minulými

Minulými is the instrumental plural form of the Czech adjective minulý, meaning past or previous. It functions as a modifier when the noun it describes is in the instrumental case in the plural. The base minulý originates from Old Czech and ultimately from Proto-Slavic, with a meaning tied to something that has passed or occurred before.

In use, minulými describes events, periods, or experiences associated with the past. It is typically found with plural nouns in the instrumental case, for example in phrases such as minulými dny (in the past days) or minulými lety (in the past years). The form reflects agreement with the gender and number of the noun it modifies, and it parallels other plural instrumental forms of adjectives in Czech.

The singular instrumental form is minulým and is used with singular nouns in instrumental case, for instance minulem rokem (last year). Feminine and neuter nouns in the plural follow the same instrumental plural ending minulými, so the form is consistent across genders in plural contexts.

Common usage contexts include historical writing, journalism, and reflective narration, where speakers or writers refer to preceding times, events, or periods. While the meaning is clearly tied to what has already passed, the choice of minulými versus other past-related forms often depends on the noun’s number and case rather than a difference in nuance.

See also: minulý, minulost, časově související výrazy. The term is primarily a grammatical form rather than a standalone lexical item, and its correct use hinges on proper case and number agreement with the associated noun.