pomáhali

Pomáhali is the past tense form of the Czech verb pomáhat, meaning to help. It is the masculine personal plural past tense form, used when the subject is a group of men or a mixed-gender group, or generally when speaking in the masculine plural. The verb pomáhat is imperfective and transitive, typically taking a direct object to indicate who or what is being helped.

In Czech, past tense forms agree with the subject in gender and number. The feminine plural form is pomáhaly, the neuter singular form is pomáhalo, the masculine singular form is pomáhal, and the feminine singular form is pomáhala. The form pomáhali specifically signals a past action by a masculine or mixed-gender group; context will determine whether it is understood as “they helped” or “they were helping.” The imperfective nature contrasts with the perfective form pomohli, which would express a completed act of helping.

Usage and nuance: Pomáhali is commonly found in narratives and descriptions of past events or ongoing situations in the past. It can indicate repeated or continuous helping over a period, not necessarily a single finished act. To express a completed helping action viewed as finished, one would typically use the perfective pomohli.

Examples:

- Oni pomáhali sousedům po povodni. (They were helping the neighbors after the flood.)

- Po dlouhém dni pomáhali, jak mohli. (After a long day they helped as they could.)

See also: pomáhat, Czech verb forms, past tense in Czech.