Learn Hardcore Croatian: Možeš li ostati kod kuće večeras?

Because li is the yes/no question particle in Croatian. It’s an enclitic that must follow the first stressed element of the clause—here, the finite verb možeš (you can). So the neutral pattern is: verb + li + the rest:

Možeš li ostati kod kuće večeras?

Li cannot start the sentence by itself.

Can I ask the same question without li?

Yes. In casual speech you can use a simple rising-intonation question:

Možeš ostati kod kuće večeras? This sounds less formal and more conversational than the li-question.

How do I make this question formal or extra polite?

Formal (to one person or politely to a stranger): Možete li ostati kod kuće večeras?
Softer/more polite request (like “Could you please…”): Biste li mogli ostati kod kuće večeras? You can add molim vas for extra politeness.

Is da li acceptable in Croatian?

You’ll hear da li in everyday Croatian, but in standard Croatian it’s often discouraged (it’s fully standard in Serbian and Bosnian). Preferred Croatian form:

Možeš li ostati kod kuće večeras? If you’re aiming for Croatian standard, stick with verb + li.

What case is kuće and why is it used?

Kuće is genitive singular of kuća (house). The preposition kod (at, by, at someone’s place) always takes the genitive, so:

kod kuće = at home Other examples with kod + genitive:
kod Marka (at Marko’s place), kod liječnika (at the doctor’s).

What’s the difference between kod kuće, u kući, kući, and doma?

kod kuće = at home (state). Neutral and standard: Ja sam kod kuće.
u kući = in the house (inside the building), not necessarily your home: Oni su u kući.
kući (without a preposition) often means “(to) home”: Idem kući (I’m going home). In colloquial speech it can also mean “at home” (Ja sam kući), but standard prefers kod kuće for “at home.”
doma = at home (common in Croatia, colloquial/regionally marked; rare in Serbian/Bosnian): Ostani doma.

Can I move večeras to a different position?

Yes. All of these are fine, with slight differences in emphasis:

Možeš li ostati kod kuće večeras?
Možeš li večeras ostati kod kuće?
Večeras, možeš li ostati kod kuće? (fronted for emphasis on tonight)

Why use ostati and not biti?

ostati = to stay/remain (not leave/go out). It implies continuing to be at home rather than going elsewhere.
biti = to be (a neutral state). Možeš li biti kod kuće večeras? means “Can you be at home tonight?” (not necessarily emphasizing the idea of staying/remaining). Tip: Don’t confuse ostati (to stay) with ostaviti (to leave something/someone).

Is ostati perfective or imperfective? Why that aspect here?

ostati is perfective (single, complete staying event). Its imperfective counterpart is ostajati (to be staying, to stay habitually). With a specific time like večeras, the perfective fits best:

Možeš li ostati kod kuće večeras? (one occasion, tonight) Use ostajati for habitual actions: Možeš li vikendom ostajati kod kuće?

How is moći conjugated?

Present tense (irregular):

ja mogu, ti možeš, on/ona/ono može, mi možemo, vi možete, oni/one/ona mogu Negation: ne mogu, ne možeš, ne može, … Past participles: mogao (m), mogla (f), mogli (pl). Common reply: Ne mogu večeras (I can’t tonight).

How do I pronounce the special letters in this sentence?

ž = like the “s” in “measure”
š = “sh” in “ship”
č = “ch” in “chop” (hard)
ć = a softer “ch,” somewhat like “t” + “y” A rough pronunciation guide: MO-zhehsh lee os-TAH-tee kod KOO-cheh ve-CHE-ras.

Where does the stress and intonation go?

Stress placement in Croatian varies by dialect, but for yes/no questions the intonation typically rises toward the end. Keep a natural rise over the final phrase: …kod kuće večerás? Don’t overthink exact stress; clear vowels and the final rising intonation will make you sound natural.

Can I add ti for emphasis?

Yes. The subject pronoun ti is usually omitted, but you can add it for contrastive emphasis:

Možeš li ti ostati kod kuće večeras? (you specifically) You can also front it: Ti, možeš li ostati… (more emphatic).

How do I make a negative or rhetorical version?

Neutral negation (statement): Ne možeš ostati kod kuće večeras. (You can’t…)
Rhetorical/mild surprise: Zar ne možeš ostati kod kuće večeras? (Can’t you stay…?)
Ne možeš li ostati…? also exists, but sounds more formal/old-fashioned or rhetorical.

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

Možeš li… asks about ability/possibility (Can you?).
Hoćeš li… asks about willingness/intent (Will you? Are you willing to?). You can combine them to ask about future ability: Hoćeš li moći ostati kod kuće večeras? (Will you be able to…?)

Any spelling or punctuation gotchas?

Keep all diacritics: Možeš, kuće, večeras. Writing without them (Mozes, kuce, veceras) is informal and non‑standard.
Start with a capital letter and end with a question mark: Možeš li ostati kod kuće večeras?

Where would object pronouns go if I add one?

Clitic pronouns come right after li. For example, if you mean “for me”:

Možeš li mi večeras ostati kod kuće? Here mi (to/for me) follows li. If you add more clitics, they form a fixed cluster after li.

Is there a difference between večeras and noćas?

Yes:

večeras = this evening/tonight (evening hours).
noćas = tonight during the night (late night/overnight). So “Can you stay home tonight?” in the evening sense is with večeras; if you mean during the night, use noćas.