odgovorim

Odgovorim is a verb form meaning “I answer” in several South Slavic languages, including Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Montenegrin, and Slovenian. It is the first-person singular present tense of the verb odgovoriti (or its Slovenian equivalent odgovoriti/odgovoriti). The infinitive generally appears as odgovoriti in these languages, with odgovor as the related noun meaning “answer.”

Etymology and cognates: the word derives from the prefix od- plus the root govor (speech) and the suffix -iti, forming a verb meaning to respond or to answer. This root is related to words for speech and speaking in related Slavic languages, such as Slovenian govor, Croatian govor, and Serbian govor.

Conjugation: in the present tense, a typical paradigm is ja odgovorim; ti odgovoriš; on/ona odgovori; mi odgovorimo; vi odgovorite; oni odgovore. The exact endings can vary slightly by language, but the form odgovori, odgovoriš, and odgovorimo appear consistently as the second and third person forms in many dialects and standard varieties.

Usage: odgovorim is used to express giving an answer to a question or responding to a statement in the present tense. It can appear in direct speech or reported contexts. For example, Croatian: “Ako me pitaš, ja odgovorim.” Slovenian: “Ko me kdo vpraša, jaz odgovorim.” The verb is common in everyday discourse and formal communication alike.

See also: odgovor (noun meaning “answer”), odgovoriti (to answer), govor (speech).