?

Do I need a comma before gdje?

No. The indirect question (gdje je sastanak) is the complement of reći, so no comma: Biste li mi mogli reći gdje je sastanak?

Is Da li biste mi mogli reći… okay in Croatian?

It’s widely understood and heard, but standard Croatian prefers no da: Biste li mi mogli reći… or Možete li mi reći… The da li pattern is more typical in Serbian/Bosnian or in colloquial speech.

Can I say Biste li mi rekli gdje je sastanak? or use kazati instead of reći?

Yes. Variants include:

Biste li mi rekli gdje je sastanak? — very natural (“Would you tell me…”).
Biste li mi mogli kazati… — kazati is a near‑synonym of reći, a bit more formal/regional. All are correct; choose based on tone.

What nuance difference is there between gdje je sastanak, gdje se sastanak održava, and gdje će se sastanak održati?

gdje je sastanak: simple “where is it (taking place)?” — immediate/present.
gdje se sastanak održava: “where is it being held/is held?” — more official/scheduled feel.
gdje će se (održati): explicitly future — “where will it be held?”

Is the whole sentence still a question even though gdje je sastanak is embedded?

Yes. The main clause is a yes/no question (Biste li mi mogli reći…), so the sentence ends with a question mark. The embedded gdje‑clause doesn’t change the punctuation.

Is there any difference between reći and reci I should watch for?

Yes:

reći (with ć) = infinitive “to say/tell” (as in this sentence).
reci (no diacritic) = 2nd‑person singular imperative “say!” In standard writing, keep ć in reći; without diacritics, context has to disambiguate.