dobivati

Dobivati is a verb form used in Slovenian and in the Serbo-Croatian language area (Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian). It means to receive or to obtain and functions as the imperfective counterpart of the perfective verb dobiti (to obtain/receive, completed action). The pair dobivati (imperfective) and dobiti (perfective) expresses aspects of the same semantic content, distinguishing ongoing or repeated reception from a single, completed event.

In these languages, the imperfective dobivati is used for actions that are habitual, repeated, or in progress. It often appears in past, present, or future contexts when the emphasis is on the process or repetition rather than on a single culmination. The corresponding perfective dobiti signals a definite, completed act of obtaining or receiving. This aspectual distinction is a common feature of Slavic verb systems and interacts with mood, tense, and aspect in sentence formation.

Form and derivation: dobivati is typically formed with the base of dob- plus the standard imperfective suffix -avati, aligning with many other verbs in the same language group. Etymologically, the verb is related to the broader Proto-Slavic vocabulary for obtaining and receiving, and its imperfective form is part of a widely used pattern that expresses ongoing or repeated action.

See also: dobiti, dobit, list of Slavic verbs with similar imperfective/perfective pairs.