Postráda

Postráda is a Czech verb meaning to lack, to be missing, or to miss someone or something. It emphasizes the absence of something expected, needed, or desired, and can apply to tangible objects as well as abstract concepts.

In use, postrádat takes a direct object in the accusative case. Examples: "Postrádám peníze." (I lack money.) "On postrádá příležitost." (He lacks an opportunity.) "Postrádá lásku." (He/she lacks love / misses love.) The present tense forms are: já postrádám, ty postrádáš, on/ona postrádá, my postrádáme, vy postrádáte, oni postrádají. The past tense is formed with the same verb stem: postrádal (m.), postrádala (f.), postrádali (pl.). The future is typically expressed with the present tense plus time reference or with a compound construction: "budu postrádat" (I will lack / I will be lacking).

Nuances and related terms: postrádat conveys a stronger sense of an essential or expected absence than the more neutral chybět, which can simply mean “to be missing” in various contexts. Postrádání, a related noun, denotes the act or state of lacking or missing something, as in "Postrádání jistoty" (the absence of certainty).

Translations vary by context and meaning, ranging from "to lack" and "to be missing" to "to miss" someone. In literary or formal Czech, postrádat frequently appears in discussions of deficiencies, gaps, or unfulfilled conditions.