S obzirom na to da moj brat ne voli meso svaki dan, danas neće biti kobasica ni slanine.

Breakdown of S obzirom na to da moj brat ne voli meso svaki dan, danas neće biti kobasica ni slanine.

biti
to be
ne
not
moj
my
svaki
every
dan
day
danas
today
brat
brother
voljeti
to like
htjeti
will
ni
nor
meso
meat
s obzirom na to da
since
kobasica
sausage
slanina
bacon

Questions & Answers about S obzirom na to da moj brat ne voli meso svaki dan, danas neće biti kobasica ni slanine.

What does S obzirom na to da mean, and is it a fixed expression?

Yes. S obzirom na to da is a fixed expression meaning considering that, given that, or sometimes since in the sense of giving a reason.

It is best learned as one chunk. Literally, it is built from words meaning something like with regard to the fact that, but learners usually do not need to analyze it word by word every time.

It is a bit more formal or careful in tone than jer.


Could I replace S obzirom na to da with jer?

Usually, yes.

A simpler version would be:

Jer moj brat ne voli meso svaki dan, danas neće biti kobasica ni slanine.

Or, more naturally:

Danas neće biti kobasica ni slanine jer moj brat ne voli meso svaki dan.

The difference is mostly style:

  • jer = simpler, more direct, very common
  • s obzirom na to da = more formal, explanatory, or written-sounding

You may also hear s obzirom da in speech, but s obzirom na to da is the safer standard form for learners.


Why is it ne voli for doesn't like? Where does the English does go?

Croatian does not use a separate helping verb like English do/does for negation.

So:

  • voli = likes
  • ne voli = does not like / doesn't like

The negative particle ne goes directly before the verb.

This is very normal in Croatian:

  • ne znam = I don't know
  • ne mogu = I can't
  • ne voli = he doesn't like

Why is meso singular? Why not a plural word for meat?

Because meso is normally used as a mass noun, just like meat in English.

So ne voli meso means he doesn't like meat in general, not one specific piece of meat.

Croatian often uses singular mass nouns for foods and substances:

  • meso = meat
  • kruh = bread
  • mlijeko = milk
  • voda = water

If you wanted to talk about different kinds of meat, then other wording could be used, but in this sentence meso as singular is exactly what you would expect.


Why is it svaki dan with no preposition?

Because Croatian often uses the accusative case without a preposition for time expressions meaning frequency, duration, or repeated time.

So:

  • svaki dan = every day
  • svaku večer = every evening
  • svaki tjedan = every week

In this sentence, svaki dan means every day.

A useful detail: dan is masculine inanimate, so its accusative singular looks the same as the nominative. That is why the form stays dan.


What does danas neće biti literally mean?

It literally means something like today there will not be.

Here biti is being used in an impersonal, existential way, like English there is / there will be.

So:

  • danas neće biti kobasica = there won’t be sausages today
  • sutra će biti juhe = there will be soup tomorrow

This is a very common Croatian pattern for talking about what is available, present, served, or happening.


Why are kobasica and slanine in those forms after neće biti?

Because with existential biti in a sentence like this, especially under negation, Croatian very often uses the genitive.

So the nouns after neće biti are in genitive forms:

  • kobasica = genitive plural of kobasica
  • slanine = genitive singular of slanina

This is one of the trickier parts for English speakers, because kobasica looks exactly like nominative singular. But here it does not mean one sausage. In this sentence it is genitive plural, so it means sausages.

Why the difference?

  • kobasica is a countable noun, so plural makes sense
  • slanina is usually treated as a mass noun, so singular makes sense

So the sentence is effectively saying:

  • no sausages
  • no bacon

Why is it ni slanine and not i slanine?

Because ni is the normal connector used with negation.

After a negative verb, Croatian often uses ni where English would use or, nor, or and no, depending on context.

Examples:

  • Ne voli čaj ni kavu. = He doesn't like tea or coffee.
  • Nema kruha ni mlijeka. = There is no bread or milk.
  • Neće biti kobasica ni slanine. = There will be no sausages or bacon.

So ni is the expected choice here.


Is slanine singular or plural here?

It is singular here: genitive singular of slanina.

That is because slanina is usually treated as a mass noun, like bacon in English. You normally think of it as a food substance rather than as separate countable items.

So:

  • slanina = bacon
  • slanine = of bacon / any bacon, in the genitive singular here

By contrast, kobasica is countable, so the sentence uses the plural idea: sausages.


Why is there a comma after the first part of the sentence?

Because S obzirom na to da moj brat ne voli meso svaki dan is a subordinate clause giving the reason or background for the main clause.

The main clause is:

danas neće biti kobasica ni slanine

Croatian uses a comma to separate that kind of subordinate clause from the main clause.

So the structure is:

  • reason/background clause
  • comma
  • main statement

This is normal Croatian punctuation.


Can the word order be changed?

Yes. Croatian word order is quite flexible.

The original sentence puts the reason first and the result second:

  • S obzirom na to da moj brat ne voli meso svaki dan, danas neće biti kobasica ni slanine.

You could also put the main idea first:

  • Danas neće biti kobasica ni slanine jer moj brat ne voli meso svaki dan.

That sounds a bit more direct and conversational.

The original version sounds slightly more formal and organized, but both are natural.

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