Learn Hardcore Croatian: Molim vas, ulaz je desno, a izlaz lijevo. - Please, the entrance is on the right, and the exit is on the left.

It literally means “I beg/ask you,” but in practice it functions as polite “please” or “excuse me” (to get someone’s attention). On its own, Molim is also commonly used as “You’re welcome.”

Why vas and not te?

vas is the formal or plural “you” (accusative). Use it for one person formally or for more than one person. Molim te is informal singular (“please” to a friend, child, etc.).

Should I capitalize Vas?

In letters/emails and some formal notices, capitalizing Vi/Vas/Vama/Vaš shows respect. Otherwise, lowercase (vi/vas) is standard. So both Molim vas and Molim Vas appear, depending on context.

Why is there a comma after Molim vas and before a?

The comma after Molim vas sets off the introductory politeness phrase. Croatian also places a comma before the coordinating conjunction a when it links two independent clauses: ..., a ....

What does a mean here, and how is it different from i or ali?

a links clauses with a mild contrast (roughly “and/while” with contrast): ulaz je desno, a izlaz lijevo. i is plain “and” (addition), and ali is “but,” a stronger contrast.

Why is je only in the first clause? Is ... a izlaz lijevo grammatical?

Yes. Croatian often omits a repeated je in the second clause to avoid repetition. The fully explicit version is also fine: Molim vas, ulaz je desno, a izlaz je lijevo.

Why is je after ulaz and not first? Can I say je ulaz desno?

No. je is a clitic and normally sits in second position in the clause, after the first stressed element: Ulaz je desno. Starting with je is ungrammatical, except in the fixed question pattern Je li ...?

Why desno/lijevo and not desni/lijevi or na desno?

desno/lijevo are adverbs meaning “to the right/left,” so Ulaz je desno = “The entrance is to the right.” Use adjectives when modifying a noun: desni ulaz, lijevi izlaz. For “on the right/left side,” use a preposition and agreement: na desnoj strani, na lijevoj strani. Saying na desno is not idiomatic here.

Can I shorten it on a sign?

Yes. Elliptical signs are common: Ulaz desno, izlaz lijevo. You can also omit Molim vas on signage.

How do I pronounce lijevo, and what is lj?

lj is a palatal L, like the “lli” in “million.” lije- sounds like “lyeh-,” so lijevo is roughly LYEH-vo. desno is DES-no. The j is pronounced like English y.

Is lijevo ever levo or ljevo?

Standard Croatian is lijevo (ijekavian). levo is standard in Serbian (ekavian). ljevo occurs colloquially in some areas but is nonstandard in Croatian.

Why is there no word for “the” in ulaz je desno?

Croatian has no articles. Definiteness comes from context or can be shown with demonstratives like taj/ta/to: Taj ulaz je desno (that entrance is to the right).

What’s the difference between ulaz/izlaz and ulazak/izlazak?

ulaz / izlaz: the place (entrance/exit).
ulazak / izlazak: the act of entering/exiting. For directions to a doorway, use ulaz/izlaz.

Could I say Ulaz je s desne strane, a izlaz s lijeve?

Yes. That’s natural. With s you use the genitive: s desne/lijeve (strane). With na, use the locative: na desnoj/lijevoj strani.

Can I use udesno/ulijevo?

Yes, especially for movement: Skrenite udesno/ulijevo (Turn right/left). For static location, desno/lijevo is more idiomatic: Ulaz je desno.

Can I invert the order for emphasis?

Yes: Desno je ulaz, a lijevo izlaz. Fronting desno/lijevo puts focus on the locations.

Could I use Izvolite instead of Molim vas?

In conversation, yes: Izvolite, ulaz je desno... is like “Here you go / Please,” often when helping someone. On a printed notice, Molim vas or nothing is more typical.

Should there be a colon after Molim vas?

A comma is standard here. A colon is possible if you’re introducing a list or a more formal explanation, but with a short statement like this, the comma is preferred.