Stajao

Stajao is a verb form used in Serbo-Croatian languages (Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, and Montenegrin). It is the masculine singular past tense form of the verb stajati, which means “to stand.” Stajao is used to describe a subject that stood in the past and appears in simple past statements as well as in compound past constructions when combined with an auxiliary verb. For example, On je stajao pored prozora means “He stood by the window.”

The form has gendered and number variants: stajala for feminine singular, stajalo for neuter singular, and stajali for masculine or mixed plural. These variants reflect the language’s gender agreement in past tense constructions. The infinitive of the verb is stajati, which is the imperfective aspect meaning to stand or to be in a standing position over time. The related past forms for other genders or numbers are formed by applying the corresponding endings to stajao.

Etymology and related forms: stajati derives from Proto-Slavic roots common to many Slavic languages, where verbs meaning “to stand” show cognates in neighboring languages. Across the Slavic family, verbs with similar roots convey the basic idea of standing or remaining in a position, with parallel past-tense forms adapted to gender and number in each language.

Usage notes: Stajao is typical in everyday speech and written language when noting a past action of standing. It is part of a broader system of past-tense conjugations that align with the subject’s gender and plurality. The imperfective nature of stajati contrasts with the perfective forms in the language, which express completed actions in the past.