Gotuj

Gotuj is a form of the Polish verb gotować, meaning "to cook." Specifically, gotuj is the second-person singular imperative, used to give a direct instruction: "Cook!" It commonly appears in cooking instructions, recipes, and informal guidance.

Linguistic notes and etymology

Gotować is an imperfective verb, indicating an ongoing, repeated, or nondetermined action of cooking. Its perfective counterpart, ugotować, emphasizes completing the cooking process or preparing a dish. The imperative forms reflect this aspect: gotuj (imperative, imperfective) and ugotuj (imperative, perfective). The verb belongs to the Slavic family and has cognates in other languages, such as Russian готовить (gotovit') and Ukrainian готувати (hotuvaty), which share the same basic meaning and related semantic development. The root form is connected to the idea of making something ready through cooking or preparation.

Usage and examples

Gotuj is used when addressing someone informally in the singular: Gotuj obiad dla rodziny. (“Cook dinner for the family.”) It appears in recipe and instructional contexts, often as part of a sequence of steps: Gotuj przez kilka minut, aż sos zgęstnieje. (“Cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.”) In contrast, ugotuj would be used when the instruction emphasizes finishing the cooking process: Ugotuj makaron till al dente. (Cook the pasta until al dente.)

Summary

Gotuj serves as the imperative form of gotować, signaling a direct command to cook in informal Polish, while reflecting the broader aspectual system of imperfective versus perfective verbs in the language.