zachytával

Zachytával is a Czech verb form belonging to the imperfective verb zachytávat, meaning to catch, seize, capture, or intercept, and also to record or capture in a visual sense. The form zachytával is the third-person singular masculine past tense (simple past) of an imperfective verb, used for actions that were ongoing, repeated, or habitual in the past. Because it is imperfective, it emphasizes the process or duration rather than a completed act. The corresponding forms in the past for other genders and numbers are zachytávala (feminine singular), zachytávalo (neuter), zachytávali (masculine/neuter plural), and zachytávaly (feminine plural).

Etymology and aspect: The verb is built from the root chyta- (to catch) with the prefix za- or z- and the imperfective suffix -ávat. Its perfective counterpart is zachytit, which focuses on a single, completed capture or interception (e.g., zachytil/zachytila).

Usage notes: Zachytávat is transitive and versatile, used across contexts such as physical catching (zachytávat míč), capturing events or moments (kamera zachytávala záběry), or figurative senses like intercepting information or signals (zachytávat signály). The past tense form zachytával is common in narrative prose to describe ongoing past activity by a masculine subject.

Examples:

- Kameraman zachytával důležité momenty během události.

- Hráč zachytával míč v obranné činnosti.

- Byl zaujatý, když zachytával signály z monitoru.

In sum, zachytával is a key imperfective past form of zachytávat, used for describing ongoing or habitual catching or capturing actions in the past.