za-

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *za-. Prefixed form of the preposition za.

za-

1. behind, off (out of the field of vision) (used with the preposition za)

   ‎za- + ‎jít → ‎zajít

   Zašel za strom. ― He went behind a tree.

   Slunce zašlo za mraky. ― The sun went behind the clouds.

2. turn aside into, get into

   ‎za- + ‎hnout → ‎zahnout

   ‎za- + ‎bodnout → ‎zabodnout

   ‎za- + ‎milovat (“to love”) → ‎zamilovat se (“fall in love”)

   Nikdy se nechci zamilovat. ― I never want to fall in love.

3. covering by carrying out another activity, cover over, block

   ‎za- + ‎krýt → ‎zakrýt

   ‎za- + ‎balit → ‎zabalit

   ‎za- + ‎růst → ‎zarůst

   ‎za- + ‎malovat → ‎zamalovat

   ‎za- + ‎stínit → ‎zastínit

   Ulice se zalidnily. ― The street got crowded.

4. activity carried out with pleasure (with reflexive si)

   ‎za- + ‎plavat → ‎zaplavat si

   Chci si jít zaplavat. ― I want to go for a swim.

   ‎za- + ‎tančit → ‎zatančit si

   ‎za- + ‎kouřit → ‎zakouřit si

5. immerse in, full devotion to an activity

   ‎za- + ‎poslouchat → ‎zaposlouchat se

   Zaposlouchal se do hudby. ― He immersed himself in the music.

   ‎za- + ‎číst → ‎začíst se

   ‎za- + ‎myslet → ‎zamyslet se

   Nad otázkou se hluboce zamyslel. ― He thought deeply about the question.

6. put away, lose, destroy

   ‎za- + ‎hodit → ‎zahodit

   ‎za- + ‎bít → ‎zabít

   ‎za- + ‎střelit → ‎zastřelit

   ‎za- + ‎dýchat (“to breathe”) → ‎zadýchat se (“to get out of breath”)

   Zadýchám se, když běžím nahoru po schodech. ― I get winded when I run up the stairs.

7. instead of, in place of

   ‎za- + ‎stoupit → ‎zastoupit

   ‎za- + ‎měnit (“to change”) → ‎zaměnit (“to mix up, to swap”)

   Jo, je dobré to trochu zaměnit. ― Yeah, it's good to mix it up.

8. (inchoative usage) to begin (not a common usage)

   ‎za- + ‎topit → ‎zatopit

   ‎za- + ‎pálit → ‎zapálit

9. saturation
10. forms adjectives referring to places

    Zakarpatsko (“Transcarpathia”)

    Zakavkazsko (“Transcaucasia”)

• za-/zá- in Slovník afixů užívaných v češtině, 2017

From Proto-Bantu *jíá-.

za-

1. of; class 8 possessive concord.
2. of; class 10 possessive concord.

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *za-.

• IPA^(key): (10^th–15^th CE) /za/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /za/

za-

1. derives verbs of various meanings

   ‎za- + ‎ślepy → ‎zaślepić

• Polish: za-

Inherited from Old Polish za-.

• IPA^(key): /za/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: za-

za-

1. forms perfective semelfactive verbs, usually indicating a thorough or irreversible action

   ‎za- + ‎nurzyć → ‎zanurzyć

   ‎za- + ‎bić → ‎zabić

   1. creates perfective verbs, especially ones formed with -ować

      ‎za- + ‎atakować → ‎zaatakować

2. indicates a temporary occurrence of something, sometimes marking a state as lasting some time or an inchoative aspect

   ‎za- + ‎boleć → ‎zaboleć

   ‎za- + ‎mieszkać → ‎zamieszkać

3. intensifies perfective verbs

   ‎za- + ‎przestać → ‎zaprzestać

4. indicates covering or placing something inside something; over

   ‎za- + ‎grzebać → ‎zagrzebać

   ‎za- + ‎kryć → ‎zakryć

5. indicates crossing some acceptable boundaries of an action or increase of intensity; over

   ‎za- + ‎pracować → ‎zapracować się

6. indicates reaching some boundaries in space; up to

   ‎za- + ‎iść → ‎zajść

7. indicates direction or point of origin; over

   ‎za- + ‎rzucić → ‎zarzucić

   ‎za- + ‎Alpy → ‎zaalpejski

   ‎za- + ‎piec → ‎zapiecek

• za- in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• Dubisz, Stanisław, editor (2003), “za-”, in Uniwersalny słownik języka polskiego [Universal Dictionary of the Polish Language]‎^[1] (in Polish), volumes 1–4, Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, →ISBN, →OCLC

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

za- (Cyrillic spelling за-)

1. Prefix prepended to adjectives to create an adjective denoting a finished action.

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *za. See za.

