jící

Jící is a suffix used in Czech to form present active participles from verb stems. Present active participles are a way to describe ongoing or concurrent action and can function as adjectives or as part of a larger verbal construction. The suffix -jící (with phonological variants such as -jící, -ující, or -ící in actual use) attaches to a verb stem and yields a form that agrees with a noun in gender, number, and case when used attributively.

Morphology and variants. The exact ending of the participle depends on phonology and the specific verb class. The common result is a form that ends in -jící or a closely related variant such as -ující or -ící, inserted after the stem of the verb. This flexibility allows the participle to blend smoothly with different consonant clusters and vowel endings found in Czech roots. The same participle form can be used with different noun phrases, producing expressions like jedoucí auto (an automobile that is moving) or mluvicí žena (a woman who is speaking).

Usage. Present active participles formed with -jící are widely used in Czech to create attributive phrases that describe characteristic or ongoing actions of a noun. They are declined like adjectives, agreeing with the noun in gender, number, and case, and they can appear before or, less commonly, after the noun they modify. Examples include jedoucí vlak (a train that is moving) and mluvicí dítě (a child who is speaking). They also appear in more figurative or descriptive contexts to convey immediacy or simultaneity of action.

Origin and relation. The -jící suffix belongs to the broader system of Slavic present active participles and has cognates in related languages. It reflects historical development of verbal adjectives from Proto-Slavic roots and remains productive in modern Czech for forming concise, dynamic descriptions.