Unit 4: Deeper Grammar & Broader Conversations

Vítejte zpět! (Welcome back!) In Unit 3, you bravely faced your first Czech cases and learned to navigate, order, shop, and describe. That was a huge step! Now, in Unit 4, we’re going to deepen your understanding of the case system, which is essential for more complex communication. We’ll also introduce you to expressing actions in the past and future, and expand your ability to ask questions and discuss daily life. Get ready to unlock even more of the Czech language!

Chapter 18: The Dative Case: Giving & Receiving

The Dative case is used to show to whom or for whom an action is performed. Think of it as answering the question “To whom?” or “For whom?”. If you know French, this will feel similar to indirect objects often preceded by “à”.

Examples in Action:

Imagine you’re trying to communicate intentions or actions involving others:

Dialogue 1: Giving a gift You: Dávám dárek Petrovi. /DAA-vaam DAA-rek PE-tro-vi/ (I am giving a gift to Petr.) Friend: Je to pro něho? /Ye to pro NYE-ho/ (Is it for him?) You: Ano, je to pro něj. /A-no, ye to pro NEY/ (Yes, it is for him.)

Dialogue 2: Saying something to someone You: Řeknu ti pravdu. /RZHEK-noo ti PRAV-doo/ (I will tell you the truth. [informal “you”]) Friend: Děkuji ti! /DYE-ku-yi ti/ (Thank you! [informal “you”])

Dialogue 3: Helping a friend You: Pomůžu ti s úkolem. /PO-moo-zhoo ti s OO-ko-lem/ (I will help you with the homework. [informal “you”]) Friend: Jsi milý/milá. /si MI-lee/MI-laa/ (You are kind [m/f].)

Vocabulary Table: Common Dative Verbs & Pronouns

Czech Word / Phrase	Phonetic Transcription	English Meaning	Notes
dát (někomu něco)	/daat NYE-ko-moo NYE-tso/	to give (to someone something)	Dative for the recipient.
říct (někomu něco)	/rzheet NYE-ko-moo NYE-tso/	to say / tell (to someone something)	Dative for the recipient.
pomoci (někomu)	/PO-mo-tsi NYE-ko-moo/	to help (someone)	Takes the Dative.
děkovat (někomu)	/DYE-ko-vat NYE-ko-moo/	to thank (someone)	Takes the Dative.
mluvit (s někým)	/MLU-vit s NYE-keem/	to speak (with someone)	(Instrumental, but useful to distinguish)
já (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ mně (Dative)	/mnyen/	me (to/for me)	For informal, conversational “mě” is often used.
ty (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ tobě (Dative)	/TO-byen/	you (to/for you, informal)	For informal, conversational “ti” is often used.
on (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ jemu (Dative)	/YE-moo/	him (to/for him)	More commonly short form mu.
ona (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ jí (Dative)	/yee/	her (to/for her)
ono (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ jemu (Dative)	/YE-moo/	it (to/for it)	More commonly short form mu.
my (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ nám (Dative)	/naam/	us (to/for us)
vy (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ vám (Dative)	/vaam/	you (to/for you, formal/plural)
oni/ony (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ jim (Dative)	/yim/	them (to/for them)

Grammar Breakdown: The Dative Case Endings

The Dative case tells us the recipient of an action. Nouns and pronouns change their endings in the Dative.

1. Noun Endings (Singular)

Noun Gender	Nominative Ending Example	Dative Ending Example	English Meaning
Masculine	`-Ø` (kám`en`), `-a` (předsed`a`), `-el` (učitel)	`-i`, `-ovi`	kám`en` $\rightarrow$ kám`eni` (to the stone)
	`-a` (předsed`a`) $\rightarrow$ předsed`ovi` (to the chairman)
	učitel $\rightarrow$ učitel`i` (to the teacher)
Feminine	`-a` (žen`a`), `-e` (růž`e`), `-Ø` (kost)	`-ě`, `-i`, `-e`	žen`a` $\rightarrow$ žen`ě` (to the woman)
	růž`e` $\rightarrow$ růž`i` (to the rose)
	kost $\rightarrow$ kost`i` (to the bone)
Neuter	`-o` (měst`o`), `-e` (moř`e`), `-í` (nádraž`í`)	`-u`, `-i`	měst`o` $\rightarrow$ měst`u` (to the city)
	moř`e` $\rightarrow$ moř`i` (to the sea)
	nádraž`í` $\rightarrow$ nádraž`í` (to the station)

Key takeaway:

Masculine animate nouns (people, animals) typically end in -ovi in the Dative (e.g., Petr $\rightarrow$ Petrovi).
Feminine nouns ending in -a often change to -ě (e.g., žena $\rightarrow$ ženě, kniha $\rightarrow$ knize).
Other endings exist, but focus on recognizing these common patterns for now.

