To express general truths, principles, or proverbs, Croatian frequently uses correlative pronouns. These pair a demonstrative pronoun (like that or the one) with a relative pronoun (like which or who) to create structures such as "he who" or "that which".
Ono što (That which / What)
When talking about concepts, actions, or things in a general sense, use ono što. The word ono (that) acts as a neutral placeholder, while što (which/what) introduces the descriptive clause.
| You will get what you deserved. | Dobit ćeš ono što si zaslužio. |
| People judge that which they do not understand. | Ljudi sude ono što ne razumiju. |
Onaj tko (He who / The one who)
When referring to people generally, use onaj tko. Here, onaj points to an unspecified person, and tko links them to the action they perform.
| He who does not risk has nothing. | Onaj tko ne riskira, nema ništa. |
| A fool is he who believes in such lies. | Budala je onaj tko vjeruje u takve laži. |
Proverbs and Emphasis
Correlative structures are the foundation of many maxims and life lessons. Often, if a proverb begins with ono što, the second half of the sentence will use to (that) to clearly point back to the first clause and emphasize the consequence.
| What you sow today, that you will reap tomorrow. | Ono što posiješ danas, to ćeš požnjeti sutra. |
These structures are highly versatile and are the natural way to discuss abstract concepts like justice (pravda), forgiveness, and making mistakes.
| Justice means that everyone gets what they deserved. | Pravda znači da svatko dobije ono što je zaslužio. |
| He who forgives lives in peace, and a fool wants to take revenge. | Onaj tko oprašta živi u miru, a budala se želi osvetiti. |
| Justice will win only when he who makes mistakes pays the penalty. | Pravda će pobijediti tek kada onaj tko griješi plati kaznu. |
