Unit 2: Building Blocks of Czech - Nouns & Verbs
Vítejte zpátky! (Welcome back!) In Unit 1, you learned how to greet people, introduce yourself, and handle basic politeness. That’s a huge step! Now, we’re going to dive into the core building blocks of any language: nouns (the names of things) and verbs (the actions we do). By the end of this unit, you’ll be able to identify common objects, talk about what you do, use the crucial verb “to be,” express what you want or can do, and even count from 0 to 100! Let’s get started!
Chapter 6: What’s This? Identifying Objects
Imagine you’re in a new place, pointing at things and asking, “What’s that?” This chapter will teach you how to do exactly that in Czech and introduce you to a very important concept: noun gender. Don’t worry, it’s very similar to French!
Examples in Action:
Let’s say you’re exploring a Czech apartment or classroom:
Dialogue 1: Identifying a table You: Co je to? /tso ye to/ (What is it?) Local: To je stůl. /to ye stool/ (It is a table.)
Dialogue 2: Identifying a chair You: Co je to? /tso ye to/ (What is it?) Local: To je židle. /to ye zhid-le/ (It is a chair.)
Dialogue 3: Identifying a book You: Co je to? /tso ye to/ (What is it?) Local: To je kniha. /to ye kni-ha/ (It is a book.)
Vocabulary Table: Common Objects
| Czech Word | Phonetic Transcription | English Meaning | French Equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| stůl | /stool/ | table | la table | This is a masculine noun. |
| židle | /zhid-le/ | chair | la chaise | This is a feminine noun. |
| kniha | /kni-ha/ | book | le livre | This is a feminine noun. |
| okno | /ok-no/ | window | la fenêtre | This is a neuter noun. |
| auto | /ow-to/ | car | la voiture | This is a neuter noun. |
| dveře | /dver-zhe/ | door | la porte | This is a feminine noun (plural in Czech, but we’ll treat as singular for now). |
| tužka | /too-zhka/ | pencil | le crayon | This is a feminine noun. |
| počítač | /poch-yee-tatch/ | computer | l’ordinateur | This is a masculine noun. |
Grammar Breakdown: “Co je to?” and Noun Gender
The phrase “Co je to?” is your simple way to ask “What is it?” or “What is that?”. And the answer is usually “To je…“ (It is…). Super easy!
Now, let’s talk about noun gender. Just like in French, every noun in Czech has a gender:
- Masculine (like le in French)
- Feminine (like la in French)
- Neuter (which French doesn’t have as a grammatical category for nouns, but is common in many languages like German)
How can you tell a noun’s gender? Often, by its ending! This is a general rule, and there are always exceptions, but it’s a great starting point:
- Masculine nouns often end in a consonant.
- Example: stůl (table), počítač (computer)
- Feminine nouns often end in -a or -e.
- Example: židle (chair), kniha (book), tužka (pencil)
- Neuter nouns often end in -o or -e.
- Example: okno (window), auto (car)
Comparison: Noun Gender in Czech versus French
You’re already familiar with the concept of gender for nouns from French! The main difference is that Czech has three genders instead of two, and the endings are your biggest clue. What might be masculine in French could be feminine in Czech, or vice-versa. For instance, une chaise (feminine) is židle (feminine) – easy! But un livre (masculine) is kniha (feminine) – tricky!
The best way to learn noun gender is to learn the noun with its gender from the start, like learning “un/une” with each noun in French. For now, we’ll just focus on recognizing the pattern of endings.
Chapter 7: Present Tense Regular Verbs (Type 1)
Verbs are what make sentences move! In Czech, verbs change their endings depending on who is doing the action (just like in French, je parle, tu parles, il parle). Let’s start with a common type of regular verb.
Examples in Action:
Meet Petr and Jana, talking about their hobbies:
Dialogue 1: What are you doing? Jana: Co děláš? /tso DYE-laash/ (What are you doing?) Petr: Pracuji. A ty? /PRA-tsoo-yi. A ti/ (I am working. And you?) Jana: Já také pracuji. /yaa TAK-zhe PRA-tsoo-yi/ (I am working too.)
