Obklopují

Obklopují is the third-person plural present tense form of the Czech verb obklopovat. It means “they surround,” “they encircle,” or “they enclose,” and can refer to physical encirclement as well as figurative surround. The action is imperfective, indicating an ongoing or repeated encirclement rather than a completed act. The corresponding perfective form is obklopit, which expresses a single, completed encirclement.

Grammatical use and examples: Obklopují typically takes a direct object in the accusative when describing something being surrounded by others or by a barrier. For example: Vojáci obklopují město. (The soldiers surround the city.) Hory obklopují řadu vesnic. (The mountains encircle a number of villages.) The phrase can also be used metaphorically, as in otázky obklopují veřejnost. (questions surround the public). The passive construction is common as well: město je obklopeno horami. (the city is surrounded by mountains).

Related forms and nuances: The present participle obklopující can be used attributively, as in obklopující obraz; the noun obklopení denotes the act or state of being surrounded. The verb pair obklopovat (imperfective) and obklopit (perfective) is typical in Czech to express ongoing versus completed encirclement. The root sense emphasizes enclosing from all sides rather than simply being near.

See also: obklopit, obklopení, obklopený. These terms are used in journalism, geography, and literary prose to describe both literal and figurative encirclement.