odgovaram

Odgovaram is the first-person singular present indicative form of the verb odgovarati, used in several South Slavic languages such as Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian. It means “I answer” or “I am answering” and is typically used to describe ongoing, habitual, or general actions of responding to questions or requests. In these languages there is a distinction between imperfective forms like odgovaram (to answer in a general or repeated sense) and perfective forms such as odgovoriti or odpovoditi (to answer a specific, completed question). The corresponding present tense form of the perfective variant is often a different stem, for example odgovorim or odgovoriti, depending on the language and conjugation pattern.

In usage, odgovaram appears in sentences such as “Ja odgovaram na vaša pitanja” meaning “I am answering your questions” or “I answer your questions.” It is common in formal and informal speech alike. The imperfective aspect conveyed by odgovaram contrasts with the perfective, which would focus on a single, completed act of answering rather than an ongoing process.

Etymologically, odgovarati derives from a base related to speech or speaking, with the prefix od- indicating a directional or aspectual shift in many Slavic languages. The term is closely related to nouns like odgovor (an answer) and other forms built from the same root.

See also: odgovor, odgovoriti, odgovoravanje, odgovornost.