Breakdown of Iako je šansa mala, isplatit će se.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
mali
small
htjeti
to want (intent, will)
iako
although
šansa
chance
isplatiti se
to pay off
Questions & Answers about Iako je šansa mala, isplatit će se.
Why does je come right after iako?
The word iako (although) occupies the first position in its clause. Because je is a clitic (a short, unstressed word), it naturally takes the second position, tucking in right behind iako and before the subject šansa.
Why is the final 'i' missing from the verb isplatit?
In the Croatian future tense, when an infinitive ending in -ti comes directly before the auxiliary verb (će), you must drop the final -i. If we added a subject word to the start of that clause and flipped the verb order, the full infinitive would return: To će se isplatiti (That will pay off).
What is the purpose of se at the end of the sentence?
The verb for 'to pay off' or 'to be worthwhile' is isplatiti se. It is a reflexive verb, meaning it requires the particle se. Because će and se are both clitics, they must cluster together in a specific order immediately after the first word of the second clause.
Where is the word for 'it' in isplatit će se?
Croatian routinely drops subject pronouns like 'it' because the verb form already provides that information. Here, the 3rd person singular auxiliary verb će implies the 'it'.
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