podstatným

Podstatným is the instrumental singular form of the Czech adjective podstatný, which means essential, substantial, or substantive. The form is used when the adjective modifies a noun in the instrumental case, and it also appears in fixed phrases such as podstatným jménem, meaning with a noun treated as a substantive.

In grammatical terms, podstatný describes something of central importance or core nature. It can modify nouns directly, as in podstatný problém (a substantial problem) or podstatný význam (essential meaning). The instrumental form podstatným is used when the modified noun is in the instrumental case, for example: To bylo podstatným faktorem úspěchu (That was a substantial factor of success). The feminine instrumental form is podstatnou, while the masculine and neuter instrumental form is podstatným. Plural instrumental is podstatnými.

Beyond grammar, podstatný carries a semantic sense of importance, relevance, or centrality. It is frequently used in academic and formal language to stress essential features, core elements, or principal aspects. In everyday speech, synonyms such as důležitý, zásadní, or klíčový may convey a similar nuance, though podstatný often emphasizes intrinsic significance rather than mere superficiality.

Related terms include podstatné jméno, the linguistic term for a noun in Czech, literally “substantive name.” The expression podstatným jménem is used in grammatical discussions to indicate the instrumental form of podstatný when describing a noun treated as a substantive.

In summary, podstatným is the instrumental form of the adjective podstatný, used to express substantiality or essential quality, especially in constructions involving nouns in the instrumental case.