Postajati

Postajati is a Slovenian imperfective verb meaning “to become” or “to come into being.” It denotes a gradual or ongoing process of change and is used to describe states that develop over time. It contrasts with the perfective form postati, which denotes a completed act of becoming.

In Slovenian, postajati is conjugated in the present tense as follows: jaz postajam, ti postajaš, on/ona/ono postaja, mi postajamo, vi postajate, oni/one postajajo. The verb forms compound tenses with the auxiliary biti, and it is often accompanied by adverbs such as sčasoma (“over time”) and postopoma (“gradually”) to emphasize the process.

Usage of postajati typically conveys gradual change, ongoing development, or evolving states. Examples include: “Sčasoma postaja vse bolj znano” (Over time it is becoming more and more well known) and “Postajamo bolj previdni” (We are becoming more careful). The nuance is that the change is in progress rather than instantaneous.

Relation to postati and nuance: postajati expresses an ongoing transformation, whereas postati is the perfective counterpart signaling a definite moment of becoming. In practice, postajati is common for describing gradual shifts in character, conditions, or situations, while postati tends to refer to a clearer, completed result.

Etymology and cross-language notes: postajati is generally traced to a Slavic origin, often described as formed with the prefix po- attached to a verb related to stati (to stand), implying “to come to stand” or “to come into existence.” Cognates and related imperfective forms exist in other South Slavic languages; in Croatian and Serbian, imperfective postajati is understood, though postati is frequently used for the perfective counterpart.