Respektovat

Respektovat is a Czech verb meaning to regard with respect, to honor, or to comply with something, such as rules, norms, or boundaries. It is used with both people and abstract objects: for example, respektovat někoho (to respect someone), respektovat zákony (to respect or comply with the laws), or respektovat hranice (to respect boundaries). The nuance ranges from showing deference to adhering to established rules in formal contexts.

The noun respekt (respect) is a loanword in Czech, likely borrowed via German or French from Latin respectus. The verb is formed from the noun by adding the suffix -ovat, a common pattern in Czech for turning nouns into verbs.

Grammatically, respektovat is a transitive, imperfective verb. Present tense forms are: já respektuji, ty respektuješ, on respektuje, my respektujeme, vy respektujete, oni respektují. Past tense is formed with the auxiliary plus the past participle: respektoval (m), respektovala (ž), respektovalo (sro); respektovali/respektovaly (par). The future tense is built with bude respektovat (e.g., budu respektovat; budeš respektovat; budou respektovat). Present participle is respektující, and passive participle is respektovaný.

In usage, respektovat often implies both recognizing someone’s status or rights and following expectations or rules. It is common in legal, professional, and social contexts: respektovat smlouvu (to honor a contract), respektovat práva minorit (to respect the rights of minorities), or respektovat názory ostatních (to respect others’ opinions). Nuances can contrast with synonyms like uznávat (to acknowledge) or ctít (to honor in a moral sense).