Dialogue 2: Speaking about languages You: Mluvíš česky? /MLU-veesh CHES-ki/ (Do you speak Czech?) Petr: Ano, mluvím česky. /A-no, MLU-veem CHES-ki/ (Yes, I speak Czech.) You: Mluvíš anglicky? /MLU-veesh ANG-glits-ki/ (Do you speak English?) Petr: Ano, mluvím anglicky. /A-no, MLU-veem ANG-glits-ki/ (Yes, I speak English.)
Dialogue 3: “We” and “You (plural/formal)” You: Mluvíme česky? /MLU-vee-me CHES-ki/ (Do we speak Czech?) Jana: Ano, mluvíme česky! /A-no, MLU-vee-me CHES-ki/ (Yes, we speak Czech!) You: Mluvíte anglicky? /MLU-vee-te ANG-glits-ki/ (Do you [plural/formal] speak English?) Jana: Ano, mluvíme anglicky. /A-no, MLU-vee-me ANG-glits-ki/ (Yes, we speak English.)
Vocabulary Table: Type 1 Verbs and Related Words
| Czech Verb / Word | Phonetic Transcription | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| dělat (infinitive) | /DYE-lat/ | to do / to make | This is the base form of the verb. |
| děláš | /DYE-laash/ | you (inf.) do | |
| pracovat (inf.) | /PRA-tso-vat/ | to work | |
| pracuji | /PRA-tsoo-yi/ | I work | |
| mluvit (inf.) | /MLU-vit/ | to speak | |
| mluvím | /MLU-veem/ | I speak | |
| mluvíš | /MLU-veesh/ | you (inf.) speak | |
| česky | /CHES-ki/ | in Czech / Czech (adj. form) | Literally “Czech-ly.” Used when talking about speaking the language. |
| anglicky | /ANG-glits-ki/ | in English / English (adj. form) | |
| také | /TA-khe/ | also / too |
Grammar Breakdown: Present Tense Regular Verbs (Type 1)
Many Czech verbs fall into regular patterns, which makes them easier to learn! Let’s look at one common type, often ending in -at in their infinitive form (the “to do” form, like dělat or pracovat).
These verbs usually follow a pattern similar to pracovat (to work):
| Pronoun | Czech Verb Form (pracovat) | Phonetic Transcription | English Meaning | French Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| já | pracuji | /PRA-tsoo-yi/ | I work | je travaille |
| ty | pracuješ | /PRA-tsoo-yesh/ | you (inf.) work | tu travailles |
| on/ona/ono | pracuje | /PRA-tsoo-ye/ | he/she/it works | il/elle travaille |
| my | pracujeme | /PRA-tsoo-ye-me/ | we work | nous travaillons |
| vy | pracujete | /PRA-tsoo-ye-te/ | you (form./pl.) work | vous travaillez |
| oni/ony | pracují | /PRA-tsoo-yee/ | they work | ils/elles travaillent |
Notice the endings: -ji, -ješ, -je, -jeme, -jete, -jí. These are very common for this verb type!
For dělat (to do / to make), it’s very similar, though the ‘j’ sound might not be written explicitly in the ending:
| Pronoun | Czech Verb Form (dělat) | Phonetic Transcription | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| já | dělám | /DYE-laam/ | I do |
| ty | děláš | /DYE-laash/ | you (inf.) do |
| on/ona/ono | dělá | /DYE-laa/ | he/she/it does |
| my | děláme | /DYE-laa-me/ | we do |
| vy | děláte | /DYE-laa-te/ | you (form./pl.) do |
| oni/ony | dělají | /DYE-laa-yee/ | they do |
Comparison: Regular verb patterns in Czech versus French -er verbs
Think about French verbs ending in -er like parler (to speak). You drop the -er and add different endings (-e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent). Czech works in a similar way! You take the verb stem and add specific endings.
The key difference is that Czech has more conjugation patterns (we’ll see two more soon!). But the idea of changing the ending to match the pronoun is very familiar to you.
