# BCS-ča će ti to



## Milivoje

The phrase ča će ti to, is what I remember my father often telling me as a child growing up in south america. Usually when his patience was exhausted from my asking for something.
I imagine he was asking me what do I want it for but not sure. 
I'd be grateful for any comment or explanation


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## slavic_one

Yes, it means "What do you need it for?/Why do you need that?" on Croatian chakavian dialect.


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## Milivoje

Hvala ljepa, Slavic_one
Amazing how naturally we learn as children.That is exactly what I remember my father trying to tell me.
He was born in a village called Ledenice near Novi Vinodolski which I understand is a Chakavski ikavski area
Thanks again


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## Duya

More idiomatically, I'd translate it as "why [on Earth] are you doing that?", with the underlying message "don't do that".


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## Milivoje

There is a song by Oliver Dragojević titled "Ča će mi copacabana".
I imagine it has the meaning of "what does it matter to me Copacabana" but I can't wrap my head around what the će stands for.


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## Duya

_Će_ is an auxiliary verb for future tense (3rd person singular), and, as in English, it's related with 'will' or 'want". 

_Ča će mi Kopakabana?_ literally means 'what will to-me Copacabana [be]?', or, a bit more pragmatically, 'for what use will Copacabana be to me?'... You get it. 

Similarly, _ča će ti to?_ is typically used as a mild scolding, approximately, 'for-what will to-you that [be of use]?', or, a bit more liberally, 'what the heck are you doing'?


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## Milivoje

Hvala puno, Duya

Your explanation makes total sense and it makes me happy to know that my understanding wasn't too far off the mark.
 I am hopeful that I have lots of the language locked in my subconscious waiting to come out. In the meantime I'll 
continue to study.


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## slavic_one

Duya said:


> More idiomatically, I'd translate it as "why [on Earth] are you doing that?", with the underlying message "don't do that".



Wouldn't agree with the meaning of "doing that". It is generally "what use will you make of it?".
_Ma ča će ti to?! Hiti to ća!_
(You don't need that, throw it away!)




Duya said:


> _Će_ is an auxiliary verb for future tense (3rd person singular), and, as in English, it's related with 'will' or 'want".
> 
> _Ča će mi Kopakabana?_ literally means 'what will to-me  Copacabana [be]?', or, a bit more pragmatically, 'for what use will  Copacabana be to me?'... You get it.
> 
> Similarly, _ča će ti to?_ is typically used as a mild scolding,  approximately, 'for-what will to-you that [be of use]?', or, a bit more  liberally, 'what the heck are you doing'?


I don't know if I can agree with that either. _Ča će mi Copacabana_ (btw it's written like that) - "Why do I need Copacabana?"

_Ča će to mane?_ _To mi ne rabi niš... _(Istrian) - Why do I need that? It's of no use to me.


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## Milivoje

One question,
can you say "Šta će mi Copacabana" or is ča će only used in the Čakavski dialect.
Thanks


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## slavic_one

You can say "Što/Šta će mi..." in Shtokavian dialect, too.


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## Milivoje

Thank you slavic_one
Even though I am 40 years your senior I can still learn from you !


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## Duya

Milivoje said:


> Usually when his patience was exhausted from my asking for something.





slavic_one said:


> Wouldn't agree with the meaning of "doing that". It is generally "what use will you make of it?".
> _Ma ča će ti to?! Hiti to ća!_
> (You don't need that, throw it away!)



@Slavic One: You're right, I was a bit off the mark. I thought that "to" referred to an action rather than an object, because I missed the red part of Milivoje's original post.


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