Respektuje

Respektuje is a verb form used in several Central and Southeast European languages, meaning to show respect or to respect. It is the third-person singular present indicative form in languages such as Polish (where the infinitive is respektować) and in South Slavic languages like Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian (with respektovati/respektovati as the infinitive). The word itself functions as a standard present tense form across these languages.

Usage and nuance vary by language. In Polish, respektuje is commonly used to indicate adherence to rules, norms, or authority, as in on respektuje zasady (he respects the rules). In Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian, respektuje similarly conveys respecting laws, decisions, or persons, for example on respektuje odluku suda (he respects the court’s decision). In some contexts, speakers may prefer other terms such as poštuje or szanuje to express respect or deference, but respektuje remains widely understood and neutral.

Etymology and status. The term respektuje derives from the international root respect/respekt, borrowed into many European languages during the modern period via German, French, or English influences. As a loanword, it often coexists with native synonyms and can carry slightly different connotations depending on the language and register.

See also. Respect in language and culture; loanwords in Slavic languages; references to respekt as a linguistic concept.