trvá

Trvá is a Czech verb form meaning "to last" or "to take (time)." It is the present tense, third-person singular form of the verb trvat, which is intransitive and imperfective. The verb describes duration or persistence of a state, event, or process, without implying completion. Because trvat is imperfective, it emphasizes ongoing action rather than a defined endpoint by itself.

Common uses include describing how long something takes or lasts, with durations expressed in numbers and time units: "Cesta trvá dvě hodiny." "Kolik to trvá?" "Jak dlouho to trvá?" It can also be used with other subjects: "Letní prázdniny trvají tři týdny." The third-person plural is "trvají," as in "Letní prázdniny trvají tři týdny."

A related construction is "trvat na něčem" meaning "to insist on something" or "to persist in something": "Trvá na svém názoru." The verb also forms other persons: "Já trvám," "Ty tráš?" (Note: the correct forms are "Ty trváš," "On trvá," "My trváme," "Vy trváte," "Oni trvají.")

Etymology: trvat comes from Proto-Slavic, with cognates in other Slavic languages, e.g., Polish trwać and Ukrainian тривати. It is a common, basic verb in Czech, frequently used in both everyday and formal contexts.