dobrý

Dobrý is a Czech adjective meaning good or kind. It describes the quality of nouns and agrees with the noun in gender, number, and case, with typical endings such as dobrý (masculine singular), dobrá (feminine singular), and dobré (neuter singular); in plural forms it becomes dobrí (masculine animate) or dobré (feminine and neuter). The word covers both practical quality (a well-made item) and moral evaluation (a kind person).

Uses and meaning. Dobrý is versatile, occurring with objects, people, situations, and abstract ideas. Examples include dobrý film (a good film), dobrá kniha (a good book), dobré jídlo (good food), or dobrý člověk (a good person). The sense can be positive, favorable, or commendable. For comparison, Czech uses lepší for the comparative and nejlepší for the superlative, rather than forming a regular comparative with dobrý.

Adverb and related forms. The adverbial form is dobře, meaning “well.” It describes actions rather than noun quality. Adjectival use can extend to set phrases and idioms, such as Dobrý den (good day) as a formal greeting, or dobré ráno (good morning), dobré odpoledne (good afternoon).

Etymology and cognates. Dobrý derives from the Proto-Slavic root dobr- meaning “good,” with cognates in related Slavic languages, such as Slovak dobrý, Polish dobry, Russian dobrý, and Ukrainian dobryy. The word belongs to a broad family of terms for positive qualities that recur across the Slavic languages.

See also. The term is closely related to related adjectives and to the broader concept of quality assessment in Czech, including the irregular comparative forms for higher praise.