Unatoč tome što nismo dobili odgovor, predali smo prigovor.

Unatoč tome što is a fixed way to introduce a concessive idea: something like despite the fact that, even though, or although.

So:

• unatoč = despite
• tome = that, in the sense of that fact
• što = that / the fact that

Together, unatoč tome što nismo dobili odgovor means despite the fact that we did not receive an answer.

In everyday Croatian, you will also often see simpler alternatives such as:

• iako nismo dobili odgovor = although we did not receive an answer
• premda nismo dobili odgovor = although / even though we did not receive an answer

The version with unatoč tome što sounds slightly more formal and a bit heavier in style.

Because unatoč requires the dative case.

The pronoun to changes by case, and in the dative singular it becomes tome.

So:

• nominative: to
• dative: tome

That is why Croatian says:

• unatoč tome = despite that

This is the same pattern you see with nouns after unatoč:

• unatoč problemu = despite the problem
• unatoč kiši = despite the rain
• unatoč svemu = despite everything

So tome is there because of case government, not because the speaker is emphasizing anything special.

Here, što does not mean what in the usual question-word sense.

In unatoč tome što, it introduces a clause meaning that or the fact that.

So the structure is roughly:

• unatoč tome = despite that
• što nismo dobili odgovor = that we did not receive an answer

You can think of tome što together as something like the fact that.

This use of što is very common in Croatian after expressions like:

• zbog toga što = because
• nakon toga što = after
• prije nego što = before
• unatoč tome što = despite the fact that

So yes, it is the same word form, but here it has a subordinating function, not an interrogative one.

Nismo dobili is the perfect tense in Croatian.

It is made with:

• the present tense of biti used as an auxiliary
• the past participle of the main verb

Here:

• nismo = we are not / we have not, as the negative auxiliary form
• dobili = received, gotten

Together:

• nismo dobili = we did not receive / we have not received

In Croatian, the perfect tense is the normal past tense for completed actions in most everyday situations.

Compare:

• dobili smo odgovor = we received an answer
• nismo dobili odgovor = we did not receive an answer

Because in Croatian, the negation with the auxiliary biti in the perfect tense is written together as a single word.

So:

• smo = we are / auxiliary for we
• nismo = we are not / we did not have

Examples:

• smo dobili = we received
• nismo dobili = we did not receive

This is normal with the present-tense forms of biti when negated:

• nisam
• nisi
• nije
• nismo
• niste
• nisu

So nismo dobili is the standard way to say we did not receive.

Croatian has no articles, so there is no direct equivalent of a or the.

That means odgovor can mean:

• an answer
• the answer

The exact meaning depends on context.

In this sentence, English would most naturally say an answer, because the sentence is talking about not receiving any response at all. But Croatian itself does not mark that difference with an article.

This is something English speakers have to get used to: Croatian leaves definiteness to context much more often.

Predali smo is the perfect tense of predati, which often means:

• to submit
• to hand in
• to hand over
• to file

In this sentence, predali smo prigovor means we submitted/filed a complaint/objection.

Why this verb?

Because predati is commonly used for formally handing something over:

• predati zahtjev = submit an application/request
• predati dokumente = hand in documents
• predati prijavu = submit a registration/application
• predati prigovor = file/submit a complaint or objection

Dati just means to give, which is too general here. Predati suggests a more official act of submission.

Prigovor can mean several related things, depending on context:

• objection
• complaint
• appeal in some administrative settings
• formal protest or formal challenge

In this sentence, it most likely means a formal complaint or objection, especially in an administrative, legal, or bureaucratic context.

That is why predali smo prigovor sounds like something you do with an office, institution, company, or authority.

It is more formal than everyday words like:

• žalba = complaint / appeal
• pritužba = complaint

The exact English translation depends on the situation, but grammatically the Croatian is straightforward.

Because the first part of the sentence is a subordinate concessive clause, and it comes before the main clause.

Structure:

• Unatoč tome što nismo dobili odgovor = subordinate clause
• predali smo prigovor = main clause

Croatian normally separates that kind of clause with a comma.

So the comma works much like in English sentences such as:

• Although we did not receive an answer, we filed a complaint.

If the concessive clause comes first, the comma is expected.

Yes, Croatian word order is fairly flexible, though not completely free.

The sentence as given is neutral and natural:

• Unatoč tome što nismo dobili odgovor, predali smo prigovor.

But other word orders are possible for emphasis, for example:

• Unatoč tome što nismo dobili odgovor, prigovor smo predali.

That version puts extra focus on prigovor.

You could also say:

• Predali smo prigovor unatoč tome što nismo dobili odgovor.

That is also grammatical and natural. It just places the concessive information later.

So yes, word order can change, but the original version is a very standard, neutral choice.

Yes, unatoč tome što is generally a bit more formal or more elaborate than iako.

You can usually replace it with:

• Iako nismo dobili odgovor, predali smo prigovor.

That means essentially the same thing: Although we did not receive an answer, we filed a complaint.

The difference is mainly stylistic:

• iako = shorter, more common, more direct
• unatoč tome što = more formal, more explicit, slightly heavier

Both are correct. A learner should understand both, but the original sentence sounds especially suitable for formal or written contexts.

Because the subject is we, even though Croatian does not explicitly include the pronoun mi here.

The verb forms themselves already show the person and number:

• nismo dobili = we did not receive
• predali smo = we submitted

Croatian often leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed, because the verb ending already tells you who the subject is.

So the sentence could include mi, but it normally would not:

• Mi nismo dobili odgovor, ali smo predali prigovor.

That is possible, but mi would add emphasis. Without it, the sentence is more neutral and natural.