што се тиче + Genitive
Introducing a Topic
Use што се тиче followed by a noun phrase or pronoun in the genitive case to set the frame or topic of your sentence ('as for X...', 'regarding X...').
How It Works
The topic-framing structure што се тиче + генитив is the primary, most natural device across formal and colloquial Serbian to express 'as for', 'regarding', or 'with respect to'.
1. Case Government (Genitive)
Learners sometimes mistakenly use the accusative or nominative. In Serbian, the verb тицати се strictly governs the genitive case:
• Што се тиче новог закона, расправа почиње сутра. (As for the new law, the debate begins tomorrow.)
• Што се тиче ове одлуке, сви се слажу. (Regarding this decision, everyone agrees.)
2. Topical Framing vs. Personal Stance
While introducing an informational noun frame simply marks the topic, using personal pronouns creates an idiomatic epistemic stance:
• Што се мене тиче... = 'As far as I am concerned / For my part / In my opinion...'
Notice the natural word order here: the genitive personal pronoun (мене, тебе, њега) naturally slots in before тиче to form a tight prosodic group: што се мене тиче or што се њега тиче.
3. Resumptive Clitics in the Matrix Clause
When the frame introduces an entity that functions as a definite direct object in the ensuing main clause, natural Serbian syntax strongly favors inserting a resumptive object clitic (ме, те, га, је):
• Што се тиче ове књиге, прочитао сам је јуче. (As for this book, I read [it] yesterday.)
Omitting the clitic pronoun (*Што се тиче ове књиге, прочитао сам јуче) sounds unnatural and truncated.
4. Clausal Complements with тога
To frame an entire fact or proposition rather than a single noun, attach the correlative demonstrative in the genitive (тога што / тога да):
• Што се тиче тога што су каснили, нећемо правити проблем. (Regarding the fact that they were late, we will not cause an issue.)
Examples (4)
- Што се тиче финансирања пројекта, сви детаљи биће познати до краја седмице.
As for financing the project, all details will be known by the end of the week.
Word by Word: What itself concerns financing.GEN project.GEN, all details will-be known until end week.
Here, 'финансирања пројекта' is in the genitive neuter singular, establishing the formal informational frame for the main clause.
- Што се мене тиче, можемо одмах потписати уговор.
As far as I am concerned, we can sign the contract immediately.
Word by Word: What itself me.GEN concerns, we-can immediately to-sign contract.
Notice the clitic order 'што се мене тиче', expressing the speaker's personal stance or readiness.
- Што се тиче овог питања, стручњаци још нису постигли консензус.
Regarding this issue, experts have not yet reached a consensus.
Word by Word: What itself concerns this.GEN issue.GEN, experts yet are-not reached consensus.
The demonstrative pronoun and noun 'овог питања' appear in the genitive case as governed by 'тицати се'.
- Што се тиче мог брата, видео сам га јутрос у граду.
As for my brother, I saw him this morning in town.
Word by Word: What itself concerns my.GEN brother.GEN, saw AUX.1SG him.ACC this-morning in town.
Demonstrates the essential resumptive clitic 'га' in the main clause, cross-referencing the topicalized referent 'мог брата'.
Common Mistakes
Using the accusative or nominative case instead of the genitive after тиче.
Што се тиче овај нови закон, расправа почиње сутра.Што се тиче овог новог закона, расправа почиње сутра.The reflexive verb 'тицати се' strictly governs the genitive case. 'Овај нови закон' must inflect into the genitive: 'овог новог закона'.
Omitting the reflexive clitic 'се'.
Што тиче буџета, све је договорено.Што се тиче буџета, све је договорено.The lexical verb is inherently reflexive ('тицати се'). Omitting 'се' is ungrammatical in standard Serbian.
Omitting the resumptive pronoun in the main clause when the topicalized item is its direct object.
Што се тиче ове књиге, прочитао сам јуче.Што се тиче ове књиге, прочитао сам је јуче.Because 'ове књиге' is fronted as an independent topic frame, the main verb requires an overt resumptive direct object clitic ('је') to sound natural.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'што се тиче + генитив', learners must be familiar with genitive noun forms that complement the expression, understand the inherently reflexive verb 'тицати се', and understand how topic-comment structuring works in Serbian sentences.
- -а / -еCommon Genitive Singular Forms
Understanding how to decline nouns into the genitive singular is necessary because the introductory phrase governs the genitive case.
Level 1 - се (повратни глаголи)Verbs That Require Se
Understanding reflexive verbs with se is essential since the phrase is built on the reflexive verb 'тицати се'.
Level 3 - Topic and Focus
Understanding the functional distinction between topic framing and focus in Serbian provides the context for how 'што се тиче + генитив' sets up topicalized discourse frames.
Level 5
Related Patterns
- то што / то даFacts and Propositions as Complements
Provides the clausal complement mechanism used when framing an entire proposition ('што се тиче тога што...').
Level 5 - мене / тебе / њега / њеFull Object Pronouns
Contains the full genitive personal pronoun forms required when using this construction with human referents.
Level 2 - Genitive With Prepositions
Governs oblique nominal inflection in prepositional and framing environments.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice што се тиче + Genitive in Bubblegum
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