Zástupce

Zástupce is a Czech noun meaning a person who stands in for someone else or represents an organization. It can refer to a deputy in an organizational sense, a representative authorized to act on behalf of another, or a proxy or substitute in various contexts. Common translations include deputy, representative, proxy, or stand-in. The term is used in everyday speech as well as in formal settings, for example zástupce ředitele (deputy director) or zástupce firmy (company representative).

Etymology and meaning: Zástupce is derived from the concept of substitution and the agentive suffix -ec, indicating a person who performs the role of substituting or acting on behalf of someone else. The root zástup is connected to the idea of standing in for another.

Usage and contexts: In organizations and institutions, zástupce denotes someone who temporarily or permanently fulfills the duties of a missing or higher-ranking person. In government, the term is sometimes used interchangeably with deputy or assistant in certain contexts, although many institutions prefer terms like náměstek for a deputy minister. In legal contexts, a zástupce may act on behalf of another person under authorization, such as through a power of attorney (plná moc) or a mandate.

Grammar: Zástupce is masculine animate. The feminine form is zástupkyně, and the plural is zástupci (masculine) or zástupkyně (feminine). In sentences, inflection follows standard Czech noun patterns.

See also: deputy, representative, proxy, substitute, zmocněnec, plná moc, náměstek.