podtrhnout

Podtrhnout is a Czech verb meaning to underline in the literal sense of drawing a line under text, and, by extension, to emphasize or highlight something. The action is typically performed to mark important words or passages.

Etymology and form: podtrhnout is formed from the prefix pod- meaning under and the verb trhnout meaning to pull; thus to pull a line under. The verb is perfective. Its imperfective counterpart is podtrhávat. Conjugation centers on podtrhnout, e.g., podtrhnu, podtrhneš, podtrhne; past forms include podtrhl (masc.), podtrhla (fem.), podtrhlo (neut.). The past participle is podtrhnutý, with feminine podtrhnutá and neuter podtrhnuté.

Usage: in typography and editing, podtrhnout refers to placing a horizontal line beneath text to indicate emphasis. Figuratively, it can mean to underscore or highlight a point in writing or speech, as in podtrhnout důležitou pasáž. In everyday style, it is often used where bold or italics might be preferred in modern typography, but underlining remains common in handwriting, forms, or certain design contexts. The verb is commonly paired with nouns like slova (words), věty (sentences), or pasáž (passage).

Related terms: synonyms include zdůraznit, vyzdvihnout, and in the specific sense of the typographic symbol, podtržítko refers to the underscore character (_), not the act of underlining.

See also: podtržítko; zdůraznit.