Vyznat

Vyznat is a Czech verb with several related meanings centered on revelation and acknowledgment. Its most common sense is to confess or admit something to another person, such as a belief, intention, or feeling. In this usage, the verb is often paired with a dative indirect object and an accusative or noun phrase for what is confessed, for example, vyznat někomu své city or vyznat jí, že miluje. The act is typically regarded as a single, completed disclosure, which characterizes vyznat as a perfective verb.

Etymology and related forms support the sense of disclosure. The root is connected to the verb znát (to know), with a prefix vy-, yielding a nuance of revealing what one knows or believes. A closely related but distinct construction is vyznat se, a reflexive form meaning “to understand; to know one’s way around” or “to be familiar with” something. Examples include vyznat se v mapách or vyznám se v tom, both indicating comprehension or competence rather than a single confession.

Usage notes and varieties. The imperfective counterpart is vyznávat (to confess repeatedly or habitually) or, in some contexts, přiznat and přiznání se k něčemu, which are more common for ordinary admissions. Vyznat se generally requires prepositional complements: vyznat se v čem (to understand in/with regard to something). In standard prose, vyznat is encountered in formal or literary contexts; in everyday speech, speakers often use other verbs such as přiznat or říct pravdu.

See also: vyznání (confession or creed), vyznání se (to profess), přiznání (admission). The phrase vyznat se helps distinguish the sense of knowing or navigating a domain from the act of confessing.