Samotný

Samotný is a Czech adjective meaning solitary, alone, or the very thing mentioned. It is used to describe a noun as being by itself or in a sense of totality or emphasis, for example samotný člověk (the solitary person) or samotný dům (the very house). The expression na samotě refers to being in isolation or in a remote place.

Etymology and form: samotný is formed from the base sám (self) with the adjectival suffix -otný, producing an adjective that stresses exclusivity or isolation. Like other Czech adjectives, samotný inflects for gender, number and case: masculine singular forms are samotný, feminine samotná, neuter samotné, with corresponding plural forms such as samotní (masc. plural), samotné (fem. and neut. plural). It generally follows the standard adjective paradigm and agrees with the noun it modifies.

Usage notes: samotný often carries a strong or emphatic sense, equivalent to “the very …” or “the sole/solely” in English, and can emphasize that the thing in question stands alone or is being singled out. It coexists with the more neutral sám, which emphasizes the subject’s action or involvement rather than solitude. The phrase samotný is common in written Czech and in careful speech, while na samotě is a fixed expression meaning in solitude or in a remote location.

See also: sám, samotář, samota, samotně (rare adverbial form).