Molim te, mahni mi kad dođeš do vrata.

Mahni is the imperative singular of the verb mahnuti, meaning to wave.

It is used because the speaker is telling one person to do something:

• mahnuti = to wave
• mahni! = wave!

Since the sentence begins with Molim te, it sounds like a polite request rather than a harsh command.

Mi is the dative form of ja (I / me), and here it means to me.

So:

• mahni = wave
• mi = to me

Together, mahni mi means wave to me.

English often uses to me, but Croatian commonly uses the short dative pronoun mi.

Molim te is a very common way to say please when speaking to one person informally.

Literally:

• molim = I ask / I beg / I please
• te = you (object, singular informal)

But in real usage, Molim te often simply means please.

Without te, molim can still appear in other situations, but Molim te is the natural polite phrase here when addressing one person informally.

Kad means when.

It introduces a time clause:

• kad dođeš do vrata = when you get to the door

So the structure is:

• Mahni mi = wave to me
• kad dođeš do vrata = when you get to the door

Together: wave to me when you get to the door.

Croatian often uses the present tense of a perfective verb after words like kad to refer to a future event.

Here:

• doći = to come / to arrive
• dođeš = you arrive / you come

Even though it is grammatically a present form, in this kind of sentence it refers to something that will happen later:

• kad dođeš = when you arrive / when you get there

This is very normal in Croatian. English also does something similar in clauses with when:

• When you get to the door, wave to me.

Not when you will get to the door.

Dođeš comes from the verb doći, which means to come or to arrive.

A few useful forms:

• doći = to come / arrive
• dođem = I come / arrive
• dođeš = you come / arrive
• dođe = he/she/it comes / arrives

In this sentence, dođeš is 2nd person singular, because the speaker is talking to you.

After the preposition do, Croatian uses the genitive case.

So:

• vrata = door / doors
• do vrata = to the door / up to the door

Even if the meaning is singular in English, vrata is one of those Croatian nouns that often has a plural-looking form. In everyday usage, vrata usually means door.

So learners often notice two things here:

1. do requires the genitive
2. vrata looks plural, but can mean a single door

Yes. Vrata is a noun that is normally used in a plural form, even when English would use singular door.

So:

• vrata = door
• do vrata = to the door

This is one of those vocabulary items you mostly just have to get used to. Many learners initially expect something like a singular form, but in normal Croatian vrata is the standard word.

Yes, Croatian word order is flexible, but mi is a clitic, so it tends to appear early in its phrase or clause.

That is why mahni mi sounds natural.

Possible variations may exist depending on emphasis, but the given order is the most neutral and natural:

• Molim te, mahni mi kad dođeš do vrata.

A learner should especially remember that short pronouns like mi, ti, ga, je, se usually do not behave like stressed full words in English. They often want a specific position in the sentence.

Yes, kad and kada both mean when.

• kad is shorter and very common in everyday speech
• kada is slightly fuller and can sound a bit more formal or careful depending on context

In this sentence, kad is completely natural.

You could also say:

• Molim te, mahni mi kada dođeš do vrata.

The meaning stays the same.

Possibly, but it changes the verb choice and nuance.

• mahnuti usually suggests one wave or a complete waving action
• mahni mi = wave to me
• mahati is the more ongoing/repeated verb
• maši mi can sound more like keep waving / wave repeatedly

In this sentence, mahni mi is very natural because the speaker probably wants one wave when the person reaches the door.

Because Molim te functions here like a separate polite introductory phrase, similar to please used parenthetically.

So the comma helps separate:

• Molim te, = please,
• mahni mi kad dođeš do vrata. = wave to me when you get to the door.

In writing, this punctuation is normal and helps show the sentence structure clearly.