pametan

Pametan is an adjective in Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian that denotes intelligence or good judgment. It describes people as smart or clever, and can also characterize actions, decisions, or ideas as sensible or well thought out. The masculine form is pametan; feminine pametna; neuter pametno; plural pametni.

Etymology: The word derives from the noun pamet, meaning mind or wit, itself from a Proto-Slavic root related to thought and memory. The adjective construction with the -an suffix is common in South Slavic languages.

Usage: In everyday speech, pametan often conveys a positive assessment of intellect or practical sense. Examples: "On je pametan učenik" (He is a clever student); "to je pametan potez" (that is a smart move); "Pametna odluka" (a sensible decision). The tone is generally positive, though in some contexts it can be ironic or used as a rebuke if someone exaggerates.

Variants and related terms: A related noun is pamet, "mind" or "wisdom." A pejorative form is pametnjaković, meaning a boastful or pretentious smart aleck.

In multilingual contexts, the word is widely understood across Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, and Montenegrin and is part of everyday vocabulary as well as formal writing.