dobiti

Dobiti is a verb in Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin that means to obtain or to receive something, often as a result of effort, request, or chance. It is used for tangible items, rewards, information, or opportunities, and it appears in two aspectual forms: the imperfective dobivati (to be obtaining/receiving) and the perfective dobiti (to obtain/receive, completed action).

The imperfective present tense is formed as follows: ja dobijam, ti dobijaš, on/ona dobija, mi dobijamo, vi dobijate, oni dobijaju. The perfective future is expressed with the auxiliary and the infinitive: ja ću dobiti, ti ćeš dobiti, on će dobiti, mi ćemo dobiti, vi ćete dobiti, oni će dobiti. The past tense uses the appropriate past participle with the auxiliary biti: dobio (masculine), dobila (feminine), dobilo (neuter), e.g., “Dobio sam novac,” “Dobila je pismo,” “Dobili smo nagradu.”

Derivatives include the noun dobivanje (the act of obtaining) and the adjective dobiven/dobivena (obtained). The related noun dobit means gain or profit; a person who receives something is called a dobitnik (recipient, beneficiary, winner).

Etymology: dobiti derives from the Proto-Slavic roots with the prefix do- indicating completion; cognate forms exist across South Slavic languages.

Usage notes: dobiti emphasizes obtaining or receiving as a result or outcome, whereas synonyms like primiti emphasize reception in a broader sense. In everyday speech, dobiti is common in questions about results or outcomes.