Chapter 8: Present Tense Regular Verbs (Types 2 & 3)
Let’s meet two more common verb patterns. The good news is, once you recognize the infinitive ending, you’ll have a good idea of how it conjugates.
Examples in Action:
Dialogue 1: Talking about where you live You: Kde bydlíš v Praze? /GDE BID-leesh v PRA-ze/ (Where do you live in Prague?) Anna: Bydlím v Holešovicích. /BID-leem v HO-le-sho-vi-tseesh/ (I live in Holešovice [a district in Prague].) You: Bydlíš s rodinou? /BID-leesh s RO-di-noh/ (Do you live with family?) Anna: Ano, bydlím s rodinou. /A-no, BID-leem s RO-di-noh/ (Yes, I live with family.)
Dialogue 2: Do you understand? Teacher: Rozumíte česky? /RO-zoo-mee-te CHES-ki/ (Do you [formal] understand Czech?) You: Ano, rozumím. Ale mluvím trochu pomalu. /A-no, RO-zoo-meem. A-le MLU-veem TRO-khoo PO-ma-loo/ (Yes, I understand. But I speak a little slowly.) Teacher: Rozumíte anglicky? /RO-zoo-mee-te ANG-glits-ki/ (Do you [formal] understand English?) You: Ano, rozumím anglicky. /A-no, RO-zoo-meem ANG-glits-ki/ (Yes, I understand English.)
Vocabulary Table: Type 2 & 3 Verbs
| Czech Verb / Word | Phonetic Transcription | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| bydlet (inf.) | /BID-let/ | to live / to reside | Common verb, often ending in -et. |
| bydlet | /BID-let/ | to live | |
| bydlím | /BID-leem/ | I live | |
| bydlíš | /BID-leesh/ | you (inf.) live | |
| rozumět (inf.) | /RO-zoo-myet/ | to understand | Common verb, often ending in -ět. |
| rozumět | /RO-zoo-myet/ | to understand | |
| rozumím | /RO-zoo-meem/ | I understand | |
| rozumíš | /RO-zoo-meesh/ | you (inf.) understand | |
| kde | /gde/ | where | |
| v Praze | /v PRA-ze/ | in Prague | We’ll learn about “v” and cases later! |
| s rodinou | /s RO-di-noh/ | with family | ”s” means “with.” |
| trochu | /TRO-khoo/ | a little / a bit | |
| pomalu | /PO-ma-loo/ | slowly |
Grammar Breakdown: Present Tense Regular Verbs (Types 2 & 3)
Here are two more common conjugation patterns. They are different from Type 1, but still follow a logical pattern.
Type 2: Verbs like “bydlet” (to live) often end in -et in the infinitive.
| Pronoun | Czech Verb Form (bydlet) | Phonetic Transcription | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| já | bydlím | /BID-leem/ | I live |
| ty | bydlíš | /BID-leesh/ | you (inf.) live |
| on/ona/ono | bydlí | /BID-lee/ | he/she/it lives |
| my | bydlíme | /BID-lee-me/ | we live |
| vy | bydlíte | /BID-lee-te/ | you (form./pl.) live |
| oni/ony | bydlí | /BID-lee/ | they live |
Notice the consistent -ím, -íš, -í, -íme, -íte, -í endings.
Type 3: Verbs like “rozumět” (to understand) often end in -ět in the infinitive.
| Pronoun | Czech Verb Form (rozumět) | Phonetic Transcription | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| já | rozumím | /RO-zoo-meem/ | I understand |
| ty | rozumíš | /RO-zoo-meesh/ | you (inf.) understand |
| on/ona/ono | rozumí | /RO-zoo-mee/ | he/she/it understands |
| my | rozumíme | /RO-zoo-mee-me/ | we understand |
| vy | rozumíte | /RO-zoo-mee-te/ | you (form./pl.) understand |
| oni/ony | rozumí | /RO-zoo-mee/ | they understand |
This pattern also uses -ím, -íš, -í, -íme, -íte, -í, just like Type 2! The main difference is the vowel before the ending. You don’t need to memorize these “types” by number, just recognize that different verbs have different patterns. The best way is to learn the já and ty forms of a new verb; from there, the other forms usually fall into place!
