Zvání

Zvání is a Czech noun derived from the verb zvát, meaning to invite. It denotes the act of inviting or the thing that invites. In everyday language, the standard term for a formal invitation is pozvání; zvání is less common in casual speech and tends to appear in literary, rhetorical, or religious contexts where it carries a broader sense of calling or lure.

In figurative use, zvání describes attraction or pull rather than a concrete invitation. Phrases such as zvání domova or zvání dobrodružství express the enticing appeal of home or adventure. In theology and philosophy, Boží zvání refers to a divine call to a vocation or life path, while hledat zvání means to discern one’s calling. The term also occurs in poetry and sermons to capture an irresistible summons from beyond the ordinary.

Etymology and related terms: zvání is derived from the verb zvát, with roots in Proto-Slavic *zvati. Related words include zvát (to invite), pozvání (invitation), pozvánka (invitation note), and Boží povolání or povolání as vocation.