2. Personal Pronouns (Shortened Forms are Common)

mně (to/for me) - often shortened to mi in speech.
- Dej mi to. (Give it to me.)
tobě (to/for you, informal) - often shortened to ti in speech.
- Řeknu ti to. (I’ll tell you that.)
jemu (to/for him/it) - often shortened to mu in speech.
- Dám mu knihu. (I’ll give him a book.)
jí (to/for her) - no common shortening.
- Dám jí dárek. (I’ll give her a gift.)
nám (to/for us)
- Dej nám jídlo. (Give us food.)
vám (to/for you, formal/plural)
- Můžu vám pomoct? (Can I help you?)
jim (to/for them)
- Dám jim peníze. (I’ll give them money.)

Comparison: French indirect objects with “à” vs. Czech Dative

This is a very direct parallel that can help you understand the Dative.

French:
- Je donne un livre à Jean. (I give a book to Jean.)
- Je lui donne un livre. (I give a book to him.)
Czech (Dative):
- Dám knihu Janovi. (I will give a book to Jan.)
- Dám mu knihu. (I will give him a book.)

The Dative case in Czech serves the same function as “à” + indirect object in French. The main difference is that in Czech, the noun itself changes its ending, rather than relying on a preposition like “à”.

Chapter 19: The Locative Case: Where Exactly Are We?

We briefly touched upon the Locative case in Unit 3 when we used “v” (in/at) and “na” (on/at) for simple locations. Now we’ll delve a bit deeper into this case, which is always used with a preposition to answer “Where?”.

Examples in Action:

You’re trying to specify locations more precisely:

Dialogue 1: In the city vs. at the university You: Jsem v Praze. /ysem v PRA-ze/ (I am in Prague.) Friend: A kde je Petr? /A GDE ye PETR/ (And where is Petr?) You: On je na univerzitě. /on ye na OO-ni-ver-zi-tye/ (He is at the university.)

Dialogue 2: At home vs. at the pub You: Jsme doma. /ysme DO-ma/ (We are at home.) Friend: Dnes večer půjdeme na pivo do hospody. /dnes VE-cher POOY-de-me na PI-vo do HOS-po-di/ (Tonight we will go for a beer to the pub.)

Vocabulary Table: Common Prepositions & Locative Nouns

Czech Word / Phrase	Phonetic Transcription	English Meaning	Notes
v (+ Locative)	/v/	in / at	Used for being inside something, or generally at a place (e.g., city, country).
na (+ Locative)	/na/	on / at	Used for being on a surface or at certain public places/events.
o (+ Locative)	/o/	about	Used when talking about something.
Praha (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ Praze (Loc.)	/PRA-ze/	Prague (in Prague)	Feminine noun.
univerzita (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ univerzitě (Loc.)	/OO-ni-ver-zi-tye/	university (at the university)	Feminine noun.
město (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ městě (Loc.)	/MYES-tye/	city (in the city)	Neuter noun.
stůl (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ stole (Loc.)	/sto-le/	table (on the table)	Masculine noun.
škola (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ škole (Loc.)	/SHKO-le/	school (at school)	Feminine noun.
restaurace (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ restauraci (Loc.)	/RES-tow-ra-tsi/	restaurant (in the restaurant)	Feminine noun.
Česko (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ Česku (Loc.)	/CHES-koo/	Czechia (in Czechia)	Neuter noun.

Grammar Breakdown: The Locative Case Endings

The Locative case always follows a preposition, most commonly v (in/at), na (on/at), and o (about). The endings for nouns are fairly consistent:

Noun Gender	Nominative Ending Example	Locative Ending Example	English Meaning
Masculine	`-Ø` (hrad), `-el` (hotel)	`-ě`, `-u`	hrad $\rightarrow$ hrad`ě` (at the castle)
	hotel $\rightarrow$ hotel`u` (in the hotel)
Feminine	`-a` (ulice), `-e` (růže), `-Ø` (noc)	`-e`, `-i`	ulic`e` $\rightarrow$ ulic`i` (on the street)
	růže $\rightarrow$ růž`i` (on the rose)
	noc $\rightarrow$ noc`i` (at night)
Neuter	`-o` (město), `-e` (moře), `-í` (nádraží)	`-ě`, `-u`, `-í`	měst`o` $\rightarrow$ měst`ě` (in the city)
	moře $\rightarrow$ moř`i` (at the sea)
	nádraží $\rightarrow$ nádraž`í` (at the station)

Key takeaway:

Many nouns will end in -e or -i in the Locative.
Masculine inanimate nouns (like hotel) often take -u.
Feminine nouns ending in -a often change to -e or -i (e.g., Praha $\rightarrow$ Praze, univerzita $\rightarrow$ univerzitě, restaurace $\rightarrow$ restauraci).

