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Easy Croaan (rev. 47b) / 79 You’re Wrong and Other Phrases 446 / 600

reconfigure something, but it’s not necessary a correction or improvement.

The pair derived by ras- has a completely unexpected meaning: discuss. It’s used in

the same way as razgovarati («) converse:

Raspravljali smo o planovima DL za ljeto A . We have discussed plans for the summer.

Raspravljao sam s Anom I . I discussed with Ana.

Note that this pair does not use a simple object in A, unlike English!

The perfective verbs have mostly derived verbal nouns of the -ak type:

ispravak (ispravk-) correction

popravak (popravk-) repair

but:

rasprava discussion

Then, there’s the verb ticati (tiče) touch which is mostly used in this phrase:

ticati (tiče) se² + G concern, involve

For example, this is a very frequent sentence:

Ne tiče me A se. It doesn’t concern me. = It’s none of my business.

1

Let me explain you more phrases. However, to explain them, I need to explain a few

grammar details first.

There are two impersonal constructions we haven’t covered yet: both don’t allow a

subject, but normally have objects. The first one looks like the mediopassive, but

uses A instead of N, so there’s no subject:

Kava N se vrlo brzo skuha. Coffee is (can be) prepared very quickly. (mediopassive) ®

Kavu A se vrlo brzo skuha°. One prepares coffee very quickly. (impersonal) ®

What’s the difference? Only cases used, and not much difference in meaning. They

mean basically the same. Of course, they aren’t grammatically the same, the second

one has no subject (no words in N), so the verb must be neuter singular in the past:

Kava N se vrlo brzo skuhala. Coffee was prepared very quickly. (mediopassive)

Kavu A se vrlo brzo skuhalo. One prepared coffee very quickly. (impersonal) ®

While the (se² + A) construction is usually called ‘impersonal’, its meaning is really

mediopassive. We can call it se²+A-passive. This construction is actually more

precise, since the first construction can be also sometimes understood as a

reflexive, as in the following example:

pitam se

pita° me A se ®

I ask myself

or: I am asked. ??

One asks me.

= I am asked.

???

no confusion

As you can see, the first construction would rather be understood as a simple

reflexive. So people use the second construction to specify that they are being

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