pravidlám

Pravidlám is the dative plural form of the Slovak noun pravidlo, meaning rule or guideline. It appears in sentences where the rules themselves are the indirect object or are governed by a preposition that requires the dative case. A common usage is after the verb prispôsobiť sa: prispôsobil sa pravidlám (he adapted to the rules), which illustrates how the dative plural follows a governing verb.

Etymology and related forms: pravidlo is a neuter noun from the same root as pravidlá in the nominative plural. The word comes from Proto-Slavic *pravilo and is closely related to cognate terms in other Slavic languages, such as Czech pravidlo and Russian praviló, all sharing the sense of a guideline or standard. The plural forms follow the regular Slovak declension pattern for neuter nouns in the plural.

Declension (illustrative forms for pravidlo): nominative plural pravidlá; genitive plural pravidiel; dative plural pravidlám; accusative plural pravidlá; locative plural pravidlách. The entry form in question, pravidlám, is specifically the dative plural.

Usage and domain: pravidlo and its inflected forms are used across legal, educational, sports, workplace, and everyday contexts to refer to established norms, standards, or guidelines. In Slovak, the dative plural form often accompanies verbs or prepositions that govern the dative, signaling the indirect relation of actions to the rules themselves. The concept remains neutral and descriptive, framing rules as social constructs that guide behavior, processes, or procedures.

See also: rules (general concept), pravidlo (singular form), Slovak grammar.