povídat

Povídat is a Czech verb meaning to tell, to relate, or to chat. It is imperfective, used for ongoing or habitual talking, including recounting stories or engaging in casual conversation. The corresponding perfective form is povědět, which emphasizes the act of telling as a completed event.

Common usage centers on two main patterns. Povídat si means to chat or converse with someone. Povídat o čem (to talk about something) expresses discussing a topic. The verb is frequently used with si in social contexts, for example: „Povídáme si o prázdninách.“ or „Co si dneska povídáš?“ It can also convey recounting information or stories in a conversational manner.

Morphology and examples. In the present tense the forms are: já povídám, ty povídáš, on povídá, my povídáme, vy povídáte, oni povídají. The past tense uses the standard masculine, feminine, and neuter forms: povídal, povídala, povídalo (e.g., „Včera jsem si povídal s kamarádem.“). The future can be periphrastic: „budu povídat.“ There are related nouns such as povídání, referring to the act of talking or a chat.

Etymology and related forms. Povídat is related to povědět, the perfective counterpart meaning to tell or relate something specific. It shares roots with other Slavic cognates such as Ukrainian povіdати and Russian povedit’ (поведать). The prefix po- and the imperfective aspect reflect general speaking or narrating rather than a single completed act.

Overall, povídat is a common, versatile verb in Czech for everyday conversation, storytelling, and informal exchange.

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