# Copak to není na něm vidět?



## Tagarela

Ahoj,

I didn't understand this phrase from a dialogue very well:

- Takže Milan je do ní zamilovaný?
- To víš že jo! *Copak to není na něm vidět*? (...)

I saw that *copak* means something like "_what then_","_what ever_", "_I wonder what_". But the whole sentece doesn't make much sense to me. 

Nazdar.:


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## Jana337

The word "*copak*" (or "*cožpak*") is hard to translate. In essence, it is something like the English "*duh*" - it expresses the surprise of the speaker - in this case - at the ignorance of the other guy. Or maybe you could consider it something like the English question tags (..., *isn't it*?).

The rest of the sentence is not easy for learners either. 
_Je to na něm vidět. - It can be seen from his appearance, from the way he acts_, _his behavior speaks volumes etc._

So the second person believes that Milan's affectionateness is pretty obvious, and in the question with "*copak*", this statement is negated, as if in surprise:
_It is obvious that he is in love with her, isn't it?_
_Isn't it obviousl that he is in love with her?
_
Other examples:
_Copak už všichni zapomněli, jaké to tady před rokem 1989 vypadalo?_ - Marvelling at the opinion polls results showing that many people would prefer the _ancien régime_ over the current one. 
_Copak ses úplně zbláznil?
Copak už mi nevěříš?
Copak jsem to mohl vědět?_

In the above examples, "*copak*" has nothing to do with "*what / what then*", so let's look at this meaning now: "*Copak*" (but not "*cožpak*") can be used as a more emphatic equivalent of "*co*" at the beginning of a question or some clauses (not relative ones). It sort of expresses your genuine interest.

_Co jsi dnes jedl? Copak jsi dnes jedl?
Chtěl vědět, co jsem dnes jedl. Chtěl vědět, copak jsem dnes jedl. _(a question reformulated into a clause)
_Pamatuješ si ještě to, co jsem ti včera řekl?  Pamatuješ si ještě to, copak jsem ti včera řekl? _ (a relative sentence)


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## Tagarela

Ahoj,

Thank you, Jana. 

I understand the meaning of the sentece now. 
The copak still a little confusing, but I think I'll understand it better later, since now my Czech language level is too low . But I appreciate your effort anyway!

Nashled.:


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## werrr

The principal difference between the two sets of examples is that the “copak” in the first set is particle, possibly interjection, while the latter “copak” is a pronoun. Only the latter one is inflective (copak, čehopak, čemupak, copak, - , čempak, čímpak).

In the same way we can differentiate the particle “což” and the pronoun “což”. The particle is very literal nowadays, the pronoun maybe even obsolete.

“Cožpak” is used, as far as I know, only as the particle.

All the particles function as a kind of magic word wich turns an actual question into a rhetorical one. I guess one could always reformulate it using “snad”:

Copak už všichni zapomněli, jaké… = Zapomněli snad už všichni, jaké…
Copak ses (úplně) zbláznil? = Zbláznil ses snad?
Copak (už) mi nevěříš? = Nevěříš mi snad?
Copak jsem to mohl vědět? = Mohl jsem to snad vědět?

Copak to není na něm vidět? = Není to snad na něm vidět/patrné?

But this is out of the frying pan into the fire, since I see no better English translation for this particular meaning of “snad”.

Etymologically, the word is compound of “co(ž)” and “pak”, but the “pak” doesn’t mean “then” as in modern Czech. It means “on the contrary” or “otherwise/else/but” (“než” in modern Czech) or “more / extra / to spare”.
It is definitely related to German “denn” with the same modern and ancient meanings. I don’t know to what extent it is a calque from German, but at least the usage with the pronouns seems to be.


Pamatuješ si ještě to, co jsem ti včera řekl?  (a relative sentence)
Pamatuješ si ještě to, copak jsem ti včera řekl?  (a relative sentence)
Pamatuješ si ještě, co jsem ti včera řekl?  
Pamatuješ si ještě, copak jsem ti včera řekl? 


“Copak?” itself could mean “What’s matter?”


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