то што / то да
Facts and Propositions as Complements
Use то што to turn an established, presupposed fact into a noun clause ("the fact that..."). Use то да for propositions, claims, goals, or hypothetical outcomes that are not taken for granted as existing facts.
How It Works
In Serbian, clausal complements can function as nominal arguments via the correlative demonstrative pronoun то.
1. Factive vs. Propositional Meaning:
• то што: Expresses an indisputable, presupposed fact already known or accepted as true ("the fact that..."). Common matrix verbs include reactive and evaluative predicates such as сметати (to bother), радовати (to gladden), чудити се (to be amazed), or криво је (to feel sorry/regretful).
• то да: Expresses a proposition, hypothesis, claim, or desired outcome whose truth value is open or projected. Common governing verbs include мислити о (to think about), говорити о (to speak of), веровати у (to believe in), and инсистирати на (to insist on).
2. Morphosyntactic Declension of 'то':
The pronoun то inflects to satisfy the case or preposition required by the main verb:
• Nominative / Accusative: то што / то да
• Genitive: тога што / тога да (e.g., with prepositions: због тога што)
• Dative: томе што / томе да (e.g., допринети томе да)
• Locative: у томе што / у томе да, о томе да
• Instrumental: тиме што / тиме да (meaning "by doing / through the fact that")
3. Prepositional Requirement:
Serbian prepositions cannot directly govern a conjunction clause (*разговарали смо о да... is strictly ungrammatical). The inflected pronoun то is mandatory to anchor the preposition.
4. Contrast with 'оно што':
Do not confuse то што with оно што. То што nominalizes an entire proposition ("the fact that"), whereas оно што is a free relative pronoun pointing to a concrete entity, thing, or content ("that which / what").
Examples (5)
- Изузетно ме радује то што си успешно завршио студије.
The fact that you successfully finished your studies makes me extremely glad.
Word by Word: Extremely me pleases that what you-have successfully finished studies.
The emotive verb 'радовати' takes 'то што' because completing the studies is a presupposed real-world fact.
- Управа предузећа инсистира на томе да се сви рокови испоштују.
The company management insists that all deadlines be respected.
Word by Word: Management of-company insists on that that itself all deadlines respect.
The verb phrase 'инсистирати на' governs the locative 'томе'. The complementizer 'да' is used because it conveys a demand or stipulation rather than an established fact.
- Није спорно то што је рачун плаћен, већ то да ли је износ био тачан.
The fact that the bill was paid is not disputed, but rather whether the amount was correct.
Word by Word: Not-is disputable that what is bill paid, but that whether is amount been correct.
Contrasts an established fact ('то што') with an unresolved propositional question ('то да ли').
- Постигао је успех тиме што је неуморно радио сваког дана.
He achieved success by working tirelessly every day.
Word by Word: He-achieved is success with-that what is tirelessly worked every day.
The instrumental case form 'тиме што' indicates means or manner through a factual action.
- Разлика је у томе што ми планирамо унапред, а они реагују у тренутку.
The difference lies in the fact that we plan ahead, whereas they react in the moment.
Word by Word: Difference is in that what we plan ahead, and they react in moment.
Locative 'у томе што' introduces an observable reality that defines the factual distinction.
Common Mistakes
Using 'то да' instead of 'то што' with emotive or evaluative predicates
Криво ми је због тога да ниси дошао.Криво ми је због тога што ниси дошао.Because English frequently uses 'that' for both clauses, learners mistakenly choose 'да'. In Serbian, presupposed real-world events governed by emotional reactions require 'што'.
Attaching prepositions directly to complementizers without the inflected pronoun 'то'
Разговарали смо о да путујемо сутра.Разговарали смо о томе да путујемо сутра.Serbian prepositions cannot link directly to conjunctions like 'да' or 'што'. The case-marked demonstrative pronoun 'то' (here locative 'томе') is mandatory to receive the preposition.
Using 'то што' when referring to a specific object or content instead of 'оно што'
Реци ми то што мислиш.Реци ми оно што мислиш.'То што' introduces a factual proposition ('the fact that...'). When referring to an entity or content ('that which / what'), use the free relative pronoun phrase 'оно што'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The constructions 'то што' and 'то да' package entire propositions or factual events as clausal complements governed by verbs, adjectives, or prepositions. To learn their distinction, learners need familiarity with the case forms of demonstrative 'то', standard propositional complement clauses with 'да', and relative/factive clauses with 'што'.
- Declining This That and Possessives
Understanding how demonstrative pronouns like 'то' decline across cases is necessary because 'то што' and 'то да' frequently appear in oblique case forms depending on matrix verb or preposition governance.
Level 3 - мислити да / мислити оSaying What You Think
Understanding standard finite declarative complement clauses introduced by 'да' provides the base clause structure that 'то да' elaborates.
Level 2 - штоRelative Sto
Understanding the function of 'што' as a clausal connector/relativizer is essential for grasping the factive complement construction 'то што'.
Level 4
Related Patterns
- онај ко / оно штоThe One Who and What
'Оно што' is a free relative pronoun phrase denoting specific content or things ('what / that which'), in contrast to 'то што', which denotes an entire factual proposition ('the fact that').
Level 4 - због тога што / с обзиром на то даExplicit Causal Links
'Због тога што' and 'с обзиром на то да' are complex causal conjunctions directly derived from prepositional declensions of 'то' governing 'што' or 'да'.
Level 4 - без обзира на то што / без обзира на то да лиIrrespective of a Fact or Alternative
Demonstrates prepositional government of 'на то' combined with factive 'што' versus open interrogative 'да ли'.
Level 6 - осим што / поред тога штоExceptions and Additional Facts
Builds on factive nominalization with 'што' to introduce exceptions or additional factual considerations.
Level 5
Learn Next
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Practice то што / то да in Bubblegum
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