ústna

Ústna is the feminine singular form of the Slovak adjective ústny, meaning “oral” or “mouth-related.” It is used to describe structures, functions or modalities associated with the mouth in medical, anatomical and linguistic contexts. The most common compound is ústna dutina, the “oral cavity,” and ústna sliznica, the “oral mucosa.” Other examples include ústna výslovnosť, meaning “oral pronunciation,” and ústna hygiena, meaning “oral hygiene.” As an adjective, ústna agrees with the noun it modifies (for example, ústna dutina, ústna sliznica).

Etymology traces ústna to the root ústa, meaning “mouth,” shared across Slavic languages. The word functions primarily as an adjective; it is not typically used as a standalone noun. In practice, the masculine and neuter forms (ústny, ústne) appear with corresponding nouns, while the feminine form ústna accompanies feminine nouns such as dutina or sliznica.

In usage, ústna appears in medical terminology, anatomy guides, and linguistic descriptions involving the mouth or related processes. It helps distinguish oral aspects from other regions or systems, such as nosné (nasal) or dentálne (dental) terms. Related terms include ústa (mouth), ústna dutina (oral cavity), and ústna sliznica (oral mucosa).

See also: ústa, ústna dutina, ústna sliznica, ústna hygiena, ústna výslovnosť.