Breakdown of Možete li mi, molim vas, donijeti jelovnik?
moći
to be able to
mi
me
molim vas
please
donijeti
to bring
jelovnik
menu
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Croatian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Možete li mi, molim vas, donijeti jelovnik?
What does "Možete li" mean, and why is "li" there?
Možete = "you can" (2nd person plural/formal). li is the yes–no question particle that attaches to the first stressed element, turning the clause into a direct question. So Možete li …? = "Can you …?"
What case is "mi" and why is it used?
mi here is the unstressed dative singular pronoun meaning "to me." Verbs like donijeti (bring) take the recipient in the dative: bring something to someone. Note that mi can also be "we" (nominative plural), but in this sentence it’s clearly the dative "to me."
Where does "mi" go in the sentence?
Clitics like mi generally go in second position in the clause (after the first stressed word or phrase). Hence: Možete li mi, molim vas, donijeti…. If you start with a different phrase, the clitic position adjusts: Molim vas, možete li mi donijeti…
Can I leave out "mi"?
Yes. Možete li, molim vas, donijeti jelovnik? is perfectly natural; the context makes it clear it’s for you/your table. Including mi is a touch more explicit.
Is "molim vas" necessary, and where do I put it?
It’s optional politeness. All of these are fine:
- Molim vas, možete li mi donijeti jelovnik?
- Možete li mi, molim vas, donijeti jelovnik?
- Možete li mi donijeti jelovnik, molim vas? In writing, commas often set off molim vas as a parenthetical.
What’s the difference between "molim vas", "molim te", and just "molim"?
- molim vas: polite/formal "please" (to one person formally or to several people).
- molim te: informal "please" (to one person you’re on tu terms with).
- molim: "please" on its own; also used as "you’re welcome."
Could I ask the same thing with the conditional to sound more polite?
Yes. Biste li mi mogli donijeti jelovnik? is very polite ("Would you be able to bring me the menu?"). You can also say Biste li mi donijeli jelovnik?
Can I form the question without "li"?
Yes. Možete mi donijeti jelovnik? with rising intonation is common in speech and a bit less formal than the li version.
Is "Da li možete…" okay in Croatian?
You’ll hear Da li možete… in the region, but in standard Croatian Možete li… is preferred, especially in careful or written language.
Why is "jelovnik" the same in the accusative as in the nominative?
Masculine inanimate nouns have identical nominative and accusative singular forms. So jelovnik (nom.) = jelovnik (acc.). Animate masculines take -a in the accusative.
Is "jelovnik" the best word, or can I say "meni"?
Both occur, but in Croatian jelovnik is the recommended domestic term. meni is also used for "menu" (a borrowing), yet it clashes with meni = "to me" (dative of ja). In a sentence like this, Možete li mi donijeti meni? is ambiguous/odd, so use jelovnik.
How do I ask for multiple menus or for the whole table?
Use the plural and the dative plural pronoun:
- Možete li nam, molim vas, donijeti jelovnike? ("Could you bring us menus?")
Is there an imperative alternative?
Yes, more direct but still polite with "please":
- Formal: Donesite mi, molim vas, jelovnik.
- Informal singular: Donesi mi, molim te, jelovnik.
What’s the difference between "donijeti", "donesite", and "donositi"?
- donijeti: perfective infinitive "to bring (once/to completion)".
- donesite: imperative 2nd person plural/formal "bring!" (one time).
- donositi: imperfective "to be bringing/bring repeatedly"; not used for a single polite request.
How do I ask for a drinks menu or wine list?
- Drinks menu: Možete li nam, molim vas, donijeti kartu pića?
- Wine list: Možete li nam, molim vas, donijeti kartu vina?
Do I ever capitalize "Vas"?
In everyday writing, use lowercase vas/vam. Capitalized Vas/Vam is reserved for very formal letters/emails.
Can I use "meni" instead of "mi" for emphasis?
Yes. Možete li meni, molim vas, donijeti jelovnik? Using full meni (dative) adds emphasis/contrast ("to me specifically"), while clitic mi is neutral.
Any quick pronunciation tips for tricky parts?
- ž in Možete sounds like the s in "measure".
- j is a "y" sound; donijeti ≈ do-NYEH-tee.
- nj is a palatal "ny" (as in "canyon").
- je/ije are pronounced with a y-glide: je ~ "ye", ije ~ "ee-ye".
- jelovnik starts with a y-glide: je- ~ "ye-".