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Croatian phrases based on NOUNS: 001

RUKA

Following is a massive list of phrases taken from two sources, with editing for clarification and translation.

Use them how you please (if at all). I wouldn't suggest that you try to learn them in one go. My way is to glance over them, getting an idea of the variety of phrases, and then I can dip in again for a particular phrase when I see a need or opportunity, and practise intensely on my poor friends.

Dogovoreno. Evo moje ruke! Sve nam ide od ruke.



From Veliki Hrvatski Jezik (Željko Bujas) (with considerable editing):
1. ruka (nominative, singular)

(figurative) desna ruka   somebody's right-hand man, somebody's right hand/arm;
(figurative)   ruka pomoćnica  helping hand;
produžena ruka    an extension of, the long arm of;
(figurative)   (raditi, ići) ruka o ruku   (to work, to go) hand in hand;
(šetati) ruka pod ruku  (to walk) arm in arm;
(figurative)   čvrsta ruka  firm hand, strong measures/line; authoritarianism; (politics) hard line; (osoba) Mr. Tough Guy;
(proverb)  ruka ruku mije   one hand washes the other, scratch my back and I'll scratch yours;
(football)   ruka!   handball!, hands!

2. ruke (genitive, singular)

evo moje ruke (pogodba)  let's shake on it;
iz prve ruke  at first hand; coll: first-hand, first hand, firsthand (adj first-hand); from first-hand knowledge; (doznati) (straight) from the horse's mouth;
iz druge (treće) ruke  at second/third hand (adj second-hand, third-hand); (posredno) indirectly, vicariously;
kupiti iz druge ruke  to buy second-hand;
ispod ruke  underhand, furtively, under the table; privately;
šetati ispod ruke walk arm in arm;
pristaša čvrste ruke  firm hand (strong-arm, tough line, advocate; authoritarian; hardliner (adj. hardlining);
služiti se metodom čvrste ruke  to use a firm-hand/method/approach, use strong-arm tactics;
provoditi politiku čvrste ruke  pursue a hard line (policy);
široke ruke  open-handed, free-spending, generous (osoba) big spender);
teške ruke  heavy-handed;
ići od ruke do ruke  to pass from hand to hand, change hands, circulate;
dodavati iz ruke u ruku  to pass along;
prelaziti iz ruke u ruku  to change hands;
ide joj od ruke  she is (fairly) good at it, she is clever at it, it comes easy to her, she is making progress;
sve mi ide od ruke  I'm good at everything .; (na ruku) everything is going my way;
ne ide joj od ruke  she is not (very) good at it, it doesn't come easy to her;
danas mi (ili ima dana kad) ništa ne ide od ruke  just one of those days;
(figurative)  jedu mi iz ruke  I have them eating out of my hand; I've got them just where I want them;
smrt od njegove ruke  death at his hands;
od neprijateljske ruke  at the hands of our enemies;
 
3. ruku (accusative, singular)

a) „na ruku“
dobiti na ruku  to get in cash; get it as take-home pay;
dati na ruku  to pay directly to (and in cash);
izaći na ruku  to do smb. a favor, to accommodate somebody; be cooperative/helpful;
ići nekome (direktno) na ruku  to play (straight) into somebody's hands (ili the hands of); (nehotice) to do smb's work (ili play smb's game) for him, to give a handle to; to be well served by, to be helped by; to favor smb., to benefit smb., benefitting from, be to the advantage of; to encourage;
stvari su mu počele ići na ruku  he began to get some breaks, things began going his way;
sve mu je išlo na na ruku  he had (ili was getting) all the breaks, he had everything going for him;

bogatima ide sve na ruku  it's a rich man's world, the rich get all the breaks;
to mu nije išlo na ruku  this wasn't going his way; he was poorly served by it;
nije mi baš na ruku  it is not very convenient, it is out of my way;
na svoju/vlastitu ruku  (to do it) on one's own; on one's own initiative; go it alone;
osoba na svoju ruku  eccentric, coll oddball; maverick; one marching to a different drummer;
na brzu ruku   in a hurry itd.; adj rough-and-ready;
na laku ruku, olako
 
