Signification
To waste money foolishly.
Contexte culturel
Croatians often use this phrase when discussing the 'uhljeb' culture (unproductive public sector workers), implying their salaries are money thrown through the window. In coastal regions, the phrase is often delivered with a specific hand gesture—a flick of the wrist as if tossing something away. In the capital, the phrase is frequently heard in 'špica' (coffee time) when people gossip about others' expensive lifestyles. There is a shared sentiment across the region that state money is 'nobody's money,' leading to frequent use of this idiom in news headlines.
Use with 'čisto'
Add 'čisto' (pure) before 'bacanje' to emphasize how truly wasteful something is: 'To je čisto bacanje novca!'
Don't use for charity
Never use this for giving money to the poor or charity, even if you think the charity is bad. It sounds very heartless.
Signification
To waste money foolishly.
Use with 'čisto'
Add 'čisto' (pure) before 'bacanje' to emphasize how truly wasteful something is: 'To je čisto bacanje novca!'
Don't use for charity
Never use this for giving money to the poor or charity, even if you think the charity is bad. It sounds very heartless.
Perfective vs Imperfective
If you are complaining about a *habit*, use 'bacati'. If you are complaining about a *specific receipt* in your hand, use 'baciti'.
The 'Kava' Exception
Croatians spend hours drinking one coffee. To an outsider, this might seem like wasting time/money, but to a Croatian, this is NEVER 'bacanje novca kroz prozor'—it is a social necessity.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing word to complete the idiom.
Kupiti taj stari televizor bilo je bacanje novca kroz _______.
The standard idiom uses 'prozor' (window).
Which sentence correctly uses the imperfective aspect for a habitual action?
Marko is always wasting money.
'Baca' is the present tense imperfective form, suitable for 'stalno' (constantly).
Match the Croatian phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the following:
These are all common idioms with 'baciti'.
Complete the dialogue with the most natural response.
A: 'Kupio sam novi iPhone, ali već imam jedan.' B: 'Zašto _______?'
The present continuous 'bacaš' fits the reaction to a current state of being wasteful.
In which situation is this phrase MOST appropriate?
Select the best context:
This is the quintessential 'waste' of money on something unused.
🎉 Score : /5
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
5 exercicesKupiti taj stari televizor bilo je bacanje novca kroz _______.
The standard idiom uses 'prozor' (window).
Marko is always wasting money.
'Baca' is the present tense imperfective form, suitable for 'stalno' (constantly).
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are all common idioms with 'baciti'.
A: 'Kupio sam novi iPhone, ali već imam jedan.' B: 'Zašto _______?'
The present continuous 'bacaš' fits the reaction to a current state of being wasteful.
Select the best context:
This is the quintessential 'waste' of money on something unused.
🎉 Score : /5
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNo, for time we say 'gubiti vrijeme' (losing time) or 'bacati vrijeme u vjetar'. 'Kroz prozor' is specifically for money.
Both are correct. 'Novac' is singular (money), 'novce' is plural (moneys). In this idiom, both are used interchangeably in speech.
It can be critical, but it's not 'bad language'. It's a common way to express frustration.
No, that is not a standard idiom and people will find it confusing.
Bacio sam novac kroz prozor.
Yes, it applies to any form of currency or value, including crypto or credit.
Pametno investirati (to invest wisely) or štedjeti (to save).
Yes, if the atmosphere is somewhat casual or if you are making a strong point about a failed project.
Yes, because 'kroz' requires the accusative case, and for masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative is the same as the nominative.
It's a historical metaphor based on how people used to throw things out of their houses.
Expressions liées
Baciti novac u vjetar
synonymTo throw money into the wind.
Živjeti na visokoj nozi
similarTo live on a high leg (to live large).
Štedjeti svaku lipu
contrastTo save every penny (lipa).
Kupiti mačka u vreći
builds onTo buy a cat in a bag (to buy something without looking).
