-ujem

Present Verbs in -ovať

Level 1

Swap -ovať for -uj- and add the endings: pracovať → pracujem, študovať → študujem, kupovať → kupujem.

How It Works

Here is pracovať (to work):

  • ja pracujem, ty pracuješ, on, ona, ono pracuje
  • my pracujeme, vy pracujete, oni, ony pracujú

Common verbs like this are študovať (to study), kupovať (to buy), cestovať (to travel), telefonovať (to phone), potrebovať (to need), obedovať (to have lunch) and milovať (to love). You already know one of them: ďakujem comes from ďakovať (to thank).

Many words from other languages join this group, like parkovať (to park): parkujem, and organizovať (to organize): organizujem.

The rule works only when -ov- is part of the -ovať ending. In a few verbs, -ov- belongs to the root, and they use the -ám pattern instead. For example, chovať (to keep animals) goes chovám, chovajú.

Examples (6)

  1. Pracujem v banke.

    I work in a bank.

  2. Čo študuješ?

    What are you studying?

  3. Kde kupujete zeleninu?

    Where do you buy vegetables?

  4. Potrebujeme nový stôl.

    We need a new table.

  5. V lete cestujú po Európe.

    In summer they travel around Europe.

    The they form ends in -ujú.

  6. Veľmi pekne ďakujem.

    Thank you very much.

    Ďakujem is the I form of ďakovať.

Common Mistakes

  • Treating an -ovať verb like an -ám verb.

    Pracovám v škole.
    Pracujem v škole.

    Verbs in -ovať change -ova- to -uj- in the present.

  • Using the he or she form for they.

    Oni študuje medicínu.
    Oni študujú medicínu.

    The they form ends in -ujú.

  • Applying the -uj- rule to a verb whose -ov- is part of the root.

    Chovujem sliepky.
    Chovám sliepky.

    In chovať, -ov- belongs to the root, so it follows the -ám pattern.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-ujemLevel 1Present Verbs in -ovať

Learn This First

Before Present Verbs in -ovať, learn Present Verbs in -em and -iem. -ujem verbs are a regular subtype of the -em pattern.

Words in This Pattern

-ovať