potebách

Potřebách is the locative plural form of the Czech feminine noun potřeba, which means need or necessity. The term refers to something required for a person’s life, functioning, or well-being, and it encompasses both tangible needs—such as food, clothing, and shelter—and intangible ones, such as safety, health, or social belonging.

The word potřeba is of Slavic origin and has close relatives in other languages, including Polish potrzeba, Russian потреба (potreba), and Serbo-Croatian potreba, reflecting a shared root for “need” across the family of Slavic languages.

Usage in Czech covers everyday speech and formal discourse. The related verb potřeba verbatim is potřebovat, meaning to need or require. Common phrases include základní potřeby (basic needs), potřeby zákazníků (customers’ needs), and v životních potřebách (in life’s necessities). The term can describe both personal requirements and broader societal requirements.

In economics and sociology, needs are often contrasted with resources and with demand (poptávka). The concept is also discussed in relation to theories of human motivation, such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and to policy debates about ensuring access to essential goods and services.

Declension and related forms: potřeba is a feminine noun. Singular forms include potřeba, potřeby, potřebě, potřebu, potřebou; the locative plural is potřebách. The adjective corresponding to needs is potřebný. The verb potřébovat (to need) is commonly used in everyday Czech.