potkávání

Potkávání is a Czech noun referring to the act or process of meeting someone, typically by chance. It derives from the verb potkávat (to meet or encounter regularly) and its perfective counterpart potkat (to meet, to run into). In English, potkávání is often translated as “encounters” or “meetings,” and it is distinguished from potkání, which denotes a single encounter.

Usage of potkávání spans everyday language and more formal discussions. In casual speech, it describes unplanned or casual meetings on streets, in shops, or in other public spaces, as in the sense of “potkáváme se na ulici” (we meet by chance on the street). It can also refer to the broader phenomenon of people repeatedly meeting each other, such as in urban sociology or studies of social life, where potkávání captures the pattern of everyday interactions among strangers and acquaintances in a city.

Grammatical notes indicate that potkávání is the gerund-like noun formed from the imperfective verb potkávat, emphasizing ongoing or habitual meeting. The corresponding perfective form potkání denotes a single, completed encounter. The concept is often discussed together with related terms such as setkání (a more formal or planned meeting) and náhodné setkání (random encounter).

In cultural and literary contexts, potkávání may be used to describe how chance meetings influence relationships, opportunities, and social networks. While not a formal technical term, it appears in sociological writing, journalism, and fiction to convey the everyday texture of human interaction in public life.