dokonavý

Dokonavý is a linguistic term used in Czech grammar to describe the perfective aspect of verbs. It denotes actions viewed as completed, bounded, or delivered to a conclusion, in contrast to the nedokonavý (imperfective) aspect, which emphasizes ongoing, repeated, or habitual actions. The distinction between dokonavý and nedokonavý is a central organizing feature of Czech verbal morphology and affects meaning, aspectual interpretation, and sometimes syntactic construction.

Most Czech dokonavé forms are created through prefixation or other derivational processes that alter the lexical meaning and indicate completion or termination of the action. Common prefixes include na-, do-, vy-, za-, vy-, or pře-, among others. Some verbs are inherently dokonavý without a prefix, while others appear as alternants to their imperfective counterparts (for example, psát vs napsat, číst vs přečíst). The aspect also interacts with tense: perfective verbs typically do not have a true present tense; their present forms express future meaning (napíšu dopis = I will write a letter).

Usage in sentences often hinges on whether the speaker views the event as finished. For example, napíšu dopis conveys a future completed action, while píšu dopis describes an action occurring now. Past and conditional tenses similarly align with the perfective viewpoint or its negation, depending on the context and whether the emphasis is on completion or ongoing relevance.

Etymology stems from the Czech verb dokonat, meaning to complete, and the suffix -ový, forming a distinct aspectual class. The dokonavý and nedokonavý aspects are widely used in Czech and, to varying degrees, in other Slavic languages, where they serve a parallel function in expressing the scope and completeness of events.