tvrdé

Tvrdé is the neuter singular form of the Czech adjective tvrdý, meaning hard, firm, or solid. It is used to describe neuter nouns in the nominative singular and, in predicative constructions with the verb být (to be), to express a state: To je tvrdé. In phrases about materials or objects, tvrdé can denote a high degree of hardness, as in tvrdé dřevo (hard wood) or tvrdé sklo (hard glass).

Grammar and inflection: Czech adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number and case. The basic forms are tvrdý (masculine singular), tvrdá (feminine singular), and tvrdé (neuter singular). The neuter singular form tvrdé is used with neuter nouns; other forms follow standard declension rules. The root tvr- is shared with nouns and words such as tvrdost (hardness) and tvrdě (hard/firmly).

Origins and cognates: tvrdé derives from Proto-Slavic *tvъrdъ- meaning firm. Cognates appear in several Slavic languages, including Slovak tvrdé and Russian твёрдый (tvyor'dy). In Czech, tvrdé also appears in figurative expressions such as tvrdé srdce (hard-hearted person) or in contexts describing the quality or state of materials.

See also: related Czech forms (tvrdý, tvrdá), the noun tvrdost, and the adverb tvrdě. The concept is common in everyday language when characterizing texture, resilience, or firmness of objects, as well as in figurative uses.