b) »pod ruku«
šetati pod ruku  to walk arm in arm;
uhvativši me pod ruku  slipping her arm through mine;
uhvativši se pod ruku  arm in arm; with arms linked/locked, linking/locking arms;
ići ruka pod ruku sa  to go hand in hand//glove, go together;
sve što mi dođe pod ruku  anything I come across; indiscriminately
 
c) »u ... ruku"
u neku ruku  in a sense/way, in a manner of speaking, you might say, coll sort of; to some degree/extent; something of, some sort of, coll of a sort, coll of sorts;
u najmanju ruku  to say the least, at the very least, coll leastways; at (a) minimum; if anything;
u najbolju ruku  at best;
u drugu ruku  on the other hand
 
d) ostalo
ruku na srce  hand on heart; in (all) fairness, frankly, honestly speaking;
za prvu ruku (nuždu)  as a quick fix, fig. as a Band-Aid; coll. a lick and a promise.
 
(s glagolima)
daj ruku!  let me shake your hand, coll put 'er there, pal; (dogovoreno!) let's shake on it;
dao bih desnu ruku  I would give my right arm;
dajem vam ruku svoje kćeri  I give you my daughter's hand in marriage;
dignuti ruku za  to raise one's hand for, vote for;
(svi koji ... ) dignite ruku  (all of you who ... ) raise (ili hold up) your hands;
dignuti ruku na nekoga  (zaprijetiti)  to raise one's hand to; (udariti) to lay violent hands on;
dignuti ruku na sebe  to take one's life;
imati tešku ruku  to be heavy-handed;
iskrenuti ruku na leđima (izgredniku)  to get an armlock on, pin
somebody's hand behind his back;
podignuti ruku  (učenik) to hold up a hand;
ispružiti ruku  (rukovanje)  to hold out one's hand; (dohvaćanje) to reach out;
povesti za ruku  to lead/take by the hand;
(figurative)   pružiti ruku  to offer/extend one's hand;
slomiti ruku  to break an/one's arm;
stisnuti (čvrsto) ruku  to shake (wring) somebody's hand, give
somebody a (firm) handshake;
uzeti za ruku  to take somebody's hand;


4. ruci (locative, singular)

pri ruci  (near) at/to hand, handy, near by, within easy reach; available; standing by;
što god se našlo pri ruci  whatever came to hand, anything available;
(figurative)  imati u ruci  to have somebody in one's hand/power;

 
5. rukom (instrumental, singular)

(figurative)  rukom o ruku  hand in hand;
rukom rađen  made by hand, hand-made, handcrafted;
pisati rukom  to write by hand, write in longhand;
pisano mojom rukom  in my own hand(writing);
s kartama pod rukom  with maps under his arm;
osjeti se pod rukom  you can feel it by touch;
poći za rukom  uspjeti to succeed;
ništa mi ne ide/polazi za rukom  I can't do a thing right;
pobijedit ću te jednom rukom  I'll beat you with one hand tied behind me;
(football) igra rukom  handling (the ball) (see ruka!);
kao rukom odneseno  (bol, sickness) it worked like magic; (see odmahnuti rukom)


6. ruke (nominative, plural)

ruke i noge kao šibice  matchstick limbs;
grube ruke (od rada)  rough hands;
(figurative)  imati čiste ruke  to have clean hands, be clean-handed;
(figurative)  vezane su nam ruke  our hands are tied;
(proverb) sve se može kad se vrijedne ruke slože  many hands make light work;
imati slobodne/ /pune/krvave ruke - see #8.

