A1 Idiom غیر رسمی

Bacati pare

bacati pare

Throw money away

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use 'bacati pare' when someone is spending money on things that are useless, overpriced, or broken.

  • Means: Wasting money on things that provide no real value or benefit.
  • Used in: Shopping for bad products, paying for unnecessary services, or gambling.
  • Don't confuse: With 'trošiti pare' (spending money), which can be neutral or positive.
💸 + 🗑️ = 🤦‍♂️ (Money + Trash = Regret)

Explanation at your level:

In Serbian, 'bacati pare' means wasting money. 'Bacati' is like 'to throw'. 'Pare' is 'money'. You use this when you buy something bad or something you don't need. It is a very common phrase for shopping. For example: 'This phone is bad. It is bacanje para.'
This idiom is used to describe spending money on useless things. The literal meaning is 'throwing money'. We use it when a price is too high for the quality we get. It's common to say 'To je bacanje para' (That is a waste of money) when talking about broken cars or expensive, bad food.
'Bacati pare' is a frequent idiom used to criticize poor financial decisions. While 'trošiti' means simply to spend, 'bacati' adds a negative judgment. It implies that the money is being treated as if it has no value. You'll hear it often in conversations about repairs, subscriptions, or 'luxury' items that aren't worth the investment. It's a key phrase for sounding more natural in casual Serbian.
This expression captures the frustration of irrational expenditure. It functions as a social critique of consumerism or poor maintenance. Grammatically, 'bacati' is imperfective, highlighting the ongoing nature of the waste. It's often extended to 'bacati pare kroz prozor' for emphasis. Understanding the nuance between 'trošiti' (neutral) and 'bacati' (judgmental) is essential for mastering the register of Serbian daily life and social interaction.
Beyond its basic meaning, 'bacati pare' serves as a linguistic marker of the 'domaćin' cultural archetype, where resource management is a moral imperative. The use of 'pare' (a pluralized historical unit) instead of the formal 'novac' anchors the phrase in the vernacular. Linguistically, it's an 'action-as-waste' metaphor. In C1 discourse, one might analyze how this idiom contrasts with the 'merak' culture, where spending is seen as an investment in emotional well-being rather than a waste.
The idiom 'bacati pare' represents a fascinating intersection of Balkan economic history and cognitive linguistics. The verb 'bacati' (imperfective) denotes an iterative process of devaluation, suggesting a systemic failure in financial agency. From a sociolinguistic perspective, the phrase acts as a gatekeeper of communal values, policing 'nouveau riche' behaviors or perceived Western-style decadence. Mastery involves navigating the fine line between its use as a literal critique of utility and its ironic use in 'kafana' settings to signal social status through performative waste.

معنی

Wasting money on useless things.

🌍

زمینه فرهنگی

In the Balkans, calling someone's purchase 'bacanje para' is often a sign of closeness. It shows you care about their financial well-being enough to be brutally honest. Paradoxically, giving large tips to musicians in a tavern is rarely called 'bacanje para' by the person doing it; it's seen as 'merak' (soulful pleasure). Due to hyperinflation in the 90s, Serbians developed a 'spend it now' mentality because money lost value overnight. 'Bacanje para' became a way to distinguish between enjoying life and being truly foolish. With the rise of shopping malls in Serbia, older generations frequently use 'bacanje para' to describe the shopping habits of the youth.

💡

Use 'Čisto'

Add the word 'čisto' (pure) before 'bacanje para' to sound more like a native speaker when you are really annoyed.

⚠️

Don't use with 'Novac'

While 'bacati novac' is grammatically correct, it sounds a bit too formal for an idiom. Stick with 'pare' for the natural feel.

معنی

Wasting money on useless things.

💡

Use 'Čisto'

Add the word 'čisto' (pure) before 'bacanje para' to sound more like a native speaker when you are really annoyed.

⚠️

Don't use with 'Novac'

While 'bacati novac' is grammatically correct, it sounds a bit too formal for an idiom. Stick with 'pare' for the natural feel.

🎯

The 'Kroz prozor' variant

If someone is wasting huge amounts of money, use 'bacati pare kroz prozor' to show you are truly shocked.

خودت رو بسنج

Fill in the missing word in the idiom.

Kupio si pokvaren kompjuter? To je čisto ______ para!

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: bacanje

The correct verbal noun for this idiom is 'bacanje' (throwing).

Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?

Choose the most natural sentence:

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: Nemoj bacati pare na taj stari auto, ne može se popraviti.

The idiom is used for wasting money on something useless, like a car that can't be fixed.

Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the idiom.

Marko: 'Idem u kockarnicu.' Jelena: 'Nemoj, Marko! Opet ćeš ______ ______.'

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: bacati pare

After 'ćeš' (future tense auxiliary), we use the infinitive 'bacati pare'.

Match the situation to the response.

Situation: You paid for a 1-year subscription to a magazine you never read.

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: To je čisto bacanje para.

Paying for something you don't use is the definition of 'bacanje para'.

🎉 امتیاز: /4

ابزارهای بصری یادگیری

سوالات متداول

10 سوال

It is informal, but so common that everyone uses it, including news anchors in casual segments. It's not 'vulgar' slang.

No, for time we say 'gubiti vreme' (losing time) or 'traćiti vreme' (wasting time). 'Bacati vreme' is not used.

It is always 'para' (genitive plural) in this context.

Yes, that is the past tense. 'Bacio sam pare na ovaj krš' (I wasted money on this junk).

