rychlý

Rychlý is a Czech adjective meaning fast, rapid, or quick. It describes the speed of motion, the speed of a process, or the pace of an event. The word is used both before a noun (attributive) and after a copula (predicative). For example, rychlý běh means a fast run, and auto je rychlé means the car is fast.

Forms and usage: In standard Czech, rychlý follows the usual adjective patterns. The basic inflections are masculine singular rychlý, feminine rychlá, and neuter rychlé, with corresponding plural forms in each gender. The adverbial form is rychle, used to describe the manner of action. Comparatives and superlatives are formed regularly: rychlejší for the comparative and nejrychlejší for the superlative.

Etymology and relatives: Rychlý derives from a Slavic root associated with speed and motion. It has cognates in other Slavic languages, reflecting a common historical ancestry. The word is closely linked to related nouns such as rychlost (speed) and to other derivatives describing pace and rapidity.

Usage notes: Rychlý can describe people, objects, events, or processes that operate with high speed. It is common in everyday language as well as in technical or descriptive contexts. In compounds and fixed expressions, it often appears as part of terms for speed and efficiency.

Surname use: Rychlý also exists as a Czech surname, derived from the adjective, and may appear in personal names in the Czech Republic.

See also: rychlost (speed).