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Breakdown of Donesi poruku na sastanak, molim te.
molim te
please
na
to
sastanak
meeting
poruka
message
donijeti
to bring
Questions & Answers about Donesi poruku na sastanak, molim te.
What form is Donesi and how is it formed?
Donesi is the 2nd person singular imperative of the verb donijeti (perfective, to bring). It’s built from the present stem (dones-).
- Present (indicative) of donijeti: donesem, doneseš, donese, donesemo, donesete, donesu
- Imperative: 2sg donesi, 1pl (let’s…) donesimo, 2pl donesite
Why is it poruku and not poruka?
Poruku is the accusative singular of the feminine noun poruka. In Croatian, direct objects take the accusative. Feminine -a nouns change -a to -u in the accusative singular:
- Nom: poruka → Acc: poruku
Why na sastanak and not na sastanku?
With na, use:
- Accusative for motion toward a destination: na sastanak (to the meeting)
- Locative for location (being at): na sastanku (at the meeting) Your sentence expresses movement, so it takes the accusative.
Could I use u instead of na (e.g., u sastanak)?
No. For events like meetings, Croatian uses na: na sastanak / na sastanku. U is for being inside enclosed spaces (e.g., u sobu to the room; u sobi in the room). A meeting is conceptualized as an event, not an enclosure.
What aspect is donesi? Could I say Donosi poruku instead?
Donesi comes from donijeti (perfective), so it means bring it (once, to completion). Donosi is the imperative of donositi (imperfective) and suggests a repeated/ongoing instruction, like a standing rule. For a single upcoming meeting, Donesi poruku is the natural choice; Donosi poruku would sound like a routine order.
How do I make this formal or more polite?
Use the plural imperative and the formal pronoun:
- Donesite poruku na sastanak, molim vas. In emails/letters, you’ll often see capitalized Vas: molim Vas.
Can I move molim te to the front? Do I need the comma?
Yes, both placements are fine, and the comma is standard as it sets off a politeness tag:
- Molim te, donesi poruku na sastanak.
- Donesi poruku na sastanak, molim te.
What does molim te literally mean, and why te (not ti)?
Molim = I beg/ask; te = you (accusative). Literally: I ask you. Ti is nominative (you as the subject), which doesn’t fit here. You can also just say Molim for please.
How would I say “Bring it to the meeting” without repeating poruku?
Use the feminine accusative pronoun for poruka:
- Donesi je na sastanak. / Donesi ju na sastanak. Both je and ju are used in Croatian. With additional clitics, dative comes before accusative:
- Donesi mi je/ju na sastanak. (Bring it to me to the meeting)
How do I negate this command?
Use nemoj + infinitive (2sg) or nemojte (2pl):
- Nemoj donijeti poruku na sastanak. (don’t bring it this one time)
- Nemoj donositi poruku na sastanak. (don’t bring it as a habit/ongoing) Avoid Ne donesi… in standard Croatian.
What’s the difference between donijeti, ponijeti, and odnijeti?
- donijeti: to bring to a target place (often where the speaker or group will be)
- ponijeti: to take something with you (carry along to some destination)
- odnijeti: to take away (carry off from here to there) For a meeting, both donijeti na sastanak and ponijeti na sastanak are common; ponijeti emphasizes taking it along with you, donijeti emphasizes bringing it to the meeting location.
Can I change the word order, e.g., Na sastanak donesi poruku?
Yes. Croatian allows flexible word order for emphasis. Fronting na sastanak highlights the destination:
- Na sastanak donesi poruku, molim te. Neutral/default is still Donesi poruku na sastanak, molim te.
How do I make it clear I mean “the message” and not just any message if Croatian has no articles?
Use a demonstrative or context:
- Donesi tu poruku na sastanak (bring that message)
- Donesi onu poruku… (that one over there)
Without a demonstrative, context usually signals definiteness.
What about za sastanak instead of na sastanak?
Za means for (intended for/purpose), not motion to a place. Compare:
- Donesi poruku na sastanak. (bring it to the meeting)
- Pripremi poruku za sastanak. (prepare a message for the meeting)
How do I say it with plurals or add an indirect object?
- Plural object: Donesi poruke na sastanak. (Bring the messages)
- Add recipient (dative): Donesi mi poruku na sastanak. (Bring me the message to the meeting) Clitic order: dative before accusative (e.g., mi je).
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