Usmjeravati

Usmjeravati is a Croatian verb meaning to direct, to guide toward a goal, or to steer. It covers both physical, tangible directing of a path or flow and more abstract directing of actions, decisions, or attention. The action is typically ongoing or repeated, hence the imperfective aspect, and it has a perfective counterpart usmjeriti, which denotes directing toward a specific, completed outcome.

Etymology and forms: Usmjeravati is built from the noun smjer (direction) with the prefix u- and the verb suffix -avati, forming an imperfective infinitive. The related perfective verb usmjeriti expresses a single, completed act of directing. In present tense, first-person singular is usmjeravam, second-person singular is usmjeravaš, third-person singular is usmjerava, and plural forms are usmjeravamo, usmjeravate, and usmjeravaju. Other tenses and moods follow standard Croatian conjugation patterns for imperfective verbs, while the perfective usmjeriti forms a separate conjugation.

Usage and examples: The verb is common in both formal and everyday language. It can describe directing the course of a river or a project, shaping policy, or guiding someone’s attention. Examples include: usmjeravati tok rijeke (to direct the flow of a river), usmjeravati politiku (to steer policy), usmjeravati pažnju (to direct attention). Figuratively, it can refer to orienting someone toward a goal or helping a team move toward a shared objective.

See also: usmjeriti, usmjeravanje, smjer.