Smlouvám

Smlouvám is the first-person singular present tense form of the Czech verb smlouvat. The verb smlouvat means to enter into an agreement or contract, typically by negotiating terms. In modern Czech, however, the more common way to express this idea is to say uzavřít smlouvu or dohodnout se. Smlouvat is therefore a relatively formal or literary verb, and smlouvám appears mainly in formal, legal, or historical registers rather than in everyday speech.

Etymology and formation: smlouvat is derived from the noun smlouva (contract) with the standard Czech verb suffix -vat, which is used to form imperfective verbs. The form smlouvám follows the standard present-tense conjugation for a verb of this class: já smlouvám, ty smlouváš, on smlouvá, my smlouváme, vy smlouváte, oni smlouvají.

Usage notes: Because smlouvat is imperfective, smlouvám denotes an ongoing or habitual action rather than a single completed event. When one wants to emphasize the act of concluding a contract as a completed event, Czech normally uses perfective constructions such as uzavřít smlouvu (to conclude a contract) or dohodnout se (to agree). Consequently, smlouvám is rarely used in everyday speech and may sound archaic or highly formal in many contexts.

See also: smlouva (contract), uzavření smlouvy (conclusion of a contract), dohoda (agreement).