"Ať tam zůstanou!"

Translation: Let them stay there!

[Shathu_Entayla]

Couldn't this be translated as "May they stay there"?

[VladaFu]

May they would be a wish used in a prayer or during a toast or during some celebration. Let them can be an order and that appears more natural to me given the Czech sentence in question.

[Shathu_Entayla]

Oh! So this doesnt express wishes then?

[VladaFu]

What this? Which kind of wishes?

[fehrerdef]

What about sentences like "Ať žije X"?

[VladaFu]

Yep, I'd use "May X live (forever)!". That's the kind of sentence.

[Shathu_Entayla]

I don't know. That's why I ask xD. Does it express wishes or not? And, if not, what does it express?

[VladaFu]

In English "May they remain there." is a kind of wish you express in prayers or celebratory speeches (e.g., toasts). It is not the same as "Let them remain there!" that is an order.

The Czech question without further context sounds more like an order to me. Or an ordinary wish, not that formal one. Not because of the form, but because of the content. But it could also be the formal kind of wish, we maybe we will add your answer as well.

[VladaFu]

Well I am asking what do you mean by this.

[Shathu_Entayla]

Oooh! I was meaning "at'" xD. For god's sake, it's true: I didn't say it hahahah!

[Shathu_Entayla]

Ok... Actually I think I got what you meant anyway. I think is really similar to some uses of the spanish "que". Although I already noticed that a lot of thinks may change.

Thank you much! Take a lingot :)

[AgnusOinas]

"Ať tam zůstanou" does not have the same connotation/use as "May them stay there".

"Ať tam zůstanou" is more like "I want them to stay there" or "They ought to stay there" - you can call it a wish, but it's more a demand.

"Kéž tam zůstanou" or more commonly with the conditional: "Kéž by tam zůstali" is more like "I wish they would stay there" or "May they stay there".