Editing Czech language (section)

====Aspect====
{{See also|Grammatical aspect in Slavic languages}}
Typical of Slavic languages, Czech marks its verbs for one of two [[grammatical aspect]]s: [[perfective aspect|perfective]] and [[imperfective aspect|imperfective]]. Most verbs are part of inflected aspect pairs—for example, ''[[wikt:koupit|koupit]]'' (perfective) and ''[[wikt:kupovat|kupovat]]'' (imperfective). Although the verbs' meaning is similar, in perfective verbs the action is completed and in imperfective verbs it is ongoing or repeated. This is distinct from [[past tense|past]] and [[present tense]].<ref name="Naughton 2005 146">{{Harvnb|Naughton|2005|p=146}}</ref> Any verb of either aspect can be conjugated into either the past or present tense,<ref name="Naughton 2005 131">{{Harvnb|Naughton|2005|p=131}}</ref> but the future tense is only used with imperfective verbs.<ref name="Naughton 2005 151">{{Harvnb|Naughton|2005|p=151}}</ref> Aspect describes the state of the action at the time specified by the tense.<ref name="Naughton 2005 146"/>

The verbs of most aspect pairs differ in one of two ways: by prefix or by suffix. In prefix pairs, the perfective verb has an added prefix—for example, the imperfective ''psát'' (to write, to be writing) compared with the perfective ''napsat'' (to write down). The most common prefixes are ''na-'', ''o-'', ''po-'', ''s-'', ''u-'', ''vy-'', ''z-'' and ''za-''.<ref>{{Harvnb|Naughton|2005|p=147}}</ref> In suffix pairs, a different infinitive ending is added to the perfective stem; for example, the perfective verbs ''koupit'' (to buy) and ''prodat'' (to sell) have the imperfective forms ''kupovat'' and ''prodávat''.<ref>{{Harvnb|Naughton|2005|pp=147–148}}</ref> Imperfective verbs may undergo further morphology to make other imperfective verbs (iterative and [[frequentative]] forms), denoting repeated or regular action. The verb ''jít'' (to go) has the iterative form ''chodit'' (to go regularly) and the frequentative form ''chodívat'' (to go occasionally; to tend to go).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lukeš|first1=Dominik|publisher=DominikLukeš.net|title=Gramatická terminologie ve vyučování – Terminologie a platonický svět gramatických idejí|url=http://www.dominiklukes.net/bibliography/platonickysvetgramatickychkategorii|access-date=August 5, 2014|year=2001|archive-date=September 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923003624/http://www.dominiklukes.net/bibliography/platonickysvetgramatickychkategorii|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Many verbs have only one aspect, and verbs describing continual states of being—''[[wikt:být|být]]'' (to be), ''[[wikt:chtít|chtít]]'' (to want), ''[[wikt:moct|moct]]'' (to be able to), ''[[wikt:ležet|ležet]]'' (to lie down, to be lying down)—have no perfective form. Conversely, verbs describing immediate states of change—for example, ''[[wikt:otěhotnět|otěhotnět]]'' (to become pregnant) and ''[[wikt:nadchnout se|nadchnout se]]'' (to become enthusiastic)—have no imperfective aspect.<ref>{{Harvnb|Naughton|2005|p=149}}</ref>