Tvrdy

Tvrdy is the ASCII-invariant form of a Slavic adjective meaning hard, firm, or solid in Czech and Slovak. In standard spelling it is tvrdý in Czech and tvrdý in Slovak, but when diacritics are omitted in digital text or cross-language contexts, tvrdy commonly appears as an alternative spelling.

Etymology and cognates: The word derives from Proto-Slavic *tvьrdъ and has cognates across Slavic languages, including Russian твёрдый (tvyordy), Polish twardy, Ukrainian твердий (tverdij), and Bulgarian твърд (tvurdt). These forms share the same core meaning of hardness or firmness, with regional phonetic and orthographic variations.

Usage: Tvrdy or its diacritic forms are used to describe physical hardness or rigidity, such as tvrdý kov (hard metal) or tvrdý materiál (hard material). It can also be used figuratively to express firmness or toughness, for example a tvrdý postoj (a firm attitude) or tvrdý boj (a tough fight). Related nouns include tvrdosť (hardness) in Slovak and tvrdost in Czech, and related adjectives include tvrdohlavý (stubborn) in both languages.

Notes: In non-diacritic writing, tvrdy serves as an ASCII representation of tvrdý, but it is not standard in native orthography. The term is common in dictionaries, language-learning resources, and everyday speech in Czech and Slovak, and it has cognates with parallel meanings in other Slavic languages.

See also: tvrdý, twardý (Polish influence), tvrdohlavý, tvrdosť.