podstatnému

Podstatnému is the dative singular form of the Czech adjective podstatný, which means essential, fundamental, substantial, or important. The term is used to describe something that is central or of substance, such as a key element, a crucial difference, or an important factor. The adjective derives from podstata, meaning essence or substance, and appears in a wide range of contexts from everyday speech to academic writing.

In usage, podstatný emphasizes the essential character of a subject rather than mere general importance. It is often used to denote core components or indispensable aspects. The word can be contrasted with synonyms such as důležitý (important), zásadní (pivotal, fundamental), or nezbytný (necessary). The nuance is that podstatný highlights the substance or core of a matter, while důležitý or nezbytný emphasize importance or necessity, respectively.

Grammatical notes: podstatný follows standard Czech adjective declension. The masculine singular dative form is podstatnému, used when a masculine noun in the dative case is described. Feminine singular dative is podstatné, neuter singular dative is podstatnému, and plural forms adjust accordingly. The form podstatné also appears in feminine singular without a preceding masculine noun, and in neuter singular for other cases (e.g., nominative neuter podstatné).

Examples: K podstatnému problému je třeba přistoupit. Z podstatného hlediska je tato změna pozitivní. These illustrate the dative usage with masculine nouns and the genitive-like usage in the phrase z podstatného hlediska.