Odgovorilo

Odgovorilo is a neuter singular past participle of the Serbo-Croatian verb odgovoriti, meaning to answer or to respond. It is used to indicate that a thing, object, or abstract entity has given an answer, often in a sentence with an auxiliary form of biti (to be) in the past tense.

Forms and grammar: The verb odgovoriti has gendered past participles: masculine odgovorio, feminine odgovorila, neuter odgovorilo. In perfect tenses, odgovorilo is used with a suitable form of biti, for example: Pismo je odgovorilo na vaše pitanje (The letter answered your question). As a participial form, odgovorilo can appear in adjectival or predicative positions, typically describing a neuter subject.

Usage notes: Odgovorilo is not a standalone noun; the common noun for an answer is odgovor. The participle form is primarily a verb-derived descriptor and is most frequently encountered in written or formal language. In everyday speech, speakers more often use the full verb odgovoriti with the appropriate subject and tense, rather than relying on the participle alone.

Etymology: Odgovorilo derives from odgovor (answer) plus the neuter participial ending -ilo, which marks neuter singular agreement in Slavic languages. It shares its root with the noun odgovor and the verb odgovoriti, reflecting the semantic link between asking and replying.

See also: odgovor, odgovoriti, past participles in Serbo-Croatian grammar, predicative adjectives in Slavic languages.