Breakdown of Hoću se boriti protiv straha!
htjeti
to want (intent, will)
boriti se
to fight
protiv
against
strah
fear
Questions & Answers about Hoću se boriti protiv straha!
Why does this sentence start with Hoću instead of the usual future tense helper Ću?
Hoću is the full, emphatic form of the verb htjeti (to want/will). Using the full form instead of the short word ću adds strong determination. It changes the meaning from a neutral 'I will fight' to a forceful 'I will fight' or 'I want to fight.' Also, remember that a Croatian sentence cannot start with a short, unaccented word like ću.
Why is se placed right after Hoću instead of after boriti?
The verb to fight is boriti se, which is a reflexive verb. The word se is an enclitic, which is a short grammar word that must go in the second position of a sentence. Since Hoću takes the first spot, se must jump in right after it, separating it from boriti.
Why does the word for fear have an -a at the end (straha)?
The preposition protiv (against) always requires the noun following it to be in the genitive case. The dictionary form of the noun is strah, and adding -a gives us the genitive form straha.
Can I translate this sentence as 'I want to fight against fear' instead of 'I will'?
Yes, absolutely! Because htjeti literally means 'to want', the emphatic future tense often doubles as a statement of strong desire. Depending on the context, both 'I want to fight' and a determined 'I will fight' are perfectly correct translations.