selhává

Selhává is a Czech verb form meaning “fails” or “is failing.” It is the present tense, third person singular of the verb selhat. The word describes a situation in which something does not function as intended, or a person does not perform as expected. The subject of selhává can be a person in a task, a device, a system, or a process.

In technology and engineering, selhává is commonly used to indicate a malfunction or breakdown: for example, “počítač selhává” (the computer is failing) or “systém selhává při zátěži” (the system fails under load). In medicine, the related noun selhání is used to express a failure or insufficiency, such as “selhání ledvin” (kidney failure) or “selhání srdce” (heart failure). The verb may also describe non-technical failures, for instance “projekt selhává” (the project is failing) or “plán selhává” (the plan is failing).

Morphology and usage: the infinitive is selhat; past tense forms include selhal, selhala, selhalo, selhali; the present participle is selhávající, meaning “failing” as in “selhávající systém.” The expression is neutral in tone but can carry a critical or evaluative nuance depending on context. The related noun selhání denotes a failure or malfunction, while porucha is a broader term for a fault or defect.

See also: selhání, porucha, zklamat.