• IPA^(key): /za/, [za]

za-

1. verbal prefix denoting movement backwards, behind something, or to the other side

   ‎za- + ‎kloniť → ‎zakloniť (“to tilt back; to lean back”)

   ‎za- + ‎isť → ‎zájsť (“to go behind; to go as far as”)

   ‎za- + ‎liezť → ‎zaliezť (“to crawl behind/under”)

2. (rare) verbal prefix denoting temporal sequence or an action following after another

   ‎za- + ‎jesť → ‎zajesť (“to have a bite after something; to follow a drink with food”)

   ‎za- + ‎piť → ‎zapiť (“to wash down (with a drink)”)

3. at, for (verbal prefix denoting the direction or targeting of an action toward a specific point)

   ‎za- + ‎bočiť → ‎zabočiť (“to turn; to change direction”)

   ‎za- + ‎cieliť → ‎zacieliť (“to aim at”)

   ‎za- + ‎mieriť → ‎zamieriť (“to head for; to aim at”)

4. away, off (verbal prefix denoting directing an action away or driving something away)

   ‎za- + ‎hnať → ‎zahnať (“to drive away”)

   ‎za- + ‎plašiť → ‎zaplašiť (“to scare away”)

   ‎za- + ‎tlačiť → ‎zatlačiť (“to push away/back”)

5. verbal prefix denoting penetration, reaching a certain place, or wandering into a location

   ‎za- + ‎blúdiť → ‎zablúdiť (“to get lost; to wander in”)

   ‎za- + ‎letieť → ‎zaletieť (“to fly to/into”)

   ‎za- + ‎niesť → ‎zaniesť (“to carry to/away”)

6. into (verbal prefix denoting an action that cuts into or affects only a part of an object's surface or interior)

   ‎za- + ‎hrýzť → ‎zahryznúť (“to bite into”)

   ‎za- + ‎rezať → ‎zarezať (“to cut into”)

7. verbal prefix denoting an action that fully involves, covers, or overwhelms an object

   ‎za- + ‎chvátiť → ‎zachvátiť (“to engulf; to seize”)

   ‎za- + ‎liať → ‎zaliať (“to pour over; to flood”)

8. in, into (verbal prefix denoting insertion, embedding, or placing an object into something else)

   ‎za- + ‎bodnúť → ‎zabodnúť (“to stab into; to thrust in”)

   ‎za- + ‎sadiť → ‎zasadiť (“to set in; to plant into”)

9. verbal prefix denoting wrapping, winding, entangling, or fastening an object

   ‎za- + ‎baliť → ‎zabaliť (“to wrap up”)

   ‎za- + ‎haliť → ‎zahaliť (“to shroud; to veil”)

   ‎za- + ‎pliesť → ‎zapliesť (“to braid; to entwine”)

10. verbal prefix denoting closing, blocking, covering, or filling up a space or opening

    ‎za- + ‎lepiť → ‎zalepiť (“to seal; to glue shut”)

    ‎za- + ‎pchať → ‎zapchať (“to plug; to stuff up”)

11. shut (verbal prefix denoting a sudden or forceful closing movement)

    ‎za- + ‎buchnúť → ‎zabuchnúť (“to slam shut”)

    ‎za- + ‎klapnúť → ‎zaklapnúť (“to snap shut”)

    ‎za- + ‎tresnúť → ‎zatresnúť (“to slam shut (violently)”)

12. verbal prefix denoting the prevention, hindrance, or obstruction of an action or movement

    ‎za- + ‎brániť → ‎zabrániť (“to prevent”)

    ‎za- + ‎brzdiť → ‎zabrzdiť (“to brake; to slow down”)

    ‎za- + ‎držať → ‎zadržať (“to detain; to hold back”)

13. verbal prefix denoting the acquisition of a state, quality, or the causing of a specific condition

    ‎za- + ‎hnedý + ‎-núť → ‎zahnednúť (“to turn brown”)

    ‎za- + ‎špina + ‎-iť → ‎zašpiniť (“to make dirty”)

    ‎za- + ‎strašiť → ‎zastrašiť (“to intimidate; to frighten”)

14. verbal prefix denoting the sudden beginning or emergence of an action or state

    ‎za- + ‎znieť → ‎zaznieť (“to sound out; to start sounding”)

