Odczytany

Odczytany is a Polish past participle of the verb odczytać, meaning that something has been read (often aloud) or interpreted. It functions as an adjective and agrees with the noun in gender and number. Typical forms include odczytany (m. s.), odczytana (f. s.), odczytane (n. s. or pl.), odczytani (m. pl.). For example: odczytany list (the letter that has been read), odczytana wiadomość (the message that has been read), odczytane dane (the data that have been read).

Etymology and meaning. Odczytać derives from od- + czytać, with the prefix indicating the action has been completed or carried out. The sense of odczytania often implies the act of reading aloud, extracting information, or interpreting a text or data. In practice, odczytany can appear when describing documents, signals, or signs that have already been read or interpreted by someone.

Usage and nuance. Odczytany contrasts with przeczytany, which more commonly conveys the idea of having read through something in its entirety. While both can describe the state of a text after reading, odczytany emphasizes the performed act of reading (sometimes aloud or from a source) and its result, whereas przeczytany emphasizes completion. The form is most frequent in formal or descriptive prose, journalism, and archival contexts, as well as in legal or procedural language when noting that information has been read or presented.

Related terms include odczytać, odczyt, and odczytywanie, which cover the verb, the noun for the act of reading, and the ongoing process of reading information.