podávají

Podávají is a Czech verb form that appears as the third-person plural present tense of the imperfective verb podávat, meaning to hand in, submit, or to serve depending on context. The meaning of podávají is determined by its object: it can refer to submitting documents, applications, or petitions, as well as to serving food or beverages to others. Because podávat is imperfective, podávají often describes ongoing or repeated actions rather than a single completed act.

Morphology and related forms: Podávají follows the typical conjugation pattern of -ávat verbs in the present tense. Full paradigm for present indicative is: já podávám, ty podáváš, on/ona podává, my podáváme, vy podáváte, oni podávají. The perfective counterpart podat has present forms such as já podám, ty podáš, on podá, my podáme, vy podáte, oni podají, where podají signals a single, completed action or near-future event. The verb can also appear in past tense and other aspects with appropriate prefixes and auxiliaries.

Usage notes: Podávají is common in administrative, legal, educational, and hospitality contexts. In bureaucratic language, it often means to submit or file documents or applications. In restaurants or care settings, it can mean to serve food or drinks to guests or clients. The choice between podávat and podat aligns with aspect: podávat for ongoing actions, podat for a single action.

Examples: Podávají žádosti o grant. Podávají jídlo hostům. These usages illustrate the dual senses of submission and serving in everyday Czech.