zabavit

Zabavit is a Czech verb meaning to amuse, entertain, or to occupy someone’s time or attention by providing activity or amusement. It is commonly used when someone causes another person to have fun or to be distracted for a period. In a broader sense, zabavit can also mean to seize or confiscate in a legal context, though this sense is less frequent in everyday conversation.

Origin and aspect: The word is derived from the noun zábava (fun, entertainment) and the verb bavit, forming the perfective zabavit. The imperfective counterpart is zabavovat. In standard usage zabavit denotes a completed action of entertaining or occupying someone for a limited time. Past tense forms include zabavil (masc.), zabavila (fem.), zabavilo (neuter); plural forms are zabavili, zabavily, zabavila děti? depending on subject and gender.

Usage: Zabavit is used with a direct object to indicate providing entertainment. For example: "Zabavil jsem děti pohádkou" means I entertained the children with a fairy tale. "Zkusím hosty zabavit hrou" means I will entertain the guests with a game. The reflexive form "zabavit se" means to have fun oneself: "Zítra si chci zabavit čas procházkou." The verb thus covers both actively entertaining others and enjoying activities oneself.

Related terms: zábava (entertainment, fun), bavit (to entertain, to amuse), zábavný (entertaining, fun).