odpovídat

Odpovídat is a Czech verb meaning to answer, to respond, especially to a question or statement. It is imperfective, describing an ongoing or repeated action, in contrast to the perfective counterpart odpovědět, which denotes a single, completed act of giving an answer. Odpovídat is used in both spoken and written language.

The verb commonly takes the preposition na to specify what is being answered, for example odpovídat na otázky (to answer questions), odpovídat na emaily, or respond to a comment. It can also appear in contexts such as replying to someone or addressing a statement with a response. In sentences about past actions, it is typically expressed with past tense forms of the imperfective verb, for instance odpovídal jsem (I was answering), odpovídala ses (you were answering), etc.

Conjugation (present tense) is regular for Czech imperfective verbs of this class:

já odpovídám, ty odpovídáš, on odpovídá, my odpovídáme, vy odpovídáte, oni odpovídají.

Past tense forms are derived from the past adjectival participle: odpovídal/odpovídala/odpovídalo (singular) and odpovídali/odpovídaly (plural), with the appropriate auxiliary as required by gender and number.

Related forms include odpovědět (to answer, perfective) and odpovědný (responsible). The noun odpověď means a single answer, while odpovídání refers to the act of answering in general. Odpovídat thus provides the ongoing or habitual aspect of replying, suitable for describing routine communication or ongoing responses.