koristati

Koristati is a verb found in several South Slavic languages, most commonly Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian, where it means to use or to make use of something. The verb is closely related to the noun kor ist (use, benefit) and to similar verbs in neighboring languages. In everyday speech, koristati covers a broad range of uses, from simple utilization of objects to applying methods, tools, or opportunities.

Grammatical overview and usage

Koristati is a regular verb of the first conjugation. In the present tense the forms are: ja koristim, ti koristiš, on/ona/ono koristi, mi koristimo, vi koristite, oni/one koriste. The past tense is formed with a participle, for example koristio (masculine), koristila (feminine), koristilo (neuter), with appropriate auxiliary forms. The future can be expressed as koristit ću, koristiš ću, koristi, etc., or by a periphrastic construction. The noun forms include korištenje or upotreba, both meaning use or utilization.

Nuances and related terms

Koristati generally conveys neutral “to use.” A more negative or opportunistic sense is often conveyed by the prefixed counterpart iskoristiti, meaning to exploit or take advantage of a situation. Common collocations include koristiti priliku (to use/seize the opportunity), koristiti alat (to use a tool), and koristiti zdrav razum (to use common sense).

Etymology and cross-linguistic notes

The verb is built on the base meaning of use, connected to the noun kor ist (use, benefit). It shares cognates across Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian, and similar forms exist in other South Slavic languages, reflecting a common semantic field of using or applying.

See also

korištenje, upotreba, iskoristiti, izkoristiti, used in various contexts to refer to utilization or exploitation.