Breakdown of Razgovarali smo o razlozima za i protiv.
biti
to be (sam, si, je)
razgovarati
to talk
razlog
reason
o
about / on (dependent on)
za i protiv
for and against, pros and cons
Questions & Answers about Razgovarali smo o razlozima za i protiv.
How does Croatian translate the English phrase 'pros and cons'?
Instead of using specific nouns like 'pros' and 'cons', Croatian often uses the phrase razlozi za i protiv, which literally means 'reasons for and against'. You can also use argumenti za i protiv (arguments for and against) or just the fixed phrase za i protiv.
Why is the word razlozima in this specific form?
It is in the locative plural case. The preposition o (about) requires the locative case. The singular noun is razlog (reason). In the plural, the g changes to a z due to a standard sound change, making it razlozi. Then we add the plural locative ending -ma.
Aren't za and protiv prepositions? How are they used at the end of the sentence?
Yes, they normally act as prepositions meaning 'for' and 'against'. However, in this phrase, they function as fixed abstract concepts representing the positive and negative sides. Because they act as a set phrase here rather than active prepositions, they don't change form or require a noun to follow them.
Could we use a perfective verb instead of razgovarali here?
Razgovarali is an imperfective verb and implies an ongoing or general conversation, like 'we were talking' or 'we talked'. If you used a perfective verb like popričali (we had a chat), it would focus on the completion of the chat, slightly changing the feel of the sentence.
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