povahu

Povaha is a feminine noun used in Czech and Slovak to denote the inherent nature or character of a person or thing. It encompasses temperament, dispositions, and stable traits that influence behavior. The term is usually neutral, but it can appear in evaluative phrases such as dobrá povaha (good nature) or zlá povaha (bad nature).

Typical uses include: mít dobrou povahu (to have a good nature), povaha člověka (the character of a person), and povaha věci (the nature or essence of a thing). The word is often contrasted with charakter, where povaha describes innate tendencies or general nature, while charakter emphasizes moral or psychological qualities.

Origin and cognates: Povaha is a native Slavic word with long-standing use in Czech and Slovak. Its etymology traces to older Slavic roots describing nature or disposition and has cognates in related languages.

Grammar: Povaha is feminine. In Czech, the nominative singular is povaha and the accusative singular is povahu (as in mít dobrou povahu). In Slovak, the noun has a similar meaning and a parallel inflection pattern, with povaha as the nominative and povahu commonly used in the accusative. The word is typically used in singular, though it can occur in plural contexts when discussing multiple natures or aspects.