vzpomínku

Vzpomínka is a Czech noun that designates both a mental recollection and a physical keepsake associated with a past event or person. In its common usage, it refers to the act of recalling memories (remembrance) as well as to objects that serve as reminders, such as photographs or letters.

The word derives from the verb vzpomínat (to remember) and is formed with the common suffix -ka to name a noun referring to the result or object of the action. It is a feminine noun. In the accusative singular the form is vzpomínku, and in other cases you use vzpomínka (nominative), vzpomínky (plural), and related inflected forms such as vzpomínce (dative and locative singular) and vzpomínkou (instrumental singular).

Usage and nuance: vzpomínka primarily denotes a memory or reminiscence, for example “Vzpomínka na dětství mi zůstala,” meaning a memory of childhood remains with me. It can also denote a tangible reminder or keepsake, as in “fotografie je vzpomínkou na prázdniny.” In formal or commemorative contexts, synonyms such as památka (memorial) or upomínka (reminder, keepsake) may be used, each with slightly different emphasis: památka often refers to a memorial or historic remembrance, while upomínka stresses a reminder or object kept to recall someone or an event.

In Czech texts, vzpomínka frequently appears in memoirs, obituaries, and personal narratives, where it helps convey personal memory or serve as a symbolic object tied to a past moment. The term is versatile and common in everyday language as well as literary contexts.