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Sve šibice su mokre, tako da ne možemo upaliti vatru.

Sve šibice su mokre, tako da ne možemo upaliti vatru.
All the matches are wet, so we cannot light a fire.
From Lesson 269:Consecutive clauses (tako da)·Croatian

Questions & Answers about Sve šibice su mokre, tako da ne možemo upaliti vatru.

Does the phrase tako da require a special verb form or mood to follow it?
No. In Croatian, consecutive clauses with tako da (meaning so or with the result that) just use the regular indicative mood. Here, it simply connects to the normal present tense verb ne možemo (we cannot).
Why does the adjective take the form mokre (wet) here?
It has to agree in gender, number, and case with the noun it describes, šibice (matches). The word šibica is a feminine noun, so its nominative plural is šibice. Therefore, the adjective mokar (wet) must also take the nominative feminine plural form, which is mokre.
Why use the perfective verb upaliti instead of the imperfective paliti?
You want to talk about the completed action of successfully getting a fire started, rather than the ongoing process of trying to light it. Because we are focusing on the successful result, the perfective upaliti is used.
Could I use pa instead of tako da in this sentence?
Yes, you could say Sve šibice su mokre, pa ne možemo upaliti vatru. Both translate to so, but tako da places a slightly stronger emphasis on the direct consequence or result (with the result that we cannot light a fire).

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