zapadají

Zapadají is a present-tense, third-person plural form of the Czech verb zapadat. The verb designates the action of moving downward or toward a horizon, most commonly used for the setting of celestial bodies or for a movement into darkness. As an imperfective verb, zapadat describes ongoing or repeated action rather than a completed event.

Etymology and meaning: Zapadat is built from the root padat (to fall) with the prefix za-, which in this context conveys movement toward a boundary or change of state. The core sense is “to descend, to go down,” with natural-language usage focusing on the sun, moon, stars, or phenomena like shadows or mists that appear to sink as time passes or weather changes.

Usage: The form zapadají is used when the subject is plural. Examples include: "Hory zapadají do mlhy" (The mountains are setting into the mist) and "Hvězdy zapadají" (The stars set). In everyday speech the singular form is common for the sun or moon: "Slunce zapadá." The construction is typical in descriptions of dusk, evening scenes, or landscapes where multiple items or events occur in a downward or horizon-bound sense.

Grammatical notes: Zapadají is part of the -at verb class in Czech and follows regular present-tense conjugation patterns for third-person plural. The prefix za- with padat helps distinguish a directional movement toward a boundary or end of a phase, compared with other motion verbs.

See also: zapadnout (perfective counterpart), padat (to fall), zapadat se (to set in/searching context).