    ‎za- + ‎cítiť → ‎zacítiť (“to notice; to start feeling”)

    ‎za- + ‎chcieť → ‎zachcieť (“to suddenly want; to feel like”)

15. verbal prefix used as a delimitative, denoting an action performed for a short or limited time

    ‎za- + ‎kašlať → ‎zakašlať (“to cough (once or briefly)”)

    ‎za- + ‎pískať → ‎zapískať (“to whistle (once)”)

    ‎za- + ‎plakať → ‎zaplakať (“to have a cry”)

16. verbal prefix denoting a resultative action, or the full immersion/entry into a specific activity or state

    ‎za- + ‎čítať → ‎začítať (“to get engrossed in reading”)

    ‎za- + ‎ľúbiť → ‎zaľúbiť (“to fall in love”)

    ‎za- + ‎dýchať → ‎zadýchať (“to get out of breath”)

17. verbal prefix denoting a mitigated, intermittent, or complexly intensive form of an action

    ‎za- + ‎-zerať → ‎zazerať (“to scowl; to look askance”)

    ‎za- + ‎-váňať → ‎zaváňať (“to smell of; to have a hint of an odor”)

    ‎za- + ‎-krádať → ‎zakrádať (“to sneak; to prowl”)

18. verbal prefix serving as a pure perfective aspect marker without changing the base meaning

    ‎za- + ‎platiť → ‎zaplatiť (“to pay (perfective)”)

    ‎za- + ‎smiať → ‎zasmiať (“to laugh (perfective)”)

    ‎za- + ‎želať → ‎zaželať (“to wish (perfective)”)

19. verbal prefix used redundantly or adding little new meaning to the base verb

    ‎za- + ‎požičať → ‎zapožičať (“to borrow”)

    ‎za- + ‎obstarať → ‎zaobstarať (“to procure; to provide”)

    ‎za- + ‎kúpiť → ‎zakúpiť (“to buy”)

20. verbal prefix used in lexicalized or idiomatic forms where the original meaning of the prefix is lost

    ‎za- + ‎-budnúť → ‎zabudnúť (“to forget”)

    ‎za- + ‎-čať → ‎začať (“to begin”)

    ‎za- + ‎kázať → ‎zakázať (“to forbid”)

• Peciar, Štefan, editor (1959–1968), “za-”, in Slovník slovenského jazyka [Dictionary of the Slovak Language] (in Slovak), volumes 1–6 (A – Ž; Doplnky, Dodatky), Bratislava: Vydavateľstvo SAV, →OCLC

From Proto-Slavic *za-. Prefixed form of the preposition za.

• IPA^(key): /za-/

za-

1. Forms perfective verbs with the following meanings:
   1. (no change in meaning)

      ‎za- + ‎čutīti (“to feel”) → ‎začutīti (“to feel”)

   2. moving behind

      ‎za- + ‎īti (“to go”) → ‎zaíti (“to set (of the sun)”)

   3. moving into

      ‎za- + ‎brésti (“to wade”) → ‎zabrésti (“to wade into”)

   4. to begin, to start (inchoative)

      ‎za- + ‎díhati (“to breathe”) → ‎zadíhati (“to start to breathe”)

   5. in error, to a loss

      ‎za- + ‎īti (“to go”) → ‎zaíti (“to go astray”)

      ‎za- + ‎kọ̑ckati (“to play dice”) → ‎zakọ̑ckati (“to gamble away”)

   6. (reflexive) for a long time, too long

      ‎za- + ‎govorīti (“to speak”) → ‎zagovorīti (“to talk for a long time/too long”)

   7. to cover, to fill

      ‎za- + ‎mésti (“to snow”) → ‎zamésti (“to snow in, to cover in snow”)

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *za-.

• IPA^(key): /za/

za-

1. forms perfective verbs

   ‎mjêszkac + ‎za- → ‎zamjêszkac

   1. forms perfective verbs with an inchoative meaning

      ‎ochac + ‎za- → ‎zaochac

From Proto-Bantu *jíá-.

za-

1. of; class 8 possessive concord.
2. of; class 10 possessive concord.

za-

1. contraction of zi- +‎ -a-, literally “n class_(X) gnomic”

From Proto-Bantu *jíá-.

za-

1. of; class 8 possessive concord.
2. of; class 10 possessive concord.

From Proto-Bantu *jíá-.

za-

1. of; class 8 possessive concord.
2. of; class 10 possessive concord.

• C. M. Doke; B. W. Vilakazi (1972), “za-”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “za-”