7. ruku (genitive plural)

sklopljenih ruku  with clasped hands;
prekriženih ruku  with folded arms;
(figurative)  stajati/sjediti/ostati/gledati prekriženih ruku  keep one's arms crossed, stand idle, just stand by, stand/sit idly by, sit around/back; do nothing, take no action, sit on one's hands; (bez otpora) take it lying down;
ispustiti iz ruku  to let go, drop; fig. (stvari, situaciju) to lose (one's) control (of, over), lose (one's) grip (on), to let  somebody/something get out of hand (see izmaknuti//izmicati iz ruku);
ne puštaj to iz ruku  don't let it go; to hang on to it;
(ostati) praznih ruku  to (be left) empty-handed; (slang) to come up empty;
dočekati raširenih ruku  to welcome/receive with open arms;
(proverb) više ruku, manje posla  many hands make light work;
dopasti ruku  to come across;
kršenje ruku (očaj)  wringing of hands, hand-wringing;
par dizanjem ruku  by a show of hands (voting);
od neprijateljskih ruku  at the hands of our enemies;

 
8. ruke (accusative, plural)

ruke sebi!  hands off!, take your hands off me!;
ruke uvis!  hands up!, coll stick/put 'em up!;
na ruke (rukom) by hand;
„na ruke“ (pismo) „Eyes Only“, „Personal Attention“, „Attention“
 
(s glagolima)
dati u ruke  to hand it to somebody, to give/put it in smb's hands;
čuvati slobodne ruke  to keep a free hand; to keep one's options open;
dati slobodne ruke  to give a free hand, give freedom of action, give free/full rein (to), give plenty of rope; give a blank check9, give carte blanche; leave it at somebody's discretion; allow free play;
dati slobodnije ruke  to give more freedom of action, give freer rein, give greater leeway;
dignuti ruke od  to give up, quit; give up on somebody; opt out, walk away from;
dignuti ruke uvis  to put one's hands up;
dobiti slobodne ruke  to get a free hand itd.;
dobiti na ruke (novac) see dobiti na ruku #3; to get cash in hand
doći/dospjeti u ruke  to come into the hands of;
držeći se za ruke  holding hands, hand-in-hand;
imati krvave ruke  to have blood on one's hands;
imati pune ruke posla  to have one's hands full;
imam pune ruke posla  I have my work cut out, I have my hands full, my hands are full (->12 posao);
imati slobodne  ruke  to have a free hand, have full rein, to have a blank cheque, to have carte blanche; (uglavnom) to do pretty much as one pleases;
lomiti/kršiti ruke  to wring one's hands (zbog, over); be agonized1 (over);
mijenjati ruke  to change hands;
okrvaviti  to bloody one's hands (koji to nisu) those who have no blood on their hands);
(o)prati ruke od svega  to  wash one's hands of the whole business;
ostaviti slobodne ruke  to leave smb's hands free; fig. leave somebody a free hand;
pasti u nečije ruke  to fall into somebody's arms;
pasti u ruke pobunjenika  to fall to (ili into the hands of) the rebels, fall into rebel hands;
prekrižiti ruke  to cross/fold one's arms;
promijeniti ruke  to change hands;
pružiti si ruke  to join hands;
sklopiti ruke to clasp one's hands; (iza glave) clasp (ili lock the fingers at) the back of one's head;
trljati ruke (od zadovoljstva)  to rub one's hands;
uhvativši se pod ruke - see pod ruku #3; arm in arm;
uzeti (dijete) na ruke  to take/pick up (the child) in one's arms;
uzeti u ruke (srediti)  to take in hand;
uzeti stvari u svoje ruke  to take matters into one's own hands, to take over (see #4 uzeti zakon u svoje ruke);
(figurative) vezati ruke  to tie one's hands.


9. rukama (locative and instrumental, plural)

(u/na rukama)
biti u nečijim rukama  to be in smb's hands; be under smb's control;
military grad je u našim rukama  the town is in our hands, the town is in/under our control, the town is held by us;
to nije više u mojim rukama  it is out of my hands now; (odluka) it is not up to me any longer;
to je sada u rukama vlasti  the matter now rests with the authorities;
to je sada u Božjim rukama  it is in God's hands now;
s djetetom na rukama  with one's child in one's arms;
držati situaciju u rukama  to have the situation under control, cope with the situation .; (čvrsto) to keep a firm grip on the situation .;
s revolverima u rukama  with drawn guns
 
(ostalo)
drhtavim rukama  with trembling hands;
s rukama pod glavom  cupping one's hands behind one's head;
golim rukama  with one's bare hands;
(figurative)   nose ga na rukama  he is treated like a prince;
braniti/odupirati se rukama i nogama  to fight tooth and nail/claw; put up a stiff fight;
(figurative)  kopati rukama i nogama  to do everything in one's power;
lomiti rukama  see lomiti ruke #8;
prihvatiti i rukama i nogama -> objeručke; see #4 mahati rukama


and, from Hrvatski Jezični Portal ....

