Learn Hardcore Croatian: Nemoj dodavati previše soli u juhu. - Don’t add too much salt to the soup.

Nemoj is the negative imperative of the verb moći (can / be able to) used in a special way: Nemoj + infinitive means “Don’t …” (a prohibition or warning).

Nemoj dodavati… = Don’t add… For plural or polite you, you’d use Nemojte + infinitive: Nemojte dodavati…

Why is it dodavati and not dodati?

Both can be used, but they differ in aspect:

dodavati = imperfective (adding / adding repeatedly / in general / don’t be adding too much)
dodati = perfective (add once / add (and finish)) In everyday prohibitions like this, Nemoj + imperfective is very common because it frames it as avoiding the action in general or over time.

Is this sentence addressed to one person or multiple people?

As written (Nemoj…), it’s addressed to one person (informal singular you).

Singular: Nemoj dodavati…
Plural/polite: Nemojte dodavati…

Why is previše placed before soli? What does previše mean grammatically?

previše means “too much / too many” and behaves like a quantity word. It typically comes before the noun it quantifies:

previše soli = too much salt It’s not an adjective agreeing in gender/case like prevelika sol would be; it’s a fixed quantity expression.

Why is it soli and not sol?

After quantity expressions like previše, Croatian normally uses the genitive:

previše + genitive → previše soli Here soli is the genitive singular of sol (salt).

What case is juhu in, and why?

juhu is accusative singular of juha (soup). With u meaning “into” (motion/direction), Croatian uses:

u + accusative = into So u juhu = into the soup.
(Contrast: u + locative = in, location: u juhi = in the soup.)

Why do we have both u and an accusative—doesn’t in/into already imply location?

Croatian uses case + preposition together to encode meaning. With u, the case tells you whether it’s:

direction (into) → u + accusative (u juhu)
location (in) → u + locative (u juhi)

Is there any difference between u juhu and u supu?

They both mean “into the soup”, but:

juha is the more common general word for soup (especially in Croatian standard usage).
supa is also used, but can sound more regional/colloquial depending on area and context.

Can I move words around, like Nemoj u juhu dodavati previše soli?

Yes, Croatian word order is flexible, but emphasis changes.

Neutral/common: Nemoj dodavati previše soli u juhu.
With emphasis on the destination: Nemoj u juhu dodavati previše soli. (Not into the soup…)
With emphasis on “too much salt”: Nemoj dodavati u juhu previše soli. All are grammatical; the original is a very natural default.

What’s the stress/intonation like—where would a native speaker emphasize?

Often the emphasis is on the warning part:

Nemoj dodavati PREVIŠE soli u juhu. If correcting someone who is adding salt specifically to the soup (not something else), u juhu can be emphasized instead.

Is Nemoj rude? How do I make it softer?

Nemoj + infinitive is normal and not automatically rude, but it can sound firm. Softer options include:

Nemoj dodavati toliko soli… (don’t add that much salt…)
Molim te, nemoj dodavati… (please don’t…)
Pazi da ne dodaš previše soli… (be careful not to add too much salt…)
Nemojte… can also sound more polite if addressing someone formally.

Can this be said without u juhu?

Yes, if the context is obvious:

Nemoj dodavati previše soli. Adding u juhu just specifies where you shouldn’t add too much salt.

How would I change it to “Don’t add too much salt to the soup” (using “to” rather than “into”)?

Croatian still typically uses u + accusative for putting something into food/liquid:

Nemoj dodavati previše soli u juhu. You can also hear u juhu even when English prefers “to the soup,” because conceptually you’re adding it into it.

What’s the dictionary form of each word?

nemoj ← from moći (to be able to), imperative used in prohibitions
dodavati (to add, imperfective)
previše (too much/many)
soli ← sol (salt, genitive singular here)
u (in/into)
juhu ← juha (soup, accusative singular here)

How would I say it in the plural/polite “you”?

Use Nemojte:

Nemojte dodavati previše soli u juhu.

How would I say “Don’t add too much salt to the soups” (plural soups)?

You’d use plural accusative after u:

Nemoj dodavati previše soli u juhe. (singular “you”)
Nemojte dodavati previše soli u juhe. (plural/polite “you”)

Could I replace dodavati with another verb like staviti?

Yes, but the nuance changes:

dodavati = add (as part of cooking/adjusting)
staviti = put (place something in), more general You could say:
Nemoj staviti previše soli u juhu. This sounds more like a single action (“don’t put in too much”), while dodavati fits gradual adding/tasting better.