Zaujímají

Zaujímajú is a present-tense, third-person plural form of the Slovak verb zaujímať, which means to interest or to be of interest. The verb can function transitively, meaning something can interest someone (they are interested in something), or in a reflexive construction to express being interested in something (they are interested in themselves is not typical; instead the common form is zaujímajú sa). The same root gives the noun záujem, meaning interest or concern, and the two are closely related in meaning and usage.

Usage and construction: In everyday Slovak, zaujímajú is often used with a direct object to indicate what attracts attention or arouses interest, for example: Novinky ich zaujímajú (The news interest them). More commonly, the reflexive form zaujímajú sa is used to express being interested in a topic, typically followed by a preposition such as o or v: Zaujímajú sa o kultúru, Zaujímajú sa o nové technológie (They are interested in culture, They are interested in new technologies). Questions can be formed with čo ich zaujíma? (What interests them?)

Etymology and related forms: The verb zaujímať is derived from the noun záujem, meaning interest or concern, and shares the same semantic field. Related forms include zaujímam (I am interested), zaujímaš (you are interested), zaujímajú (they are interested), and the reflexive sa in the common expression zaujímajú sa o.

See also: záujem; zaujímanie; zaujímavý (interesting) as a related adjective.