Diskutovat

Diskutovat is a Czech verb meaning to discuss or to debate. It describes the act of exchanging opinions about a topic, often in a deliberate, organized, or formal manner, but it can also be used in everyday conversation. The verb is imperfective, used for ongoing or repeated discussion, and it is typically used with the preposition o for the topic (diskutovat o tématu) or with s for interlocutors (diskutovat s někým).

Etymology and related forms: The word is a borrowing from foreign languages, ultimately derived from Latin discutere, and it has entered Czech through German or French. Related nouns include diskuze or diskuse for a discussion, diskutace for a debate, and diskutant or diskutantka for a debater.

Grammar and usage: In present tense the forms are diskutuji, diskutuješ, diskutuje, diskutujeme, diskutujete, diskutují. Past tense is formed with the auxiliary být and the past participle: diskutoval, diskutovala, diskutovalo, diskutovali, diskutovaly. Future can be expressed periphrastically with budu diskutovat, budeš diskutovat, etc. The term is common in journalism, academic writing, and public discourse, but it also appears in everyday talk.

Notes: Diskutovat generally conveys a neutral or constructive exchange of views. It contrasts with polemizovat, which tends to imply a more adversarial or confrontational argument. In many contexts, discussing a topic is a step toward understanding rather than toward winning an argument.

See also: diskuze, debata, polemizovat.