Dodajem

Dodajem is a verb form used in several South Slavic languages, including Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin. It is the first-person singular present tense of the imperfective verb dodavati, which means “to add” or “to be adding.” The imperfective aspect emphasizes ongoing or repeated action, such as adding items over time. The infinitive dodati expresses the act of adding and is used for a single addition; the corresponding perfective form is dodam, indicating a completed addition or a future action when used with auxiliary verbs.

Etymology and form: Dodajem derives from the base verb dodavati with the prefix do-, aligning with common Slavic patterns for forming verbs of addition. The root is related to the general sense of adding something to an existing set or quantity.

Usage and nuances: Dodajem appears in everyday speech across domains such as cooking, mathematics, data handling, and writing or speech. Examples include “Dodajem soli po ukusu” (I add salt to taste) or “Dodajem dva broja” (I add two numbers). The form is typically used for ongoing or habitual addition, whereas dodam (the perfective form) would be used for a complete addition in one action or in contexts referring to a future addition.

Related forms: The related imperfective verb dodavati conveys repeated or ongoing addition, while the perfective dodati/dodam is used for a single completed addition. Usage often depends on aspect and context, with dodajem focusing on the ongoing process and dodam/dodati marking a single, completed addition.

See also: add- verbs in South Slavic languages; linguistic discussions of aspect in Serbo-Croatian languages.