It can be. It's a direct critique of their judgment. Use it with friends, not your boss.

The opposite would be 'pametno uložiti novac' (to invest money wisely) or 'uštedeti' (to save).

Yes, even for a 1-euro coffee if it's bad.

No, it applies to credit cards, bank transfers, and crypto too.

Historically, 'para' was a smaller unit, and wasting many small units felt like a continuous act of waste.

Yes, 'neracionalno trošenje novca'.

عبارات مرتبط

🔗

Trošiti kapom i šakom

similar

To spend money very liberally/generously.

🔗

Plaćati ceh

related

To pay the bill / to pay the price for a mistake.

🔗

Štedeti na sitno

contrast

To be stingy with small amounts.

🔗

Kupiti mačku u džaku

builds on

To buy a pig in a poke (something without looking).

کجا استفاده کنیم

📱

Buying a broken gadget

Ana: Kupila sam ovaj telefon na pijaci za 20 evra.

Bojan: Ali on uopšte ne radi! To je čisto bacanje para.

informal
🍲

Expensive, bad meal

Maja: Ova pasta je bila 1500 dinara, a nema nikakav ukus.

Ivan: Stvarno smo bacili pare u ovom restoranu.

informal
🏋️‍♂️

Gym membership not used

Mama: Da li ideš u teretanu?

Sin: Ne, nisam bio tri meseca.

Mama: Pa to je bacanje para, otkaži članstvo!

neutral
🚗

Bad car repair

Petar: Majstor mi je uzeo 100 evra, a auto i dalje lupa.

Komšija: Samo si bacio pare kod njega, on je prevarant.

informal
🎰

Gambling loss

Drug: Izgubio sam sve na ruletu.

Ja: Znaš i sam da je kocka samo bacanje para.

informal
💎

Unnecessary luxury

Sestra: Kupila sam zlatnu masku za telefon.

Brat: Zašto bacaš pare na takve gluposti?

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of a 'Bucket' (sounds like 'Bacati') full of 'Pare' (money) being dumped into a trash can.

Visual Association

Imagine someone standing on a bridge, casually tossing handfuls of coins into a fast-flowing, muddy river. The coins disappear instantly, leaving the person with empty hands and a look of confusion.

Rhyme

Ko pare baca, taj pamet ne vraća. (He who throws money, doesn't get his wits back.)

Story

Marko worked all summer to buy a car. He found a very cheap one and ignored his father's warning. Within a week, the engine exploded. His father sighed and said, 'Marko, you didn't buy a car, you just threw your summer away.' Marko realized that 'bacati pare' means losing more than just money; it's losing the time you spent earning it.

Word Web

novactrošitirasipništvouzaludglupostsiromaštvokupovinadug

چالش

Go through your bank statement or recent receipts. Identify one item that was 'bacanje para' and explain why to a friend in Serbian.

In Other Languages

English high

Throwing money down the drain

English specifies the 'drain', Serbian just says 'throwing'.

Spanish moderate

Tirar la casa por la ventana

Spanish can be positive (celebratory), Serbian is negative (wasteful).

French high

Jeter l'argent par les fenêtres

Virtually no difference in meaning or usage.

German high

Geld zum Fenster rauswerfen

The German version is slightly more formal than the Serbian 'bacati pare'.

Japanese high

お金をドブに捨てる (Okane o dobu ni suteru)

Japanese specifies a 'ditch' (sewer), similar to the English 'drain'.

Arabic high

يرمي فلوسه في البحر (Yarmi fulusuhu fi al-bahr)

The destination is the sea, reflecting a different geographic context.

Chinese moderate

挥金如土 (Huījīn rú tǔ)

Chinese focuses on the 'dirt-like' value of the money to the spender.

Korean moderate

돈을 물 쓰듯 하다 (Doneul mulsseudeut hada)

Korean uses a 'water' metaphor for flow, Serbian uses a 'throwing' metaphor for loss.

Portuguese high

Jogar dinheiro fora

No significant difference.

Easily Confused

Bacati pare در مقابل Trošiti pare

Learners think they are interchangeable.

Use 'trošiti' for normal spending (groceries, bills) and 'bacati' for things that make you regret the purchase.

Bacati pare در مقابل Dati pare

Both involve money leaving your hand.

'Dati' is just the act of giving/paying. 'Bacati' implies the money is gone for no good reason.

سوالات متداول (10)

It is informal, but so common that everyone uses it, including news anchors in casual segments. It's not 'vulgar' slang.

No, for time we say 'gubiti vreme' (losing time) or 'traćiti vreme' (wasting time). 'Bacati vreme' is not used.

It is always 'para' (genitive plural) in this context.

Yes, that is the past tense. 'Bacio sam pare na ovaj krš' (I wasted money on this junk).

It can be. It's a direct critique of their judgment. Use it with friends, not your boss.

The opposite would be 'pametno uložiti novac' (to invest money wisely) or 'uštedeti' (to save).

Yes, even for a 1-euro coffee if it's bad.

No, it applies to credit cards, bank transfers, and crypto too.

Historically, 'para' was a smaller unit, and wasting many small units felt like a continuous act of waste.

Yes, 'neracionalno trošenje novca'.

مفید بود؟

نظرات (0)

برای نظر دادن وارد شوید
هنوز نظری وجود ندارد. اولین نفری باشید که افکار خود را به اشتراک می‌گذارد!