osobní

Osobní is a Czech adjective meaning personal or private. It is derived from the noun osoba (person) and is used to describe things related to a person or to personal aspects. In Czech, it generally precedes a noun and agrees with it in gender, number, and case, forming common phrases such as osobní auto (passenger car), osobní údaje (personal data), and osobní kontakt (personal contact).

The term is widely used in everyday language as well as in official and legal contexts, especially where privacy or data protection is involved. Typical expressions include zpracování osobních údajů (processing of personal data) and ochrana osobních údajů (protection of personal data). Osobní is also found in phrases referring to personal attributes or experiences, for example osobní vlastnosti (personal qualities) and osobní zkušenost (personal experience).

In Slovak, a closely related form is osobný, with similar meaning and usage, reflecting the shared linguistic heritage of Czech and Slovak. The word also participates in numerous compound nouns and set phrases across modern Czech.

Etymology: from osoba (“a person”) plus the adjectival suffix -ní, yielding a modifier indicating relation to the base noun.

Notes: While generally neutral, the precise nuance of personal versus private can depend on context and register. In some modern contexts, alternatives such as privátní may be used for emphasis on privacy, though osobní remains standard for everyday usage.

See also: personal data, data protection, privacy, person, osobnost.