You can (should?) visit Hrvatski Jezični Portal. It is a Croatian online dictionary that gives meanings and origins of words, as well as phrases - all in Croatian. Here I have added English translations, with the help of Professor G.

There is considerable overlap with the phrases from Bujas (above), but they are presented in a different order.

​
biti na dohvat ruke  biti blizu, pristupačan (u smislu udaljenosti); to be within reach to be close, accessible (in the sense of distance);
biti pri ruci  pomoći, pomagati; to be on hand, to help, to assist
biti u dobrim rukama/biti u lošim rukama  biti liječen, odgajan, vođen, njegovan, stručno vođen itd. dobro/loše;  to be in good hands/to be in bad hands to be treated, raised, guided, cared for, professionally managed, etc. well/badly;
biti vezanih ruku;  to have hands tied
biti sretne ruke  imati u svemu uspjeha;  to be lucky, to have success in everything
blizu, nadohvat ruke  biti blizu, ne biti daleko;  close, within reach
čiste ruke (imati), čistih ruku (biti)  biti pošten, ispravan;  to be honest, upright
čvrsta ruka  onaj koji čvrsto provodi vlast;  one who firmly exercises power
daj rukama, uzmi nogama situacija kad se mora dati ili sudjelovati u velikim iznosima, a kad se dobiva onda se dobiva mali dio, ob. u raznim širim familijarnim obzirima, kumstvima, službenim odnosima, dobrotvornim priredbama i sl .; a situation when one has to give or participate in large amounts, and when one receives, one receives a small portion, usually in various wider family considerations, godparenthoods, official relationships, charity events
dao bih ruku u vatru (desnicu ruku)/ne bih dao ruku u vatru siguran sam, jamčim, ni najmanje ne sumnjam, usp. dajem glavu, v. dati n, opr. nisam siguran, ne jamčim, sumnjam;  I am sure, I guarantee, I have no doubt in the least, cf. I give my head, v. give n, adj. I am not sure, I do not guarantee, I doubt
dati kruh u ruke  učiniti da tko samostalno zarađuje, spremiti ga za život, postaviti ga na noge; to make someone earn their own living, to prepare them for life, to put them on their feet
dati na ruku (na ruke) isplatiti u gotovini, dati gotov novac (za razliku od čekova itd.);  pay in cash, give ready money (as opposed to cheques, etc.);
dati u ruke (što)  predati, povjeriti nekome da rukovodi;  to hand over, to entrust someone with management
desna ruka  (biti, postati) oslonac, glavna pomoć;  (to be, to become) a support, a main help
dignuti ruke od koga,  napustiti koga kao nepopravljivog;  to abandon someone as irreparable,
dignuti ruke od čega   odustati od čega;    to give up on something
dignuti ruku na koga  udariti, fizički napasti;  to hit, to physically attack
dignuti ruku na sebe  pokušati ili izvršiti samoubojstvo;  to attempt or commit suicide
dočekati raširenih rukū (koga)  dočekati vrlo srdačno, jako susretljivo primiti koga u službeni ili privatni posjet;  to welcome very warmly, very obligingly to receive someone on an official or private visit
doći praznih ruku  doći u posjet bez prikladne pažnje u obliku cvijeća, nekog dara ili onoga što traže prilike po običaju u određenom sloju društva (npr. neki predmet za mladi par koji osniva obitelj);  to come to visit without appropriate attention in the form of flowers, a gift, or whatever the occasion demands according to custom in a certain social class (e.g. an item for a young couple starting a family);
doći u ruku  dospjeti u domet čije vlasti;   to come within the reach of whose authority
