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### "No Matter What": Using the Particle ma

When you want to express unconditional determination—like saying "no matter where" or "no matter what"—you can use the free-choice particle **ma**.

By placing **ma** directly in front of question words (like **tko** for who, **što** for what, or **gdje** / **kamo** for where), you create free-choice indefinite pronouns. For example, **ma kamo** means "no matter where (to)", and **ma što** means "no matter what". 

This grammar is incredibly useful when talking about marching forward (**koračati**), acting as someone's support (**oslonac**), or being willing to sacrifice (**žrtvovati**) something despite hardship (**nedaća**).

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### Emphasizing with makar

Similarly, you can use the particle **makar** (even if / no matter) to form concessive indefinite pronouns. The grammatical structure is identical to how you use *ma*.

Combining **makar** with a question word yields phrases like **makar što** (no matter what) and **makar tko** (no matter who). You will often use these to describe an unwavering (**nepokolebljiv**) attitude or an uncompromising search for a companion (**suputnik**).

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### Discussing Unconditional Support

These free-choice pronouns are perfect for having deeper conversations about absolute loyalty and unconditional (**bezuvjetan**) love.

Whether you are describing the value of solid backing (**potpora**) or rejecting the idea of giving up (**odustajanje**), these structures give your statements a sense of absolute certainty.

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Free-choice indefinite pronouns (ma što, ma gdje)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

prep

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Singular pronouns and to be (sam, si, je)

Noun genders (-Ø, -a, -o/-e)

Demonstrative pronouns (ovaj, ova, ovo)

Plural pronouns and to be (smo, ste, su)

Masculine plural nouns (-i)

Feminine plural nouns (-e)

Neuter plural nouns (-a)

Full verb to be (jesam, jesi)

Negative verb to be (nisam, nisi)

Yes/no questions (je li)

Wh- questions (tko, gdje)

Formal vs informal address (ti vs Vi)

Regular present tense (-ati)

Regular present tense (-iti)

Regular present tense (-jeti)

Verb negation (ne)

The verb to have (imati / nemati)

Inanimate direct objects

Feminine direct objects (-u)

Plural direct objects (-e, -a)

Accusative pronouns (me, te, ga, ju)

Adjective agreement

Plural adjectives

Accusative adjectives

Numbers 1 to 10 (jedan, dva, tri)

The locative case (-u)

Feminine locative (-i)

The verb to go (ići)

Destination (u, na)

The genitive case (-a)

Accusative pronouns (nas, vas, ga, ih)

Animate masculine accusative (-a)

Adjective agreement for animate masculine (-og, -eg)

The verb can (moći)

The verb must (morati)

The verb to want (htjeti, hoću)

The future tense (ću/ćeš + infinitive)

The past tense: l-participle (radio, radila)

Past tense word order (Prvo sam radio...)

Past tense with plural subjects (-li, -le, -la)

Feminine genitive singular (-e)

Possession and origin (od, iz)

Negative existence (nema)

Numbers 2, 3, and 4

Genitive plural (-a)

Numbers 11 to 20

Past tense negation (nisam)

Past tense questions (jeste li)

Dative singular

Dative pronouns (ti, mu, joj)

Past tense negation (nisam, nisi...)

Double object pronouns (mu ga, ti ju...)

Reflexive verbs (se)

Reflexive clitic word order

Commands and requests (radi, radite)

Plural demonstratives (ovi, ove, ova)

Possessive determiners (moj, naš, njegov)

Greetings (Dobar dan, doviđenja)

The body: Boli me glava

Directions (lijevo, desno, ravno)

There is, there are (ima)

Politeness (molim vas, hvala lijepa)

How you feel (Sviđa mi se)

Counting by tens to 100 (trideset, četrdeset...)

Quantifiers with the genitive case (malo, puno...)

Adjective agreement in the genitive singular (-og, -e)

Adjective agreement in the genitive plural (-ih)

Genitive prepositions (kod, do, bez...)

Asking what kind and which (kakav, koji)

Possessive determiners (njegov, njezin...)

Possessives in the accusative case

The reflexive possessive (svoj)

Indefinite pronouns (netko, nešto, neki)

Negative pronouns (nitko, ništa)

The verb to need (trebati)

Reciprocal verbs (se)

Introduction to verbal aspect

Perfective verbs with prefixes

Perfective verbs with stem changes

Irregular perfective verbs

Aspect in the past tense

Aspect in the future tense

Vehicular motion (voziti se, putovati)

Arrival and departure ('doći', 'otići')

Entering and exiting ('ući', 'izaći')

Singular accompaniment ('s', 'sa')

Question	Answer
to march	koračati
support (someone to lean on)	oslonac
no matter (free-choice particle)	ma
I will march beside you as your support, no matter where we go.	Koračat ću uz tebe kao tvoj oslonac, ma kamo išli.
unwavering	nepokolebljiv
no matter / even if	makar
She is unwavering in her decision, no matter what they say.	Ona je nepokolebljiva u odluci, makar što oni rekli.
unconditional	bezuvjetan
backing	potpora
giving up	odustajanje
Unconditional backing is better than giving up.	Bezuvjetna potpora je bolja nego odustajanje.
to sacrifice	žrtvovati
hardship	nedaća
No matter where we hide, we must sacrifice something despite the hardship.	Ma gdje se skrivali, moramo žrtvovati nešto usprkos nedaći.
companion	suputnik
I need a loyal companion, no matter who he is.	Trebam vjernog suputnika, makar tko on bio.
An unwavering support is more important than giving up.	Nepokolebljiv oslonac je važniji nego odustajanje.
We will march forward despite the hardship, no matter what happens.	Koračat ćemo naprijed usprkos nedaći, ma što se dogodilo.
Unconditional love means that you always give backing.	Bezuvjetna ljubav znači da uvijek daješ potporu.
The problem is difficult, no matter what we sacrifice.	Problem je težak, makar što žrtvovali.
A good companion is a reliable support in difficult times.	Dobar suputnik je pouzdan oslonac u teškim vremenima.
somehow	nekako
Somehow we will survive this hardship.	Nekako ćemo preživjeti ovu nedaću.
Whatever happens, somehow we will succeed.	Ma što bilo, nekako ćemo uspjeti.
some kind of	nekakav
I heard some kind of strange sound.	Čuo sam nekakav čudan zvuk.
Do you have some kind of plan?	Imaš li nekakav plan?

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