# Domluvit



## JGIC

What does domluvit mean, and what is the difference between mluvit and domluvit?  I have read that domluvit means "to come to an agreement," but it seems to have a more general meaning as well, and it seems to refer to having a conversation in general, at least based on conversations that I've overheard where it was used.


----------



## atcheque

Dobrý den JGIC a vítejte na české fóru 

We need a sentence to explain the best a simple word. What would be the original sentence; is it in English or Czech?
And is it _domluvit_, _domluvit se_, or _domluvit si_?


----------



## JGIC

Nevím jestli je domluvit nebo domluvit se/si!

But here are the contexts where I've heard it:

My Czech teacher said I could say either:
"Mluvili jsme spolu" or "Domluvili si/se*"
*not sure if si or se​I read that you could say the following to indicate that you speak czech.
"Domluvim český"​


----------



## Mori.cze

yes, "domluvím se česky" means I am able make a communication in Czech.

It can indeed be a bit of a versatile word:
very literally domluvit means "to finish speaking" (Velitel domluvil a nastalo ticho)
with an (acusative) object it means "to arrange" (Domluvit termín) -- you can observe the etymology: there is no more need to speak, because all has already been said and the agreement stands.

For the reflexive subspecies with "se" this line of meaning is taken even further ("se" here carries sort of a meaning of reciprocity between people, of mutual communication):
it can mean "to agree on" (Domluvit se na termínu),
or just general ability to come to an agreement or even to be able to communicate (domluvit se na kompromisu (to agree on a compromise)/Tom a Jerry se nikdy nedomluví (Tom and Jerry never share an opinion)/domluvím se anglicky(I speak English well enough to communicate))
As you can see, most of the meaning is in the context


----------



## Enquiring Mind

Nothing of great substance to add to Mori.cze’s very good explanation, and I fully agree that the meaning is heavily context-dependent. It’s a very useful verb, I hear it every day, and it would be easy to fill a 90-minute lecture on the use of domlouvat/domluvit. Here are some examples in context to illustrate Mori.cze’s points. Alternative translations are, of course, possible, and in some cases below, it's difficult to be entirely precise about the meaning.

Tak to obvykle chodí. Přesvědčujeme sami sebe, že náš život bude lepší a my šťastnější, když jednou založíme rodinu, když budeme mít děti. Potom jsme zklamáni, že naše děti jsou malé a potřebují mnoho péče. Těšíme se, že to snad bude lepší, až vyrostou. Když dosáhnou puberty, zase jsme otráveni, _že se s nimi těžko domlouvá_. Určitě budeme šťastnější, až z ní vyrostou... (source: apostol.webnode.cz)
... Then when they reach puberty we're annoyed that they're difficult to communicate with ...

Z vlastní zkušenosti mohu říct, že se s firmou těžko domlouvá na termínech. (source: rychlost.cz)
....... it's difficult to get this firm to agree on dates.

Zde na tržišti, v tanzanském Lušotu, ve východních Usumbarských horách, se Evropan jen těžko domlouvá,.. (source: zemesveta.cz)
............... a European finds it difficult to make himself understood.

Jak se domluvit s kojencem a batoletem - How to communicate with babies and toddlers.
Nech mě domluvit - Let me finish what I want to say.

There are lots of examples on the net which you can research for yourself. If you find a specific usage that isn't clear, feel free to ask about it, and it would help if you provide a couple of sentences of context and preferably also a link.

As for using se/si, _domlouvat_ and _domluvit _can both function on their own. If used with "se", this can indicate that more than one person is involved (reaching an agreement with someone else or more people), it can also make the verb reflexive. If used with "si" it can be an ethical dative or dative of possession, but that is something a bit more advanced and also context-specific. You have to look at each case in context.


----------

