Umýval

Umýval is a Czech verb meaning "washed" or "was washing." It is the past tense masculine singular form of the verb umývat, which means "to wash." The verb umývat is a regular imperfective verb, meaning it describes an ongoing or repeated action in the past.

In Czech grammar, the past tense is formed by adding a suffix to the infinitive stem, with different endings for gender and number. For the masculine singular past tense, the suffix is -l. Therefore, "umýval" refers to a male person or thing performing the action of washing. For example, "On umýval auto" translates to "He was washing the car."

The verb umývat can be used in various contexts, including washing oneself, washing objects, or washing something in a figurative sense. For instance, one might say "Dítě si umývalo ruce" (The child was washing its hands) or "Pes umýval svou srst" (The dog was washing its fur). The imperfective aspect of umývat emphasizes the process or duration of the washing action, rather than its completion.

The related perfective verb is umýt, meaning "to wash" (completed action). The past tense masculine singular form of umýt is umyl. Thus, "On umyl auto" would mean "He washed the car" (implying the action is finished). Understanding the distinction between imperfective and perfective verbs is crucial for accurate usage in Czech.