držati konce u svojim rukama  kontrolirati posao, situaciju;  to control the job, the situation
držati ruku (na čemu), v. šapa u;
držati uzde u svojim rukama  biti gospodar, zapovijedati;  to be master, to command
fina ruka  konačna obrada površine čega, nanošenje posljednjeg sloja laka, cizeliranje itd .;  final surface treatment, such as applying the last layer of varnish, chiseling, etc.
golih ruku  bez ičega, bez ikakva predmeta u rukama (prilikom borbe i sL); without anything, without any objects in the hands (during a fight, etc.);
ići na ruku  pomagati;  to help
ići od ruke   obavljati bez teškoća, s uspjehom neki posao [pletenje mi ide od ruke];  to do some work without difficulty, with success [I'm good at knitting];
ići podruku (pod ruku) s kim:
   1. dosl hodajući držati (ili biti držan) jednom rukom lakat ili nadlakticu drugoga (onako kako se drže osobe različitih spolova i ob. dvije osobe ženskoga spola ili osobe muškoga spola u povjerljivijem razgovoru).  to hold (or be held) with one hand the elbow or upper arm of another while walking (as people of different sexes hold each other, and usually two women or men in a more confidential conversation).
   2. pren. raditi isto što i netko drugi u smislu društvenog djelovanja, provođenja političkih planova itd. [mogu oni pričati o svojim idejama što hoće, ali kad se radi o interesima, onda idu podruku];  doing the same thing as someone else in terms of social action, implementing political plans, etc. [they can talk about their ideas all they want, but when it comes to interests, they go hand in hand];
imaš ruke  (u situaciji kad se želi upozoriti nekoga, ob. oštrije, da može izvršiti sam neku praktičnu radnju bez tude pomoći) [uzmi kuhaču, promiješaj lijepo, imaš ruke];  (in a situation where you want to warn someone, usually more sharply, that they can perform some practical action on their own without help) [Take a spoon, stir well, you have hands];
imati duge ruke  pren. dosegnuti, dohvatiti (o sili kojom raspolažu vlastodršci, osvetnici itd.);  to reach, to reach (about the power possessed by rulers, avengers, etc.)
imati laku/tešku ruku:
   1. pri udarcu izazivati lakše (teže) boli i sl.  to cause mild/severe pain when struck, etc.
   2. pri radu ne zadavati (zadavati) bol, raditi bezbolno/bolno zavisno od spretnosti ruke (zubar itd.);  not to cause pain when working, to work painlessly/painfully depending on the dexterity of the hand (dentist, etc.)
imati pune ruke posla   biti vrlo zauzet poslom;  to be very busy with work
imati nešto u rukama   imati nešto kao dokaz, potrebu, opravdanje čega;  to have something as proof, need, justification for something
imati zlatne ruke   biti vrlo vješt i učinkovit u poslu koji se obavlja rukama;  to be very skilled and efficient at work done with one's hands
ispod ruke kupiti, prodati   izvan normalnog trgovačkog poslovanja;  outside the normal course of business
(is)pustiti iz ruke (ruku)   (iz)gubiti, propustiti što čime se raspolagalo;  to lose, to miss out on something that was available
iz druge, treće ruke   preko posrednika;  through an intermediary
izmaknuti se komu iz ruku   ne dobiti, propustiti, izgubiti;  not to get, to miss, to lose
iz prve ruke  (saznati i sL) iz samoga izvora, bez posrednika;  from the source itself, without intermediaries
iz ruke u ruku (ići i sl.)   ići od jednog do drugog, mijenjati vlasnika;  to go from one to another, to change owners
izvan ruke (biti, nalaziti se)   na udaljenom i zabitom mjestu;  in a remote and secluded place
