Molim vas, ne dirajte gnijezdo i samo mirno stojte ako oko vas zuji pčela.

Here Molim vas means please.

Literally, molim comes from moliti = to ask / to beg / to pray, and vas is you in the polite or plural form. But as a fixed expression, Molim vas is the normal polite way to say please when asking someone to do or not do something.

It can also mean other things in other contexts, such as excuse me? or you’re welcome, but in this sentence it clearly means please.

Because they are imperative forms: commands or instructions.

• dirajte = touch! / be touching! in the you plural / formal you form
• stojte = stand! / stay standing! in the you plural / formal you form

In Croatian, the same verb form is used for:

• speaking to more than one person
• speaking politely to one person using vi

So this sentence could be addressed either to a group or to one person formally.

If you were speaking to one person informally, you would usually say:

Molim te, ne diraj gnijezdo i samo mirno stoj ako oko tebe zuji pčela.

Main changes:

• Molim vas → Molim te
• ne dirajte → ne diraj
• stojte → stoj
• oko vas → oko tebe

So the original sentence is polite or plural, while this version is singular and informal.

Both are possible in Croatian.

• Ne dirajte gnijezdo = Don’t touch the nest
• Nemojte dirati gnijezdo = also Don’t touch the nest

In practice, ne + imperative is very common in short warnings and instructions, especially with verbs like dirati.
Nemojte + infinitive is also very common and can sound a little more explicit or slightly softer depending on context.

So the sentence uses a perfectly normal short warning style.

It is in the accusative singular, because it is the direct object of dirajte.

You are touching what?
→ gnijezdo

For many neuter nouns in Croatian, the nominative and accusative singular look the same, so:

• nominative: gnijezdo
• accusative: gnijezdo

That is why there is no visible ending change here.

Because mirno is an adverb, not an adjective here.

It modifies the verb stojte:

• stojte mirno = stand still / stand calmly

Compare:

• miran / mirna / mirno = adjective, meaning calm
• mirno = adverb, meaning calmly / still

So the sentence is not describing the people as calm ones; it is telling them how to stand.

Here samo means just or simply.

So:

• samo mirno stojte = just stand still

It adds a reassuring, instruction-like tone: don’t do anything else, just remain still.

It does not mean only in a strict mathematical sense here. It is more like English just in advice or instructions.

Oko vas literally means around you.

• oko = around
• vas = you in the genitive form after the preposition oko

The preposition oko normally takes the genitive.

So:

• oko mene = around me
• oko tebe = around you
• oko vas = around you / around you all

A learner may notice that vas also looks like another case form, but here it is definitely genitive because of oko.

Zuji means buzzes / is buzzing.

It comes from the verb zujati, which is used for the buzzing or humming sound made by insects or similar noises.

So:

• pčela zuji = the bee is buzzing
• oko vas zuji pčela = a bee is buzzing around you

This is a sound-based verb, like English buzz.

Croatian word order is more flexible than English word order.

All of these can be natural, depending on emphasis:

• ako oko vas zuji pčela
• ako pčela zuji oko vas

The version in your sentence puts oko vas early, so the situation around you is introduced first. Then comes the action zuji, and finally the subject pčela.

That kind of order is normal in Croatian and often sounds natural in instructions or warnings. English usually prefers a more fixed order, but Croatian does not need to.

Here stojte is best understood as stand still or stay still.

The verb stajati / stojati-type form here refers to being in a standing position or remaining still. In this context, the idea is not really get up onto your feet, but rather do not move.

So a very natural English translation is:

• just stand still

Depending on context, it can also feel close to:

• stay still
• remain still

A rough guide:

• gnijezdo ≈ gNYEZ-do
• pčela ≈ pchEH-la
• zuji ≈ ZOO-yi

A few notes:

• In gnijezdo, the gnj cluster can feel difficult for English speakers. Try saying the ny sound in canyon, but after a hard g.
• In pčela, the beginning pč is a consonant cluster. The č sounds like ch in church.
• Croatian spelling is fairly phonetic, so once you know the sounds, pronunciation becomes predictable.

Yes, it is singular on purpose.

pčela means bee, singular. The sentence is talking about the situation where a bee is buzzing around you.

Croatian often uses the singular naturally in this kind of warning:

• ako oko vas zuji pčela = if a bee is buzzing around you

If it were plural, it would be something like:

• ako oko vas zuje pčele = if bees are buzzing around you

So the singular is completely normal here.