Practice: Describing your daily activities
Let’s try to form some simple sentences using the verbs you’ve learned!
- Já pracuji. /yaa PRA-tsoo-yi/ (I work.)
- Ty mluvíš česky? /ti MLU-veesh CHES-ki/ (Do you speak Czech?)
- My bydlíme v Praze. /mi BID-lee-me v PRA-ze/ (We live in Prague.)
- Vy rozumíte? /vi RO-zoo-mee-te/ (Do you understand? [formal/plural])
Chapter 9: To Be or Not to Be: The Verb “Být”
The verb “být” (to be) is one of the most important verbs in any language, and Czech is no exception! You already know “jsem” (I am). Now, let’s learn all its forms in the present tense.
Examples in Action:
Dialogue 1: Describing states Jana: Jsi unavený? /Si U-na-ve-ni/ (Are you tired [masc.]?) Petr: Ano, jsem unavený. /A-no, ysem U-na-ve-ni/ (Yes, I am tired.)
Dialogue 2: Describing qualities You: Jsme ve škole? /Ys-me ve SHKO-le/ (Are we at school?) Teacher: Ne, nejsme ve škole. Jsme v kavárně. /Ne, NEY-sme ve SHKO-le. Ys-me v KA-vaar-nyel/ (No, we are not at school. We are in a cafe.)
Dialogue 3: “Are you French?” (Formal) Czech: Jste Francouz? /YSTE FRAN-tsohz/ (Are you [formal] French?) You (woman): Ano, jsem Francouzka. /A-no, ysem FRAN-tsohz-ka/ (Yes, I am a Frenchwoman.)
Vocabulary Table: “Být” and related words
| Czech Word / Phrase | Phonetic Transcription | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| být (infinitive) | /beet/ | to be | |
| unavený (m) | /u-NA-ve-ni/ | tired (masculine) | |
| unavená (f) | /u-NA-ve-naa/ | tired (feminine) | |
| ve škole | /ve SHKO-le/ | at school | |
| v kavárně | /v KA-vaar-nyel/ | in a cafe |
Grammar Breakdown: Full Conjugation of “Být” (to be)
This verb is irregular, but its forms are used constantly, so you’ll quickly get used to them. You already know “jsem” and “jsi” (from “Jsi Francouz?”).
| Pronoun | Czech Verb Form (být) | Phonetic Transcription | English Meaning | French Equivalent (être) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| já | jsem | /ysem/ | I am | je suis |
| ty | jsi | /si/ | you (inf.) are | tu es |
| on/ona/ono | je | /ye/ | he/she/it is | il/elle est |
| my | jsme | /sme/ | we are | nous sommes |
| vy | jste | /ste/ | you (form./pl.) are | vous êtes |
| oni/ony | jsou | /soh/ | they are | ils/elles sont |
Negation of “být”: Remember our “ne-“ prefix? It works perfectly with “být” too!
- nejsem /NEJ-sem/ (I am not)
- nejsi /NEJ-si/ (you are not)
- není /NE-nyi/ (he/she/it is not)
- nejsme /NEJ-sme/ (we are not)
- nejste /NEJ-ste/ (you are not)
- nejsou /NEJ-soh/ (they are not)
Cultural Note: When to use “být” vs. “avoir” (in French)
This is important for French speakers! In French, you often use avoir (to have) for certain states, like J’ai faim (I am hungry, literally “I have hunger”) or J’ai froid (I am cold).
In Czech, for many of these states, you use “být” (to be), just like in English.
- Jsem unavený. /ysem u-NA-ve-ni/ (I am tired.) – NOT “Mám únavu” (I have tiredness).
- Jsem hladový. /ysem HLA-do-vi/ (I am hungry.) – NOT “Mám hlad” (I have hunger - though this is also possible, “Jsem hladový” is very common).
- Jsem žíznivý. /ysem ZHEEZ-ni-vi/ (I am thirsty.)