kao rukom   odmah, smjesta [bolest nestala kao rukom (odnesena)];  immediately, immediately [the disease disappeared as if by a hand (carried away)];
kao rukom odneseno   lako je prošlo (o bolesti);  it passed easily (about the illness);
lake ruke   izdašno, olako (baciti, potrošiti);  generously, lightly (to throw away, spend)
ljubim ruke   arh. građanski pozdrav u tradicionalnom vrlo uglađenom ophođenju (damama u odlasku i dolasku);  arch. civil greeting in traditional, very polite manner (to ladies on departure and arrival)
na brzu ruku   brzo, hitro;  quickly, quickly
na dohvat ruke   vrlo blizu;  very close
na ruku (dobiti, primiti)   dobiti, primiti čisto, neto (kad se oduzmu svi odbici);  to receive, to receive cleanly, net (when all deductions are subtracted)
na svoju ruku:
   1. biti osobenjak   to be eccentric
   2. bez ičije suglasnosti, bez odobrenja, bez pitanja;  without anyone's consent, without permission, without questions
nositi na rukama koga   previše činiti (za koga);  to do too much (for someone)
objema rukama (davati, poklanjati)   mnogo, izdašno, obilno (davati, poklanjati);  much, generous, abundant (to give, to give away);
(dati komu) odriješene ruke   dati komu sva ovlaštenja;   to give someone all authority
odmahivati rukom   biti ravnodušan;  to be indifferent
od svake ruke   svakakvih, kojekakvih, raznih, različitih [bilo ih je od svake ruke ali su svi bili koštunjavi i navikli na šumske poslove];   all kinds, any kind, various, different [there were people from all walks of life, but they were all bony and used to forest work]
(o)krvaviti ruke   biti umiješan u ubojstvo;   to be involved in a murder
poći (polaziti) za rukom (komu)  imati uspjeha u čemu, uspjeti/uspijevati;   to be successful in something, to succeed/succeed
praznih ruku   (ostati) bez dobitka;  (to remain) without profit
prati ruke   skidati sa sebe odgovornost;   to absolve oneself of responsibility
prati (i sl.) na ruke   prati ručno, opr. prati strojno, u stroju;  hand wash, machine wash, machine wash
predati na ruke   predati upravo onome kome je namijenjeno, kome je adresirano i sl .;  to deliver exactly to the person it is intended for, to whom it is addressed, etc.
prijeći u druge (treće itd.) ruke   promijeniti vlasnika;  change owner
primiti (što) raširenih rukū   vrlo rado primiti, jedva dočekati da se što dobije (npr. novac, pismo, dobra pismena ili usmena vijest);  to be very happy to receive, to be eager to receive something (e.g. money, a letter, good written or oral news)
pri ruci (imati, biti)   imati na raspolaganju, raspolagati;   to have at one's disposal, to have at one's disposal
prljati ruke   raditi što nedostojno, nečasno;  to do something unworthy, dishonorable
proći deset (sto, tisuću/hiljadu, milijun, milijardu) ruku   vrlo mnogo, ne zna se koliko, bezbroj [droga prođe deset ruku dok dođe na ulicu];  very many, it is not known how many, countless [the drug passes through ten hands before it reaches the street]
prljave ruke (imati)   ne biti pošten, biti sklon krađi, krasti;  not to be honest, to be prone to theft, to steal
proći kroz čije ruke   proći obradu, proći stručni sud, instanciju;  to undergo processing, to pass an expert court, an instance
pružiti ruku (komu)   nuditi kome prijateljstvo, pomoć, pomagati;  to offer someone friendship, help, assist
prvu ruku (dati)   nanijeti prvi sloj boje;  apply the first coat of paint
raširenih ruku   primiti dočekati koga s dobrodošlicom;  to welcome someone
