Nemoj zaboraviti svoj mobitel na stolu.

Don’t forget your phone on the table.

Breakdown of Nemoj zaboraviti svoj mobitel na stolu.

• ne: not
• na: on
• stol: table
• mobitel: mobile phone
• zaboraviti: to forget
• svoj: own

Questions & Answers about Nemoj zaboraviti svoj mobitel na stolu.

Why is it written as Nemoj zaboraviti and not just Ne zaboravi? Are both correct?

Yes, both are correct ways to make a negative command.

• Nemoj + infinitive: Nemoj zaboraviti.
• Ne + imperative: Ne zaboravi. Nuance: both are natural; Nemoj can feel a touch softer/more conversational. For plural/polite, use Nemojte zaboraviti or Ne zaboravite.

Why is svoj used instead of tvoj?

Svoj is the reflexive possessive and must be used when the possessor is the subject of the clause (here, the understood subject is “you”). So standard Croatian prefers:

• Correct: Nemoj zaboraviti svoj mobitel.
• Nonstandard/colloquial (or contrastive): Nemoj zaboraviti tvoj mobitel (only if you stress “your phone, not someone else’s”).

What case is svoj mobitel in, and why isn’t it svog/svoga mobitela?

It’s the accusative singular, masculine inanimate. For masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative looks like the nominative:

• svoj mobitel (not svog/svoga mobitela). Forms like svog/svoga appear with masculine animate in the accusative or in the genitive (e.g., svog psa “your own dog,” animate).

What does na stolu express, and why is it locative?

Na + locative expresses a static location (“on”). So:

• Location: na stolu = “on the table.”
• Movement onto: na + accusative → na stol = “onto the table” (e.g., Stavi mobitel na stol.).

Could I say sa stola instead of na stolu? What’s the difference?

• na stolu = “on the table” (where it is).
• sa stola = “from the table” (removal). Use it if you mean “Don’t forget to take it from the table”: Nemoj zaboraviti (uzeti) svoj mobitel sa stola.
  Note: Croatian uses sa (not just s) here for euphony: sa stola.

Is za stolom possible here?

Za + instrumental means “at (the) table” in the sense of being seated/placed there:

• Sjedim za stolom. It’s not appropriate in your sentence; you want na stolu (“on the table”), not za stolom.

Does na stolu attach to the verb or the noun? Is the sentence ambiguous?

It most naturally modifies the noun: “your phone (which is) on the table.” It does not mean “Don’t forget to leave your phone on the table.” For that meaning you would say:

• Nemoj zaboraviti ostaviti svoj mobitel na stolu. To make the “which is on the table” reading extra explicit, you can say:
• Nemoj zaboraviti svoj mobitel koji je na stolu.

What about aspect: zaboraviti vs. zaboravljati?

• zaboraviti = perfective, a one-time act of forgetting (fits here).
• zaboravljati = imperfective, repeated/ongoing action.
  For a habitual prohibition: Nemoj zaboravljati svoj mobitel. (“Don’t keep forgetting your phone.”)

Where do I put a short object pronoun if I say “Don’t forget it”?

Place the clitic in second position in the clause:

• Correct: Nemoj ga zaboraviti na stolu.
• Also correct with the other pattern: Ne zaboravi ga.
• Avoid: Nemoj zaboraviti ga… (not idiomatic).

Is Nemoj one word? What is it, exactly?

Yes, always one word: Nemoj. Historically it comes from ne + a form of “moći,” but in modern usage it functions as the negative imperative particle used with the infinitive: Nemoj + infinitive.

Can I add the subject pronoun ti?

Usually you omit it; Nemoj already implies “you.” Use ti only for emphasis/contrast:

• Neutral: Nemoj zaboraviti…
• Emphatic: Nemoj ti zaboraviti… (“Make sure you don’t forget…”)

How flexible is the word order? Can I move na stolu?

Croatian word order is flexible, but the given order is the most natural. Alternatives are possible but more marked:

• Neutral: Nemoj zaboraviti svoj mobitel na stolu.
• Marked/focus on location: Nemoj na stolu zaboraviti svoj mobitel. For clarity you can also use a relative clause: …svoj mobitel koji je na stolu.

Could I just drop svoj and say Nemoj zaboraviti mobitel na stolu?

You can, but then it means “the phone on the table” (not necessarily yours). Svoj makes it clear it’s your own phone.

How do I make this plural or polite?

Use Nemojte (plural/polite) or Ne zaboravite:

• Nemojte zaboraviti svoj mobitel na stolu. (addressing one person politely or several people; “svoj” refers to each person’s own)
• If you want the objects plural (several phones): Nemojte zaboraviti svoje mobitele na stolu.

Is mobitel the usual word everywhere?

In Croatia, mobitel is standard. In Serbia and parts of Bosnia, you’ll hear telefon or mobilni (telefon). All are widely understood:

• Croatian: mobitel
• Serbian/Bosnian: telefon, mobilni telefon

Is the form Nemoj da zaboraviš acceptable?

That pattern (Nemoj da + present) is common in Serbian and in some colloquial Croatian, but in standard Croatian the preferred forms are:

• Nemoj zaboraviti…
• Ne zaboravi… Use the da-construction with caution in formal Croatian.