Tenkrát

Tenkrát is a Czech adverb used primarily to refer to a moment in the past. It functions as a narrative cue that signals a point in time for the listener or reader, often with a sense of reminiscence or storytelling. In everyday speech it can mean “back then” or “at that time,” and it is commonly found in anecdotes, memories, or historical recollections. While its core sense is temporal, the word can carry a nostalgic or emphatic tone depending on context.

Etymology and usage notes: Tenkrát is formed from the demonstrative pronoun ten (that) and the structuring element krát (times), historically conveying the idea of a particular past occasion. In modern Czech, tenkrát is chiefly a temporal adverb. It is somewhat less formal than tehdy or v té době, and it frequently appears in spoken language, memoirs, and literary narration. For exact counting of repetitions (for example, “ten times”), Czech normally uses desetkrát rather than tenkrát.

Examples:

- Tenkrát jsem ještě nevěděl, co mám dělat. (Back then I didn’t know what to do.)

- Tenkrát to bylo jiné; život byl jednodušší. (Back then it was different; life was simpler.)

Cultural note: The phrase appears in media and literature, including film titles such as the Czech rendering of Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, which is commonly translated as Tenkrát v Hollywoodu. This use underscores its function as a nostalgic or narrative signpost within a past-tense frame.

See also: tehdy, v té době, desetkrát.