ruka ruku mije   oni koji imaju zajedničke interese i ovise jedni o drugima, uzajamno se pomažu;  those who have common interests and depend on each other, help each other
rukama i nogama   svim snagama (raditi na čemu, boriti se i sl.);  with all one's might (to work on something, to fight, etc.)
rukom o ruku   vrlo brzo, u trenutku (slika udarca dlanom o dlan);  very quickly, in an instant (image of a palm-to-palm clash)
ruku na srce   otvoreno, iskreno govoreći (slika pokreta);  openly, honestly speaking (motion picture)
(k) sebi ruke   ostavi to, to nije tvoje;  Leave it, it's not yours.
srednje ruke:
   1. srednjeg imovnog stanja [seljak srednje ruke]   of middle-class status [middle-class peasant]
   2. (deprec. ironic) osrednji, osrednjeg znanja, dometa u shvaćanju, slabe reputacije [stručnjak srednje ruke];  mediocre knowledge, range in understanding, poor reputation  [middle-handed expert];
staviti ruku (na što)   posegnuti za čim;  to reach for something
srednje ruke    osrednje vrijednosti, prosječan;  of moderate value, average
svi te gledaju u ruke   moraš paziti da se ne osramotiš, jer kad se čine neki posjeti pazi se što je tko donio i zamjera se ako ne donese;   You have to be careful not to embarrass yourself, because when you make some visits, you pay attention to what someone has brought and you feel resentful if they don't bring anything.
(biti) široke rukē   biti izdašan u darovima, biti galantan, ponašati se gospodski u davanju milostinje ili potpore pojedinim ljudima ili u javne svrhe;  to be generous in gifts, to be gallant, to behave like a gentleman in giving alms or support to individuals or for public purposes
teške je ruke:
   1. nevješt je, ne ide mu lako posao koji obavlja   He is unskilled, the job he does is not easy for him.
   2. ima jak, snažan udarac;  has a strong, powerful blow
tražiti ruku djevojke   prositi, željeti je oženiti;   to propose, to want to marry her
tvrde je ruke   teško daje novac, odveć je štedljiv, škrt;  He has difficulty giving money, is too frugal, stingy
u Božje ruke    stavimo, metnimo u Božje ruke, povjerimo Bogu, Bog će odlučiti;   let's put it in God's hands, let's entrust it to God, God will decide
u najbolju ruku   u najboljem slučaju;  at best
uhvatiti jednu, dvije ruke   (pom.) smanjiti površinu jedra na pola ili na trećinu već prema snazi vjetra;   to reduce the sail area by half or a third depending on the wind strength
u jednu ruku   (često korelativno u jednu ruku, a u drugu ruku govornik sabire sve okolnosti koje govore u prilog budućem zaključku) = u neku ruku, s jedne strane ... s druge strane, prvo ... drugo [u jednu ruku to se isplati kao dugotrajna investicija, u drugu ruku traži mnogo odricanja (pa se možda ne isplati kad se odmjeri jedno i drugo)];   (often correlative on the one hand, and on the other hand the speaker summarizes all the circumstances that speak in favor of a future conclusion) = in some way, on the one hand ... on the other hand, first ... second [on the one hand it pays off as a long-term investment, on the other hand it requires a lot of sacrifice (so it may not be worth it when you weigh both)];
u najmanju ruku    u zn. minimuma onoga što znači riječ na koju se odnosi [on je u najmanju ruku dobrostojeći čovjek, da ne kažemo bogat];  in the sense of the minimum of what the word refers to [he is at least a well-off man, not to say rich
u neku ruku   na neki način, unekoliko;   in some way, somewhat
uzeti u (svoje)   ruke primiti na sebe (kao svoju brigu), zavladati   to take upon oneself (as one's concern), to take charge of

