Breakdown of Pošto se večeras radi o obiteljskom dogovoru, svi ćemo pokušati slušati jedni druge bez svađe.
Questions & Answers about Pošto se večeras radi o obiteljskom dogovoru, svi ćemo pokušati slušati jedni druge bez svađe.
What does pošto mean here?
Here pošto means since / because / as.
So:
- Pošto se večeras radi o obiteljskom dogovoru... = Since this evening is about a family agreement... = Because tonight this is a family discussion/agreement...
A learner might know pošto from other contexts, because it can also mean after in some sentences, and in everyday language it can even mean for how much / at what price in questions like Pošto je to? = How much is that?
Here, though, the meaning is clearly because/since.
What does se radi o mean?
Raditi se o is a fixed expression meaning:
- to be about
- to concern
- to be a matter of
So:
- radi se o obiteljskom dogovoru = it is about a family agreement = this concerns a family arrangement/discussion
This is not the ordinary verb raditi in the sense to work or to do.
Compare:
- Radim u školi. = I work in a school.
- Radi se o važnom problemu. = It is about an important problem.
The se is part of this expression.
Why is it o obiteljskom dogovoru and not o obiteljski dogovor?
Because the preposition o requires the locative case when it means about.
So:
- nominative: obiteljski dogovor
- locative: o obiteljskom dogovoru
This is a very common pattern in Croatian:
- govoriti o nečemu = to talk about something
- misliti o nečemu = to think about something
- raditi se o nečemu = to be about something
A few examples:
- o knjizi = about the book
- o problemu = about the problem
- o obiteljskom dogovoru = about the family agreement
What exactly does obiteljski dogovor mean?
Obiteljski means family-related / familial, and dogovor means agreement, arrangement, understanding, discussion that leads to agreement.
So obiteljski dogovor can mean:
- a family agreement
- a family arrangement
- sometimes a family discussion if the focus is on reaching agreement
It does not necessarily sound as formal as contract or official agreement. It often suggests that family members are trying to settle something together.
What is večeras doing in the sentence?
Večeras means this evening / tonight.
It sets the time for the whole situation:
- Pošto se večeras radi o obiteljskom dogovoru... = Since tonight this is about a family agreement...
Croatian often places time words fairly early in the sentence, but the word order is flexible.
You could imagine the meaning as:
- Because tonight we are dealing with a family matter...
How does svi ćemo pokušati work grammatically?
This is the future tense.
Croatian future I is formed with:
- a form of htjeti used as an auxiliary
- plus the infinitive
Here:
- ćemo = we will
- pokušati = to try
So:
- pokušat ćemo or ćemo pokušati = we will try
In this sentence:
- svi ćemo pokušati = we will all try
A key point: ćemo is a clitic, so it often appears in the second position of its clause. Since svi comes first, ćemo follows it:
- Svi ćemo pokušati...
That is very natural Croatian word order.
Why is it pokušati slušati with two infinitives?
Because pokušati means to try, and it is followed by another verb in the infinitive:
- pokušati + infinitive = to try to do something
So:
- pokušati slušati = to try to listen
This works much like English:
- We will try to listen
Croatian does not need a separate word corresponding to English to before the second verb here.
What does jedni druge mean?
Jedni druge means each other / one another.
In this sentence:
- slušati jedni druge = to listen to each other
This is a reciprocal expression. Croatian changes its form depending on gender/number/case, but for a mixed group or a general plural group, jedni druge is very common.
A useful way to understand it is:
- jedni = some/ones
- druge = others
- together: one another / each other
Because slušati takes a direct object, druge here is in the appropriate object form.
Why is it slušati jedni druge and not something like slušati se?
Croatian can express reciprocity in different ways, but jedni druge is especially clear and emphatic when you want to say people should listen to one another.
So:
- slušati jedni druge = listen to each other
Using se with some verbs can express mutual action, but with slušati, jedni druge sounds very natural and clear in this context.
It also fits the meaning well because the sentence is about family members making an effort to hear one another calmly.
Why is it bez svađe?
Because bez takes the genitive case.
Base noun:
- svađa = argument, quarrel
After bez:
- bez svađe = without argument / without quarrelling
This is a very important pattern:
- bez problema = without a problem
- bez vode = without water
- bez svađe = without quarrelling / without a fight
In natural English, this whole part is best understood as:
- without arguing
- without a quarrel
- without fighting
Why is the sentence structured as Pošto..., svi ćemo...?
This is a very normal Croatian structure: a subordinate clause first, then the main clause.
So the sentence is:
Pošto se večeras radi o obiteljskom dogovoru, subordinate clause: Since this evening is about a family agreement,
svi ćemo pokušati slušati jedni druge bez svađe. main clause: we will all try to listen to each other without arguing.
Putting the reason first gives the sentence a logical flow:
- this is a family matter
- therefore everyone will try to behave calmly
This is very similar to English sentences like:
- Since this is a family discussion, we will all try to listen to each other calmly.
Could the word order be changed?
Yes, Croatian word order is flexible, though some versions sound more natural than others.
For example, these are possible:
- Pošto se večeras radi o obiteljskom dogovoru, svi ćemo pokušati slušati jedni druge bez svađe.
- Svi ćemo, pošto se večeras radi o obiteljskom dogovoru, pokušati slušati jedni druge bez svađe.
But the original is very natural because it presents the reason first.
Also, because ćemo is a clitic, it normally stays near the beginning of its clause:
- svi ćemo pokušati...
That part is less free than some other parts of the sentence.
Is bez svađe more like without an argument or without arguing?
Literally, it is closer to without a quarrel / without an argument.
But in smooth English, the best translation is often:
- without arguing
- without fighting
- without quarrelling
So a learner should remember two levels:
- literal grammar: bez + genitive noun
- natural meaning: without arguing
Both are useful, depending on whether you are studying grammar or trying to speak naturally.
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