Riskovat

Riskovat is a Czech verb meaning to take a risk or to expose oneself to danger or loss. It denotes intentional risk-taking and is used with a direct object, as in riskovat ztrátu (to risk a loss) or riskovat život (to risk one’s life). The verb is common in everyday language as well as in formal contexts, including finance, health, and sports.

Etymology and related forms: riskovat is formed from the noun risk with the standard Czech verb suffix -ovat, and it is generally treated as imperfective. A related noun is riziko (risk), and an adjective form is rizikový (risky). The standard noun for risk in Czech is riziko, whereas risk is a loanword that appears in some contexts, especially in colloquial speech. The imperfective nature means it describes ongoing or habitual risk-taking; a perfective sense can be expressed with other verbs or with informal forms such as risknout in everyday speech.

Conjugation and usage: In the present tense the forms are riskuji, riskuješ, riskuje, riskujeme, riskujete, riskují. Past tense forms include riskoval (masculine), riskovala (feminine), riskovalo (neuter), and riskovali (plural). The future is typically formed with the auxiliary budu riskovat, budeš riskovat, bude riskovat, etc. Common sentences include: “Můžeme riskovat ztrátu, ale i vyhrát,” or “Nechci riskovat svůj život.” The verb can stand alone or be part of a larger clause describing decisions under uncertainty.

See also: riziko; rizikový; rizikové řízení.