Plánovat

Plánovat is a Czech verb meaning “to plan” or “to make plans.” It is an imperfective verb used to describe the process of planning, intending to do something, or arranging plans for the future. The verb is formed from the noun plán (plan) with the productive suffix -ovat, a common pattern for Czech actions.

In contrast to its perfective counterpart naplánovat, plánovat focuses on the ongoing act of planning rather than the completion of a plan. It is used for generic planning activities, routine planning, or future intentions. The verb often appears with complement clauses or with the preposition o to indicate what is being planned.

Present-tense conjugation (indicative) typically appears as: já plánuju, ty plánuješ, on plánuje, my plánujeme, vy plánujete, oni plánují. The imperfective aspect allows phrases such as planovat si to or plánovat dovolenou, where si adds a reflexive nuance meaning to make plans for oneself, e.g., plánovat si dovolenou.

Například: Plánuji cestu do Prahy příští týden. Už plánujeme projekt na příští rok. For a completed or definite planning act, Czech normally uses naplánovat, e.g., Naplánoval jsem si dovolenou.

Related terms include plán, plánování (planning), and the perfective naplánovat. The choice between plánovat and naplánovat depends on whether the emphasis is on the process of planning or on having established a concrete plan.