Learn Hardcore Croatian: Stavi račun na stol, molim te. - Put the receipt on the table, please.

Stavljaš = you are putting (present tense statement/question), not a request.
Stavite = imperative for vi (you plural or polite/formal singular). You’d use Stavite račun na stol, molim vas. in a formal/polite situation.

What’s the difference between staviti and stavljati?

They’re an aspect pair:

staviti (perfective) focuses on the action as completed: put it (and it ends up there).
stavljati (imperfective) focuses on the process/habit/repetition: be putting / put repeatedly.
For a one-time request like this, Croatian naturally uses staviti → Stavi.

Why is račun in this form—what case is it?

Račun is in the accusative because it’s the direct object of the verb staviti (to put something).
For the masculine inanimate noun račun, accusative = nominative, so it still looks like račun.

Why does Croatian say na stol and not na stolu?

Because na can take two cases depending on meaning:

na + accusative (na stol) = movement/direction onto the table (put it onto the table).
na + locative (na stolu) = location (it is on the table).
With staviti (movement), you use na + accusative.

What case is stol here, and why does it change from stol to stolu in other sentences?

Here stol is accusative singular after na expressing movement: na stol.
If you talk about location, you use the locative: na stolu (on the table). So the same noun appears as stol (Acc) vs stolu (Loc).

Is molim te the same as please? How polite is it?

Yes, molim te is a common way to say please to someone you address as ti. It’s polite but informal.
More formal/polite (using vi) is molim vas: Stavite račun na stol, molim vas.

Why is te used in molim te? What is it grammatically?

Te is the accusative clitic form of ti (you).
In molim te, it literally means I ask you / I’m asking you, i.e., please. The structure is: molim + (accusative: whom I’m asking).

Could I put molim te at the beginning or in the middle?

Yes. All of these are natural:

Molim te, stavi račun na stol.
Stavi, molim te, račun na stol. (a bit more inserted/parenthetical)
Stavi račun na stol, molim te. (very common)

Does word order matter here? Could it be Račun stavi na stol?

Word order is flexible, but it changes emphasis:

Stavi račun na stol = neutral.
Račun stavi na stol = emphasizes račun (the bill/receipt, put that on the table).
Na stol stavi račun = emphasizes the destination (on the table, put the bill).

What exactly does račun mean here—bill, check, receipt?

Račun can mean bill/check (e.g., in a restaurant) or receipt (proof of purchase). Context decides. The grammar stays the same.

Can this sentence also mean “Put the account on the table”?

In everyday Croatian, račun overwhelmingly means bill/receipt in such a context.
“Account” is possible in other contexts (like accounting), but on the table strongly suggests the physical bill/receipt.

Why isn’t there a word for the in Croatian?

Croatian doesn’t have definite/indefinite articles like the/a. Definiteness is inferred from context or expressed with other tools (word order, demonstratives like taj/ovaj, etc.). So račun can mean the bill or a bill depending on context.

Is Stavi račun na stol a command? Is it rude?

It is grammatically an imperative, but imperatives are also used for normal requests. Adding molim te softens it. Tone matters too. In many everyday situations, this is perfectly normal and not rude.

Could I use daj instead of stavi?

Not with the same meaning.

stavi = put/place somewhere.
daj = give.
You could say Daj račun na stol in some speech styles, but it’s less precise and can sound abrupt; Stavi račun na stol is the standard way to express “put it on the table.”

How would I say it politely to a stranger (formal “you”)?

Use vi forms:
Stavite račun na stol, molim vas.