potírají

Potírají is the third-person plural present tense form of the Czech verb potírat. It is used when the subject is they (oni) and describes an action occurring in the present. The verb potírat belongs to the class of transitive verbs and has a prefix po- that, together with the root té- or tírat, conveys the sense of applying or spreading something by rubbing.

Meanings and usage

The primary meaning of potírat is to rub on, spread, or apply a substance to a surface or body by rubbing. This includes contexts such as skincare, cosmetics, or topical medicines, where one might say that the skin is potíráno krémem (the skin is being treated with cream) or that someone potírá barvu onto a surface. In figurative or extended uses, potírat can denote spreading, disseminating, or applying something more abstractly, such as a policy or influence.

Related forms and adjectives

The noun derived from potírat is potírání, which typically denotes an act of suppression, oppression, or overcoming opposition in political or social contexts. The verb has other tense forms (past, future) and has a perfective counterpart in some dialects or closely related verbs, though potírat itself is primarily imperfective and describes ongoing or repeated actions.

Etymology

The word is built from the base verb tírat (to rub) with the prefix po-, a common Czech prefix that can indicate completion, repetition, or distribution of the action. The sense of applying or rubbing things onto a surface is central to the modern usage of potírat and its forms, including potírají.