- Je mi zima. /ye mi ZI-ma/ (I am cold / It is cold to me.) – This is a bit more complex, but notice it’s “is,” not “have.”
So, generally, if you would use “to be” in English to describe a state or quality, you’ll likely use “být” in Czech. This is a common point of confusion for French speakers, so pay attention!
Chapter 10: Modal Verbs: Want, Can, Must
Modal verbs are incredibly useful because they allow you to express desires, abilities, and necessities. In Czech, they work similarly to English and French: you conjugate the modal verb, and then follow it with an infinitive (the “to do” form of another verb).
Examples in Action:
Dialogue 1: Expressing desire You: Chci jíst. /KHtsi yeest/ (I want to eat.) Friend: Chceš kávu? /KHtsesh KAA-voo/ (Do you want coffee?) You: Ano, chci kávu. /A-no, KHtsi KAA-voo/ (Yes, I want coffee.)
Dialogue 2: Expressing ability You: Můžeš mi pomoct? /MU-zhesh mi PO-motst/ (Can you help me?) Friend: Ano, můžu. /A-no, MU-zhoo/ (Yes, I can.) You: Mluvíš rychle, nemůžu rozumět. /MLU-veesh RIH-khle, NE-mu-zhoo RO-zoo-myet/ (You speak fast, I can’t understand.)
Dialogue 3: Expressing necessity You: Musíme jít domů. /MU-see-me yeet DO-moh/ (We must go home.) Friend: Musíte pracovat? /MU-see-te PRA-tso-vat/ (Do you [formal/plural] have to work?)
Vocabulary Table: Modal Verbs and Infinitives
| Czech Word / Phrase | Phonetic Transcription | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| chtít (infinitive) | /kh-teet/ | to want | |
| chci | /kh-tsi/ | I want | |
| chceš | /kh-tsesh/ | you (inf.) want | |
| moci (infinitive) | /mo-tsi/ | to be able to / can | |
| můžu | /mu-zhoo/ | I can | |
| můžeš | /mu-zhesh/ | you (inf.) can | |
| muset (infinitive) | /mu-set/ | to have to / must | |
| musím | /mu-seem/ | I must | |
| musíš | /mu-seesh/ | you (inf.) must | |
| jíst (infinitive) | /yeest/ | to eat | |
| pít (infinitive) | /peet/ | to drink | |
| jít (infinitive) | /yeet/ | to go | |
| pomoct (infinitive) | /PO-motst/ | to help | |
| káva | /KAA-va/ | coffee | |
| domů | /DO-moh/ | home (direction) | |
| rychle | /RIH-khle/ | fast / quickly |
Grammar Breakdown: Conjugating Modal Verbs
Here are the conjugations for our three essential modal verbs: chtít (to want), moci (to be able to/can), and muset (to have to/must).
1. Chtít (to want)
| Pronoun | Czech Verb Form | Phonetic Transcription | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| já | chci | /kh-tsi/ | I want |
| ty | chceš | /kh-tsesh/ | you (inf.) want |
| on/ona/ono | chce | /kh-tse/ | he/she/it wants |
| my | chceme | /kh-tse-me/ | we want |
| vy | chcete | /kh-tse-te/ | you (form./pl.) want |
| oni/ony | chtějí | /kh-tye-yee/ | they want |
2. Moci (to be able to / can)
| Pronoun | Czech Verb Form | Phonetic Transcription | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| já | můžu | /mu-zhoo/ | I can |
| ty | můžeš | /mu-zhesh/ | you (inf.) can |
| on/ona/ono | může | /mu-zhe/ | he/she/it can |
| my | můžeme | /mu-zhe-me/ | we can |
| vy | můžete | /mu-zhe-te/ | you (form./pl.) can |
| oni/ony | mohou | /mo-hoh/ | they can |
3. Muset (to have to / must)
| Pronoun | Czech Verb Form | Phonetic Transcription | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| já | musím | /mu-seem/ | I must / I have to |
| ty | musíš | /mu-seesh/ | you (inf.) must / have to |
| on/ona/ono | musí | /mu-see/ | he/she/it must / has to |
| my | musíme | /mu-see-me/ | we must / have to |
| vy | musíte | /mu-see-te/ | you (form./pl.) must / have to |
| oni/ony | musí | /mu-see/ | they must / have to |
Remember: these verbs are always followed by another verb in its infinitive form (the “to do” form, like jíst, pít, jít).
