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Post by Caligula on Mar 31, 2005 20:39:47 GMT 1
dao sam auto bratu (I gave him my CAR) dao sam bratu auto (I gave my car to HIM) I would translate it like this: dao sam auto bratu (I gave a car to a brother) - we don't know whose car or whose brother .... and actually the same thing the other way around.... dao sam bratu auto (I gave a car to a brother) - we don't know whose car and whose brother Dao sam svoj auto (or moj auto) svom (or mom) bratu... means (I gave MY car to MY brother) peace of cake, isn't it .... :-)
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croam
Full Member
Posts: 71
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Post by croam on Mar 31, 2005 21:39:38 GMT 1
dao sam auto bratu depending on context could definately be construed as "i gave my brother a car" if you know me and that i have a brother and depending on what went first. its implied basically.... it may be formal to say it the way you did but formal language(like formal english) and how people talk aren't the same exactly. I think either way works.
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Post by Ribaric on Mar 31, 2005 23:05:18 GMT 1
I guess this is my biggest worry, I really don't want to construct a sentence that is dramatically out of context like....
I gave a car to my brother (Aren't I wonderful therefore!)
It was to my brother that I gave it (explain who I gave it to).
You can see the difference and it is scary that I'll convey completely the wrong message - hence the lack of confidence in opening my mouth.
Hey Caligula, for some reason (probably because your pseudnim is the name of a particularly savage and ruthless Roman emperor) that you were .....well..... a bloke! Then you mention your Swedish husband and that usually means that your not.....unless you live in San Francisco. Anyway, my thanks to you, GS, star, croam, djevojka iz Zagreba, dejanl, gavin, abbe and the others who have helped.
Is it just me learning? Are there other fellow sufferers out there? I feel like I've got access to 1/2 dozen teachers.
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Post by Caligula on Mar 31, 2005 23:58:26 GMT 1
Hey Caligula, for some reason (probably because your pseudnim is the name of a particularly savage and ruthless Roman emperor) that you were .....well..... a bloke! Then you mention your Swedish husband and that usually means that your not.....unless you live in San Francisco. Ha-ha-ha You've got me! Zagrebcanka, dalmatinske krvi i svedskog pasosa! Där du, översätt det om du kan :-)
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Post by Caligula on Apr 1, 2005 0:01:34 GMT 1
your pseudnim is the name of a particularly savage and ruthless Roman emperor) that you were .....well..... a bloke! I LOVE THIS COMMENT!!! Ha-ha-ha..... You gays, you really think that we (women) are sweet --- you should know better!
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Post by EMIZ on Apr 1, 2005 0:19:26 GMT 1
YOU GAYS ;D
This site is becoming a centre of comedy genius
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Post by Three Lions on Apr 1, 2005 0:49:50 GMT 1
that answered a life time's question in my head...as to why gay men get on so well with hetrosexual men...its because they don't understand them!
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Post by Three Lions on Apr 1, 2005 0:51:24 GMT 1
I meant hetrosexual women.... now this is a confusing topic
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Post by Caligula on Apr 1, 2005 8:15:30 GMT 1
Moahahaha ;D
It's always fun to make people confused.
English is not so easy either, as you notice. Croatian is easier - every letter sounds it's own way and you spell it as it sounds. Not in engslish thou. (thought, three, tree, tough... bläää) almost like french... (almost I said)
.. so, as you kan see by my spelling..., I'm not english and I'm not a homosexual women ;D
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Post by quest on Apr 2, 2005 11:09:44 GMT 1
Folks this is invaluable... Which of the two options emphasises which? dao sam auto bratu (I gave him my CAR) dao sam bratu auto (I gave my car to HIM) tocno je? Hvala lijepa - Ribaric PS - Am I being eggsotic now? Girl from zg is right, it's the other way, "dao sam bratu auto" (I gave him my CAR) "dao sam auto bratu" (I gave my car to HIM) PS: there are even more ways to mix the words and be right ( ), but i'm not wanting to make it more complicated as it already is, these are finenesses. My tip is, remember the first one and forget the others... pozdrav!
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Post by Ribaric on Apr 2, 2005 16:55:16 GMT 1
Thanks for the corrections folks.
Let me get this right. Now I'm gay? How did this happen?
Can't stop, I've got dozens of sentences to make up, each using "svoj" and demonstrating part, present, future tenses - using every case ending (singular only - thankfully).
As for you Caligula, couldn't you be Cleopatra or cuddlibunniwunni or something?
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Post by EMIZ on Apr 2, 2005 17:46:05 GMT 1
Cal, I assure you English is much easier than Croatian.
Now just for native speakers but also for non native speakers, my wife is a Croatian, who is a also an English professor at university and she could wax lyric for hours regarding how difficult Croatian is for foreigners, she often does when the students say how difficult English is.
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Post by EMIZ on Apr 2, 2005 17:46:45 GMT 1
Ribaric je peder ;D
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Post by Ribaric on Apr 3, 2005 1:17:43 GMT 1
Absolutno! I just don't want to sound like a ficko - like wot I do in Inglish. Hocu govorim dobro - ali slusati! To je razglicit. You're probably right though EMIZ, when I get to spend serious time with the kaj speakers then I hope to just pick it up. I've found a willing helper (of the opposing gender!!!!) who I'm hoping will oil the gears of progress. I'm a bit like you and football, you seem to know all about it - but play it? ? Lucky win against Palace I see.
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Post by abbe on Apr 8, 2005 19:40:44 GMT 1
I helped you before, Ribaric, but I'm still learning Croatian myself.
Moj Muzova mama govori kajkavski hrvatski, ali moj muz samo ponekad reci "kaj", ne sve u kajkavski.
I ja govorim samo stokavski.
I'm sure I got that all wrong. This language is hard.
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