Hladkou

Hladkou is a declined form of the adjective hladký, used in Czech and Slovak to mean smooth, even, or flat. It is a feminine singular form and appears in specific grammatical cases when describing a feminine noun, such as in phrases about texture, skin, or surfaces. The form is not a standalone word but a grammatical variant of the base adjective.

In Czech, hladkou functions as the feminine singular form in certain cases, most commonly the accusative and the instrumental. For example, in the sentence “Má hladkou pokožku,” hladkou modifies pokožku in the accusative singular. Another example is “Látka byla hladkou texturou,” where hladkou texturou is instrumental singular describing the texture of the fabric.

In Slovak, the corresponding feminine singular instrumental form is also hladkou, but the accusative feminine singular typically appears as hladkú. For instance, “Mala hladkú pokožku” uses hladkú in the accusative, while “Povrch bol hladkou textúrou” uses the instrumental form hladkou textúrou to describe the surface.

Etymology and connections: the word derives from the Proto-Slavic root meaning smooth or even and has cognates across Slavic languages, such as Russian gladký, Polish gładki, and others. Beyond literal texture, the adjective can be used figuratively to denote smoothness in processes or behavior, e.g., a “hladký průběh” in Czech or a “hladký priebeh” in Slovak.

See also: hladký (the masculine form), glatký/a (cognate forms in related languages).