podobovat

Podobovat is a verb attested in several Slavic languages, most prominently in Czech and Slovak, with related forms in other West and South Slavic languages. The root is the noun podoba, meaning appearance or likeness, and the word is built to express similarity or resemblance. The central meaning is to relate two things by resemblance and, in some contexts, to imitate.

In standard usage, the reflexive form podobovat se (Czech/Slovak podobovať sa) is the usual way to say “to resemble” or “to look like.” For example, On se podobá svému otci means “He resembles his father.” The non-reflexive form podobovat exists in older texts, regional varieties, and some languages, where it can carry a transitive sense such as “to liken” or “to imitate,” though this sense is less common in modern standard usage.

Etymology: from podoba “likeness,” related to similar words such as podobný (similar) and podoba (appearance). The term belongs to a family of words centered on appearance and likeness.

Remarks: The exact usage and availability of the transitive sense vary by language and region; in contemporary standard Czech and Slovak, the reflexive form is primary for describing resemblance, while the transitive sense appears mainly in older or dialectal materials.

See also: podobný, podoba, podobnost.