Question 1

Why do we use ono što to mean "what" in this sentence instead of just što?

Accepted Answer

In Croatian, when "what" means "that which" or "the thing that" (introducing a relative clause that acts as a noun), you use the correlative pair ono što. Using što by itself is usually reserved for asking direct questions, like "What is this?" (Što je ovo?).

Question 2

What is the exact purpose of the word to in the second half of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

The word to (that) acts as a resumptive pronoun, linking back to the entire first clause (Ono što posiješ danas). This "that which... that..." structure is very common in Croatian to emphasize the connection between the two halves of a statement. It firmly points the future action of reaping back to the exact thing that was sown.

Question 3

Why is posiješ (you sow) in the present tense if the sentence is about future consequences?

Accepted Answer

In Croatian, when you are stating a general condition or a universal truth (like a proverb), you often use the perfective present tense in the dependent clause. Even though the reaping is strictly future (ćeš požnjeti), the sowing is treated as a completed action in the relative present.

Question 4

Could I change the word order in the second half to to požnjeti ćeš sutra?

Accepted Answer

No, because ćeš is an enclitic (a "weak" word without its own accent) and must obey strict placement rules, generally falling in the second position of its clause. Since to occupies the first position of the second clause, ćeš must immediately follow it, giving us to ćeš požnjeti sutra.

Ono što posiješ danas, to ćeš požnjeti sutra.

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