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AHA! Learning Croatian with Bob

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  • HOME
    • TKO SAM JA? >
      • Posts 1 - 10 >
        • 001 The way we spoke
      • PHOTOS - SELFIES >
        • Selfies 1-10
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        • Photos 1-10
    • Contacts
  • MISCELLANEOUS
    • Posts 1 -15 >
      • 001 Kosa, koza, koža
      • 002 Pronouncing 'au'
      • 003 Can language influence behaviour?
      • 004 First day of the week
      • 005 Do Croatians assign gender to objects?
      • 006 Za četiri dana, na dva dana
      • 007 My brain becomes full!
      • 008 Sretan rođendan ti
      • 009 Na kavu, po kavu, za kavu?
      • 010 Until you don't do it
      • 011 Nazvati nekoga, telefonirati nekomu
      • 012 If she were a man ....
      • 013 Streets with two names?
      • 015 Tri, četiri, sad!
    • Posts 16-30 >
      • 016 I feel like crying!
      • 017 I felt like crying, I will feel like crying
      • 018 Picking up place names by ear
      • 019 Where did the "j" go?
      • 020 Koliko kiše smo imali?
      • 021 Požuri polako
      • 022 Mi, mi, mi, mi
      • 023 Why should we learn the grammar?
      • 024 Words for youngsters are neuter
    • EXPERIENCES >
      • EXPERIENCES: POSTS 1 - 15 HOME >
        • 001 Licitarska srca
        • 002 My Aussie accent
        • 003 The upside down SIM card
        • 004 Buying fritule in Split
        • 005 Jučer ili sutra?
        • 006 Što rade ućitelji?
    • VICEVI >
      • Vicevi: Page 1
    • CHALLENGES FOR YOU >
      • 001 Crossword puzzle 1
  • GRAMMAR
    • Posts 1 - 15 >
      • 001 Where are the pronouns?
      • 002 Padeži and noun endings
      • 003 Endings of pronouns and adjectives
      • 004 "u" ili "na" ?
      • 005 The declensions of Tko? and Što?
      • 006 Ja sam na Trgu bana Josipa Jelačića
      • 007 Going and coming: u-iz, but na-sa
      • 008 Sav - All, every
      • 009 Number of subjects and the verb 'biti'
      • 010 Koga nazoveš? Komu telefoniraš?
      • 011 Declension of place names
      • 012 Dati - dativ
      • 013 Verb endings: Who is the doer?
      • 014 Sibilarization and palatalization
      • 015 Iotation (jotacija)
    • Grammar: Posts 16-30 >
      • 016 Vodice su grad u Hrvatskoj
    • Grammar reference section >
      • NOUNS >
        • 001 Questions that define the case of nouns
        • 002 All nouns have gender
        • 003 Nouns in the nominative case
        • 004 Nouns: Declension categories
        • 004a A universal declension table?
        • 005 Declension of regular masculine nouns
        • 006 Declension of regular feminine nouns
        • 008 Masculine plural - infix or not?
      • VERBS >
        • 001 Transitive and intransitive verbs
        • 004 Conjugation types
  • SAYINGS
    • Posts 1 - 15 >
      • 001 Ne daj se!
      • 002 U tom grmu leži zec!
      • 003 Baš me briga!
      • 004 Mačji kašalj!
      • 005 Što je, tu je!
      • 006 Eto ti ga na!
      • 007 Na licu mjesta
      • 008 Sve si to ti kriv!
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      • 001 Ovako ....
      • 002 Je l' tako?
      • 003 Tako je!
      • 004 Izvoli! Izvolite!
      • 005 Eto!
  • VOCABULARY
    • POSTS 1 - 15 >
      • 001 Even dying is not easy!
      • 002 To laugh or to smile?
      • 003 Nahraniti, sahraniti .... schmahraniti
      • 004 Prefixes that modify verb meanings
      • 005 Prefixes on base verb stati
      • 006 Country names - noun or adjective?
      • 007 Names of towns: A grammatical nightmare
      • 008 Countries: What do we call their citizens?
      • 009 Baš
      • 010 What a joke! vic or šala?
      • 011 Čak
      • 012 Još or više? (More of something)
      • 013 Još or više? (Time-related)
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        • 001 RUKA
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    • Verbs and their prefixes: HOME >
      • 001 Core verb: GOVORITI
      • 002 Core verb: PISATI
      • 003 Core verb: RADITI
      • 004 Core verb: IČI
      • 005 Core verb: STATI
    • Vocab THEMES: HOME >
      • 001 In the time of coronavirus
    • Što je korijen riječi?: HOME >
      • 001 Nadimak
      • 002 Zora, prozor, zoran, ….
      • 003 Uništiti
  • CROATIA
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      • 001 Anthem: LIJEPA NAŠA
      • 002 Map of Croatia
      • 003 Županije: The counties of Croatia
    • Where/What/Who is that? HOME >
      • Where/What/Who? Pages 1 - 15 >
        • 001 A girl and a bird
        • 002 His left foot
        • 003 A rebel
        • 004 Čuvarica Omiša
        • 005 Giorgio or Juraj?
        • 006 Tovar and friend
        • 007 Up on high
        • 008 On an island
        • 009 Water wonderland
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        • THE CITY >
          • 001 Zagreb cathedral
        • PEOPLE and CULTURE >
          • 001 Advent in Zagreb
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          • 004 On the tramvaj in Zagreb
          • 005 A night at the ballet
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          • 001 Molin?
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          • 003 Dalmatinski rječnik
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        • 001 Autumn tones
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