""Přestávat" is a Czech verb meaning "to stop," "to cease," or "to quit." It can be used in a variety of contexts, similar to the English verb "to stop."
Here are some examples of how it can be used:
Přestat mluvit: To stop talking.
Přestat pršet: To stop raining.
Přestat kouřit: To stop smoking.
Přestal jsem se učit: I stopped studying.
Musíš přestat s tím hlukem: You have to stop that noise."
When looking at "přestat" and "přestávat" in Czech, it’s important to understand the difference between their perfective and imperfective aspects:
- Přestat:
- This is a perfective verb.
- It indicates a completed action of stopping.
- It means "to stop" or "to cease" in a completed sense.
- Přestávat:
- This is an imperfective verb.
- It indicates an ongoing or repeated action of stopping.
- It means "to be stopping" or "to cease gradually."
- It is also used to express that something is in the process of stopping.
Here’s a breakdown based on the search results:
- The key difference lies in the completion of the action. "Přestat" signifies a finished act of stopping, while "přestávat" implies an ongoing or repeated process.
- It is often noted that after the verb "přestat" an infinitive form of another verb usually follows.
- Wiktionary provides detailed conjugation information for both verbs.
- Sites like iLearnCzech give good explanations about the differences between "přestat" and "skončit" which is another Czech verb meaning to finish.
In essence, consider:
- "Přestat" = "to stop (completely)"
- "Přestávat" = "to be stopping, to stop gradually"
I hope this helps.
