zvýrazovali

Zvýrazovali is a Czech verb form from zvýrazovat, meaning to highlight, emphasize, underline, or draw attention to something. It is the third person plural past tense, imperfective aspect, used to describe an action that took place repeatedly or was ongoing in the past. For example: Redaktoři zvýrazňovali hlavní pasáže v článku.

Etymology and meaning: The verb combines the prefix z- with the root výrazovat, which derives from výraz (expression, mark). The sense is to make something stand out or to mark it as important.

Grammar and usage: As a past-tense form, zvýrazovali agrees with a plural subject. It is employed in reports, narrative descriptions, and explanations where the action of highlighting occurred in the past, such as in journalism, education, or instruction. The imperfective aspect implies that the highlighting could have been repeated, habitual, or ongoing over a period, rather than a single completed act.

Alternatives and related forms: The perfective counterpart is zvýraznit, whose past plural form is zvýraznili. This distinguishes whether the act is viewed as a single completed event or as a habitual/past ongoing action. Synonyms in context include zdůrazňovat or označovat, though with slightly different nuances.

Examples in common use:

- U učitele se ve třídě zvýrazovali klíčové pojmy, aby studentům usnadnil zapamatování.

- V textu byly zvýrazňovány důležité termíny.

Overall, zvýrazovali is a standard past-tense form used to describe the act of highlighting performed by multiple subjects in Czech.