nahoru

Nahoru is a Czech adverb of direction meaning toward a higher place or upward movement. It is used with verbs of motion to indicate ascent and can stand alone to specify the direction of an action. Examples include Jdu nahoru po schodech (I am going up the stairs) and Vylezl nahoru na střechu (He climbed up to the roof). Nahoru contrasts with dolů, which denotes downward movement, and with nahoře, which refers to a location or position at the top rather than the act of moving upward.

Etymology and nuance: Nahoru is formed from the preposition na and the noun hora (hill, mountain), with historical development in Czech where na horu and related phrases were fused into a single directional adverb. The distinction in usage is that nahoru marks movement toward a higher place, while nahoře describes where someone or something is located at the top. In addition to literal ascent, nahoru is used figuratively to indicate increases or improvements, as in Ceny šly nahoru (Prices rose).

Usage notes: Nahoru commonly appears with everyday actions such as jít, lézt, nebo vystoupat, and in predicative constructions like dostat se nahoru or posunout se nahoru. It can also convey upward progression in non-physical contexts, including ranges, levels, or statistics, for example star ratings or prices going up. In summary, nahoru is the standard Czech adverb for upward direction, used with motion and, in broader sense, for upward change.