- Chci jíst. (I want to eat.)
- Můžu pomoct. (I can help.)
- Musíme jít. (We must go.)
Cultural Note: Indirect requests and subtle politeness levels
While Czechs can be direct, politeness is still important. Using modal verbs can help you sound more polite, especially chtít (to want) and moci (to be able to).
- “Chci kávu.” (I want coffee.) is direct.
- More polite options like “Chtěl bych kávu.” (I would like coffee - masculine speaker) or “Chtěla bych kávu.” (I would like coffee - feminine speaker) use a conditional form, which we’ll learn later. For now, know that “Chci…” is fine in casual settings.
- Similarly, “Můžu jít?” (Can I go?) is direct. Using words like prosím (please) helps soften direct requests.
Chapter 11: Numbers, Please! Counting & Quantities (0-100)
Numbers are essential for everyday life, whether you’re asking about prices, telling the time, or counting items. Let’s learn to count up to 100 in Czech!
Examples in Action:
Dialogue 1: Counting items You: Kolik knih máš? /KO-lik knikh MAASH/ (How many books do you have?) Friend: Mám pět knih. /Maam pyet knikh/ (I have five books.)
Dialogue 2: Asking for a price You: Kolik to stojí? /KO-lik to STOY-ee/ (How much does it cost?) Shopkeeper: To je dvacet pět korun. /To ye DVA-tset pyet KO-run/ (It is twenty-five crowns.)
Dialogue 3: Giving a phone number Friend: Jaké máš číslo? /YA-ke maash CHEES-lo/ (What’s your number?) You: Moje číslo je sedmdesát pět, třicet dva, devadesát jedna. /MO-ye CHEES-lo ye SEDM-de-saat pyet, TRZHI-tset dva, DE-va-de-saat yed-na/ (My phone number is 75, 32, 91.)
Vocabulary Table: Numbers & Quantities
| Czech Word | Phonetic Transcription | English Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kolik? | /KO-lik/ | How many? / How much? | |
| to stojí | /to STOY-ee/ | it costs | From the verb “stát” (to cost/stand). |
| koruna | /KO-roo-na/ | crown (Czech currency) | The currency of the Czech Republic. |
| číslo | /CHEES-lo/ | number |
Grammar Breakdown: Counting from 0 to 100
Let’s break down the numbers. You’ll notice some patterns, especially after ten!
Numbers 0-10: These are unique and you just need to memorize them.
| Digit | Czech Word | Phonetic Transcription |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | nula | /NOO-la/ |
| 1 | jedna | /YED-na/ |
| 2 | dva | /dva/ |
| 3 | tři | /trzhee/ |
| 4 | čtyři | /CHTI-rzhi/ |
| 5 | pět | /pyet/ |
| 6 | šest | /shest/ |
| 7 | sedm | /sedm/ |
| 8 | osm | /osm/ |
| 9 | devět | /DE-vyet/ |
| 10 | deset | /DE-set/ |
Numbers 11-19: These are formed by taking the base number and adding -náct.
| Number | Czech Word | Phonetic Transcription |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | jedenáct | /YE-de-naatst/ |
| 12 | dvanáct | /DVA-naatst/ |
| 13 | třináct | /TRZHI-naatst/ |
| 14 | čtrnáct | /CHTR-naatst/ |
| 15 | patnáct | /PAT-naatst/ |
| 16 | šestnáct | /SHES-naatst/ |
| 17 | sedmnáct | /SED-mnaatst/ |
| 18 | osmnáct | /OSM-naatst/ |
| 19 | devatenáct | /DE-va-te-naatst/ |
Tens (20, 30, … 90): These have unique endings, mostly -cet or -desát.
