ма ко / ма шта / ма какав

Regardless of Who or What

Level 5Sounds Like ma ko; ma šta; ma kakav

The particle ма pairs with interrogative pronouns and adverbs (like ко, шта, какав) to express absolute free choice, extreme indifference, or concession: 'no matter who / whoever', 'no matter what / whatever', or 'whatever kind of'.

How It Works

In Serbian grammar, ма functions as an intensifying particle that creates free-choice indefinite pronouns and adverbs (opšte/neodređene zamenice slobodnog izbora).

1. Meaning and Nuance
While било ко / било шта conveys neutral free choice ('anyone / anything'), ма ко and ма шта express strong indifference, dismissal, or emphatic concession ('no matter who / whatever it may be, without exception'). They frequently head concessive clauses followed by да + present tense.

2. Morphology and Declension

  • Standalone particle: Ма is always written as a separate word (never fuse it: write ма шта, not *машта).
  • Declension: The particle ма never changes, while the pronouns decline regularly:
    – Animate: ма ко (nom.), ма кога (gen./acc.), ма коме (dat./loc.), ма ким / ма киме (inst.).
    – Inanimate: ма шта (nom./acc.), ма чега (gen.), ма чему (dat./loc.), ма чиме (inst.).
  • Adjectival agreement: Какав and који decline like ordinary adjectives, agreeing in gender, number, and case with the head noun (e.g., ма какву одлуку).

3. Preposition Placement
In normative standard Serbian, it is traditionally preferred to place prepositions between the particle and the pronoun (tmesis):

  • ма од кога (preferred standard norm)
  • ма са ким (preferred standard norm)
  • ма у чему (preferred standard norm)

Unlike with negative and indefinite pronouns starting with ни- and и- (where splitting is strictly obligatory: ни од кога, never *од никога), ма is an independent particle. Consequently, while ма од кога remains the prescribed form in standard manuals, the unsplit variant (од ма кога, са ма ким) is also encountered in contemporary literature and public usage.

4. Key Distinctions
Do not confuse ма шта (particle + pronoun = 'whatever') with the feminine noun машта ('imagination'). Likewise, distinguish two-word ма да (an informal conversational interjection expressing skepticism, irony, or casual disbelief: 'yeah, right!', 'as if!') from the one-word conjunction мада (meaning 'although').

Examples (4)

  1. Ма ко да позове, реци да нисам код куће.

    Whoever calls / No matter who calls, say that I am not at home.

    Word by Word: No-matter who that calls, say that not-am at home.

    A classic concessive clause where 'ма ко да' sets up a condition that holds true regardless of who the subject is.

  2. Нећемо прихватити компромис под ма каквим условима.

    We will not accept a compromise under whatever kind of conditions.

    Word by Word: Not-will accept compromise under no-matter what-kind-of conditions.

    Here 'ма каквим' functions adjectivally, matching the masculine plural instrumental noun 'условима'.

  3. Ма од кога да је чуо ту вест, требало је да је провери.

    No matter from whom he heard that news, he should have verified it.

    Word by Word: No-matter from whom that is heard that news, needed is that it verifies.

    Demonstrates standard preposition placement directly between 'ма' and the genitive pronoun 'кога'.

  4. Ма шта рекао, она му више не верује.

    No matter what he said, she no longer believes him.

    Word by Word: No-matter what said, she to-him more not believes.

    'Ма шта' is written as two separate words and serves as the direct object of the concessive phrase.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing the prescribed normative split order ('ма од кога') with the informal or less favored position of prepositions.

    Не желим помоћ од ма кога, него од стручњака.
    Не желим помоћ ма од кога, него од стручњака.

    In prescriptive standard Serbian, inserting the preposition between the particle and pronoun ('ма од кога', 'ма са ким') is the preferred norm. While the unsplit order ('од ма кога') is found in literary and everyday writing, careful formal style favors placing the preposition directly before the declined pronoun.

  • Spelling 'ма шта' as a single word ('машта').

    Машта да се деси, остаћемо заједно.
    Ма шта да се деси, остаћемо заједно.

    'Ма шта' (particle + pronoun) means 'whatever'. The single word 'машта' is a noun meaning 'imagination' or 'fantasy'.

  • Failing to inflect 'ма какав' to match the case and gender of the noun.

    Не прихватамо ма какав понуде.
    Не прихватамо ма какве понуде.

    'Ма какав' is an adjectival pronoun. With a feminine plural accusative noun like 'понуде', it must inflect to 'ма какве'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ма ко / ма шта / ма какавLevel 5Regardless of Who or What

Learn This First

To understand and use 'ма ко', 'ма шта', and 'ма какав', learners must first know the interrogative pronouns and adjectives ('ко', 'шта', 'какав') that decline according to case, gender, and number, as well as have familiarity with earlier free-choice constructions like '-год'.

Words in This Pattern

макоштакакав