hlavou

Hlavou is the instrumental singular form of the Czech noun hlava, meaning head. In Czech grammar it functions to indicate the instrument with which an action is performed, or the manner in which an action is carried out. It is commonly encountered in idiomatic expressions and set phrases describing how an action is done using the head.

Common uses include indicating that the head is used as the means of performing the action. For example, in sports one says dal gól hlavou to mean scoring a goal with the head. Another well-known usage is in idioms describing the manner of movement or entry, such as going headfirst, often expressed in phrases like hlavu napřed or hlavou napřed.

Form and variants: hlavou is feminine singular instrumental, derived from hlava. The word can combine with prepositions to describe contact or interaction, for instance hlavu o zeď to denote striking the head against a wall. In other contexts, the instrumental form is part of fixed collocations and may appear inside longer phrases without an explicit preposition.

Etymology and language notes: hlava originates in Proto-Slavic glava. The instrumental form hlavu (accusative) and hlavou (instrumental) reflect the standard Czech noun paradigm for feminine nouns ending in -a. The term is primarily used in Czech, with related forms used to discuss anatomy (head) or to describe actions performed by the head.

See also: hlava, hlavička, hlavička (soccer usage), go headfirst.