razume

Razume is a present-tense form of the verb meaning “to understand” in several South Slavic languages, most commonly Serbian and Montenegrin, and corresponds to the third-person singular present tense. The equivalent form in Croatian and Bosnian is razumije. The infinitive forms are razumeti in Serbian and Montenegrin, and razumjeti or razumijeti in Croatian and Bosnian. Because of dialectal and standard differences, the exact spelling of the third-person form differs by language variety.

The noun razUmi means understanding or sense, and the verb is historically linked to that noun. In usage, razUme functions as a simple present-tense predicate, as in phrases describing someone’s current understanding. For example, in Serbian or Montenegrin you might say “On razume šta govori” (He understands what he is saying), and in Croatian or Bosnian “On razumije šta govori.” The first-person form is razumem or razumijem, and the negation is formed with ne: “Ne razumem” (I don’t understand) or “Ne razumijem.” The verb also combines with clauses introduced by da to express understanding of a proposition, as in “Razumem da si umoran” (I understand that you are tired) in the Serbian/Montenegrin varieties, or “Razumijem da si umoran” in Croatian/Bosnian variants.

Related terms include the noun razUm meaning understanding, and the corresponding verbs in other Slavic languages, such as razumjeti/razumjeti. Razume thus functions as a common everyday verb for expressing comprehension across South Slavic languages, with minor orthographic and morphological differences between varieties.