без обзира на то што / без обзира на то да ли

Irrespective of a Fact or Alternative

Level 6Sounds Like bez obzira na to što; bez obzira na to da li

Use без обзира на то што when dismissing an established fact ('regardless of the fact that...'), and use без обзира на то да ли when setting aside an open choice or condition ('regardless of whether...').

How It Works

In advanced Serbian, concessive clauses dismiss obstacles, counter-facts, or conditions as irrelevant to the matrix clause. The constructions без обзира на то што and без обзира на то да ли provide formal, emphatic alternatives to basic conjunctions like иако or мада.

1. Factual Concession: без обзира на то што
This phrase introduces a proposition whose truth is presupposed as an actual, established fact (factivity). It translates to 'despite the fact that' or 'regardless of the fact that':

  • Use this structure when the event has already happened, is currently happening, or is definite.
  • Example: Без обзира на то што је предлог био образложен, одбор га је одбио. (Irrespective of the fact that the proposal was well explained, the board rejected it.)

2. Alternative / Conditional Concession: без обзира на то да ли
This construction embeds a non-factual alternative or open question. The proposition is not asserted as fact; rather, both outcomes are equally irrelevant to the main clause. It translates to 'regardless of whether':

  • It regularly pairs with или не ('or not') or alternative predicates linked by или.
  • Example: Сви запослени морају поштовати правилник, без обзира на то да ли су сагласни с њим или нису. (All employees must comply with the rules, regardless of whether they agree with them or not.)

3. Syntactic Structure and Register Nuance

  • Strict Accusative: The preposition на strictly governs the accusative neuter pronoun то. Standard Serbian rejects genitive (*тога) or locative (*томе) in this correlative frame.
  • Truncation in Colloquial Speech: In casual everyday spoken Serbian, speakers frequently drop the heavy middle piece на то, saying без обзира што... or без обзира да ли.... However, in formal prose, academic contexts, and high-level standard writing, maintaining the full correlative phrase is standard and expected.
  • Punctuation: When the subordinate clause precedes the main clause, it is obligatorily separated by a comma. When following the main clause, standard comma rules apply for explicit concessive qualifications.

Examples (4)

  1. Обавештење смо послали на време, без обзира на то што одговор још није стигао.

    We sent the notice on time, regardless of the fact that the reply has not arrived yet.

    Word by Word: Notice we-sent on time, without regard on that that reply yet not has-arrived.

    Uses 'без обзира на то што' because the delay of the reply is an established, factual circumstance.

  2. Без обзира на то што су услови били тешки, завршили смо пројекат пре рока.

    Despite the fact that the conditions were harsh, we completed the project ahead of the deadline.

    Word by Word: Without regard on that that were conditions harsh, we-finished project before deadline.

    Fronted clause showing full inversion; a comma obligatorily separates the subordinate concessive clause from the matrix predicate.

  3. Закон се мора примењивати једнако, без обзира на то да ли је неко богат или сиромашан.

    The law must be applied equally, regardless of whether someone is rich or poor.

    Word by Word: Law itself must apply equally, without regard on that whether is someone rich or poor.

    Uses 'без обзира на то да ли' because it presents an alternative condition or spectrum, not a single established fact.

  4. Сутра идемо на пут, без обзира на то да ли ће падати киша или не.

    We are going on the trip tomorrow, regardless of whether it rains or not.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow we-go on trip, without regard on that whether will fall rain or not.

    Illustrates the typical binary pairing with 'или не' for an unresolved future contingency.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'што' where 'да ли' is meant.

    Different MeaningИдемо на излет без обзира на то што ће сутра падати киша.
    Идемо на излет без обзира на то да ли ће сутра падати киша.

    'Без обзира на то што ће сутра падати киша' is correct and means 'despite the fact that it will rain tomorrow' (the rain is expected). 'Без обзира на то да ли ће сутра падати киша' means 'whether or not it rains tomorrow'. Use 'да ли' when the rain is an open question.

  • Using the genitive form 'тога' instead of the accusative 'то' after the preposition 'на'.

    Без обзира на тога што се нисмо чули, све је у реду.
    Без обзира на то што се нисмо чули, све је у реду.

    The preposition 'на' in this correlative frame governs the accusative case ('то'). The genitive pronoun 'тога' is incorrect here.

  • Using 'да' instead of 'што' to introduce an actual factual concession.

    Потписали смо уговор без обзира на то да је цена порасла.
    Потписали смо уговор без обзира на то што је цена порасла.

    In standard Serbian complementizer syntax, factual concession requires 'што'. The marker 'да' in correlative constructions belongs to causal expressions like 'с обзиром на то да' or subjunctive/modal frames.

How It Connects

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без обзира на то што / без обзира на то да лиLevel 6Irrespective of a Fact or Alternative

Learn This First

To correctly use and distinguish 'без обзира на то што' and 'без обзира на то да ли', learners need to understand how 'то што' introduces known factual clauses, how 'да ли' creates embedded alternative/interrogative clauses, and how general concessive relations work in Serbian.

Words in This Pattern

обзирбезна