kombinirati

Kombinirati is a verb used in Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian and Montenegrin with the general meaning to unite or merge elements to form a whole. It covers actions such as mixing ingredients, pairing items, blending colors or components, and combining ideas or methods. The term is common in everyday speech as well as technical and artistic contexts, where it often refers to creating a workable or harmonious arrangement from separate parts.

Etymology and related forms: The verb derives from Latin combinare, via European languages, and is part of a family of terms built from the prefix com- and the root binare or similar elements meaning “to join.” Nouns related to the action include kombinacija (combination) and kombiniranje (the act of combining). In Serbian, the infinitive is commonly written kombinovati, while in Croatian and Bosnian the form kombinirati is standard; dialectal and stylistic variations may occur.

Usage and contexts: Kombinirati is used for both concrete and abstract tasks. Examples include combining ingredients in cooking, combining colors in design, combining components in engineering, or combining ideas in planning and problem solving. It can also denote pairing items or arranging elements to achieve a desired effect or function.

Grammar notes: It is a transitive verb; it requires a direct object (e.g., kombinirati boje, kombinirati sastojke). In present tense it forms regularly (ja kombiniram, ti kombiniraš, on/ona/ono kombinira, mi kombiniramo, vi kombinirate, oni kombiniraju). Past forms such as kombinirao/kombinovala are used for completed actions, withgendered endings in past tense.

See also: kombinacija, kombiniranje, kombinovati/kombinirati variants in regional usage.