smlouvat

Smlouvat is a Czech verb that denotes the act of negotiating or arranging terms for a contract. It is not common in everyday contemporary standard Czech, where speakers typically use vyjednávat (to negotiate) or uzavřít smlouvu (to conclude a contract). The term can appear in formal, historical, or literary contexts, and is sometimes found in regional dialects or older legal prose.

Etymology and forms: The verb is derived from the noun smlouva (contract) with the common verb-forming suffix -vat. It follows regular Czech conjugation patterns: já smlouvám, ty smlouváš, on/ona smlouvá, my smlouváme, vy smlouváte, oni smlouvají. Its use signals a more formal or archaic tone compared with synonymy.

Usage notes: Because of its formal or antiquated color, smlouvat may appear when describing the process of negotiating contractual terms in historical documents or literary narratives. In modern business or regulatory writing, it is typically replaced by vyjednat or uzavřít smlouvu.

Examples:

- Společnost smlouvá s dodavatelem o ceně a dodacích podmínkách.

- Dvě strany smlouvaly po měsících vyjednávání, dokud nevznikla platná smlouva.

- Historicky se v některých pramenech smlouvat objevuje jako varianta k uzavřít smlouvu.

See also: smlouva (contract); vyjednávat (to negotiate); uzavřít smlouvu (to conclude a contract); vyjednávání (negotiation).