Breakdown of Koliko odricanje, toliko i priznanje.
i
and (additive)
koliki
how large
toliki
that big
odricanje
sacrifice
priznanje
recognition
Questions & Answers about Koliko odricanje, toliko i priznanje.
Why are odricanje and priznanje in the nominative case instead of the genitive?
Because koliko and toliko here are not adverbs of quantity (which would force the genitive, as in koliko odricanja). Instead, they are the neuter singular forms of the correlative adjectives koliki and toliki. They agree directly with the neuter nouns odricanje and priznanje in the nominative case.
Does this sentence mean exactly the same thing as Koliko odricanja, toliko i priznanja?
They are very close, but the nuance is slightly different. Using the adverbs with the genitive (koliko odricanja) focuses purely on the quantity or amount of sacrifice. Using the adjectives (koliko odricanje) focuses on the size, scale, or magnitude of the sacrifice itself, literally meaning 'how big a sacrifice, that big a recognition'.
How would this pattern change if I used feminine nouns like žrtva (sacrifice) and nagrada (reward)?
Because koliki and toliki act as adjectives in this sentence, they must agree with their nouns in gender, number, and case. If you swapped in feminine nouns, you would use the feminine forms: Kolika žrtva, tolika i nagrada.
What is the purpose of the word i before priznanje?
Why are there no verbs in this sentence?
This is a very common structure for proverbs, idioms, and pithy sayings in Croatian. The verb 'to be' is simply implied: 'As big as the sacrifice [is], that big [is] the recognition.' Dropping the verb makes the statement sound punchy and timeless.
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