| Number | Czech Word | Phonetic Transcription |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | dvacet | /DVA-tset/ |
| 30 | třicet | /TRZHI-tset/ |
| 40 | čtyřicet | /CHTI-rzhi-tset/ |
| 50 | padesát | /PA-de-saat/ |
| 60 | šedesát | /SHE-de-saat/ |
| 70 | sedmdesát | /SED-mde-saat/ |
| 80 | osmdesát | /OSM-de-saat/ |
| 90 | devadesát | /DE-va-de-saat/ |
| 100 | sto | /sto/ |
Compound Numbers (e.g., 21, 35): For numbers like 21, 22, etc., you simply say the tens number, then the unit number.
- dvacet jedna (21)
- dvacet dva (22)
- třicet pět (35)
- sedmdesát osm (78)
- devadesát devět (99)
This is quite straightforward, similar to how it works in French or English.
Practice: Counting objects and understanding prices
Try saying your phone number in Czech, or counting items around you. When you’re next in a Czech shop, listen for prices! Even if you don’t catch everything, try to pick out the numbers.
Exercises & Practice
Time to put your new knowledge into practice!
Exercise 1: Identify the Gender! Look at these Czech nouns. Based on their typical endings, identify their probable gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter).
- stůl: ____
- kniha: ____
- okno: ____
- počítač: ____
- židle: ____
Exercise 2: Conjugation Challenge! Fill in the blanks with the correct present tense form of the verb in parentheses.
- Já ____ česky. (mluvit - to speak)
- Ty ____ v Praze? (bydlet - to live)
- My ____ česky. (rozumět - to understand)
- Vy ____ v kavárně. (být - to be, formal/plural)
- On ____ pracovat. (chtít - to want)
Exercise 3: Translate These Sentences Translate these sentences into Czech.
- What is it? It is a car. ____? ____ ____.
- I want to eat. ____ ____.
- We are tired (assume masculine plural for “tired”). ____ ____.
- I cannot sleep. ____ ____.
- You (informal) must go. ____ ____.
Exercise 4: Numbers, Numbers, Numbers! Write the following numbers in Czech words.
- 5: ____
- 13: ____
- 20: ____
- 47: ____
- 81: ____
Answer Key
Exercise 1: Identify the Gender!
- stůl: masculine
- kniha: feminine
- okno: neuter
- počítač: masculine
- židle: feminine
Exercise 2: Conjugation Challenge!
- Já mluvím česky.
- Ty bydlíš v Praze?
- My rozumíme česky.
- Vy jste v kavárně.
- On chce pracovat.
Exercise 3: Translate These Sentences
- What is it? It is a car. Co je to? To je auto.
- I want to eat. Chci jíst.
- We are tired. Jsme unavení. (Or Jsme unavené if all female).
- I cannot sleep. Nemůžu spát.
- You (informal) must go. Musíš jít.
Exercise 4: Numbers, Numbers, Numbers!
- 5: pět
- 13: třináct
- 20: dvacet
- 47: čtyřicet sedm
- 81: osmdesát jedna
What You Learned
Fantastické! You’ve just built some serious foundational blocks for your Czech language skills!
Here’s a summary of your achievements in Unit 2:
- Identifying Objects: You can now ask “What is it?” and name common objects.
- Noun Gender: You’ve been gently introduced to the concept of masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns in Czech, and can often guess a noun’s gender from its ending.
- Verb Conjugation (Present Tense): You’ve conquered three common patterns for regular verbs (like dělat, bydlet, rozumět) and can use them with different personal pronouns.
- The Verb “Být” (To Be): You’ve learned the full present tense conjugation of this essential irregular verb, including its negation, and when to use it instead of “avoir” (to have).
- Modal Verbs: You can express desire (chtít), ability (moci), and necessity (muset), combining them with other verbs.
- Numbers! You can count from 0 to 100, which is incredibly useful for prices, quantities, and more.
You’re becoming a true Czech communicator! In Unit 3, we’ll start navigating your surroundings and learn how to order food and shop, introducing you to your first Czech cases along the way. Get ready for more real-world communication! Na shledanou!