Cultural Note: Nuances of “Na kafe” (for coffee) vs. “Do kavárny” (into the café)

This highlights an important distinction in Czech prepositions related to movement:

Locative (where you are): Used with v or na for current location.
- Jsem v kavárně. (I am in the cafe.) - Locative case after ‘v’.
- Jsem na náměstí. (I am on the square.) - Locative case after ‘na’.
Accusative (where you are going): Used with do (into), na (to/onto), k (to/towards). The noun goes into the Accusative case (for direction) or Genitive case (for do and k). This is more complex and will be covered in later units, but it’s important to recognize the difference:
- Jdu do kavárny. (I am going into the cafe.) - kavárna is in the Genitive here.
- Jdu na kávu. (I am going for coffee.) - káva is in the Accusative here. This is a common way to express “going for [a drink/meal]”.
- Jdu na náměstí. (I am going to the square.) - náměstí is in the Accusative here.

For now, focus on the Locative for stating where you are. The subtle differences in prepositions for direction will become clearer with more exposure.

Chapter 20: The Instrumental Case: With Whom/What?

The Instrumental case is used to answer questions like “With whom?” (S kým?) or “With what?” (S čím?). It often follows the preposition s (with), but can also express the means by which something is done (e.g., by car, by hand).

Examples in Action:

Dialogue 1: Meeting a friend You: Půjdeš do kina s Petrem? /POOY-dyesh do KI-na s PE-trem/ (Will you go to the cinema with Petr?) Friend: Ano, půjdu s ním. /A-no, POOY-doo s neam/ (Yes, I will go with him.)

Dialogue 2: Traveling by means You: Jak jedeš do práce? /yak YE-desh do PRAA-tse/ (How do you go to work?) Friend: Jezdím autobusem. /YEZ-deem OW-to-boo-sem/ (I go by bus.)

Dialogue 3: Eating with a fork You: Jíte vidličkou nebo lžící? /YEE-te VID-lich-kou NE-bo LZHEE-tsee/ (Do you eat with a fork or a spoon?)

Vocabulary Table: Common Instrumental Prepositions & Nouns

Czech Word / Phrase	Phonetic Transcription	English Meaning	Notes
s (+ Instrumental)	/s/	with	Can also be se before certain words (like ‘s’ + s, z, š, ž).
s kým?	/s keem/	with whom?
s čím?	/s cheem/	with what?
auto (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ autem (Instr.)	/OW-tem/	car (by car)	Neuter noun.
autobus (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ autobusem (Instr.)	/OW-to-boo-sem/	bus (by bus)	Masculine noun.
vlak (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ vlakem (Instr.)	/VLA-kem/	train (by train)	Masculine noun.
vidlička (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ vidličkou (Instr.)	/VID-lich-kou/	fork (with a fork)	Feminine noun.
lžíce (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ lžící (Instr.)	/LZHEE-tsee/	spoon (with a spoon)	Feminine noun.
rukou (Instr.)	/RU-kou/	by hand	From ruka (hand, feminine).
nohou (Instr.)	/NO-hou/	by foot	From noha (leg/foot, feminine).
já (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ mnou (Instr.)	/mno-oo/	me (with me)
ty (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ tebou (Instr.)	/TE-bow/	you (with you, informal)
on (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ ním (Instr.)	/nyeem/	him/it (with him/it)
ona (Nom.) $\rightarrow$ ní (Instr.)	/nyee/	her (with her)

Grammar Breakdown: The Instrumental Case Endings

The Instrumental case is typically used for the means or instrument of an action, or with the preposition s (with).

1. Noun Endings (Singular)

Noun Gender	Nominative Ending Example	Instrumental Ending Example	English Meaning
Masculine	`-Ø` (stůl), `-a` (Petr)	`-em`, `-em` (animate)	stůl $\rightarrow$ stol`em` (with a table)
	Petr $\rightarrow$ Petr`em` (with Petr)
Feminine	`-a` (žena), `-e` (růže), `-Ø` (noc)	`-ou`, `-í`	žen`a` $\rightarrow$ žen`ou` (with a woman)
	růž`e` $\rightarrow$ růž`í` (with a rose)
	noc $\rightarrow$ noc`í` (at night)
Neuter	`-o` (město), `-e` (moře), `-í` (nádraží)	`-em`, `-em`, `-ím`	měst`o` $\rightarrow$ měst`em` (with a city)
	moře $\rightarrow$ moř`em` (with the sea)
	nádraží $\rightarrow$ nádraž`ím` (with the station)

Key takeaway:

Masculine nouns often take -em.
Feminine nouns often take -ou or -í.
Neuter nouns often take -em or -ím.

2. Personal Pronouns

mnou (with me)
tebou (with you, informal)
ním (with him/it)
ní (with her)
námi (with us)
vámi (with you, formal/plural)
jimi (with them)

Mini-Challenge: Distinguishing between similar-sounding case endings

You might notice that some case endings sound or look similar (e.g., -i, -e, -em, -ou). This is perfectly normal and where context and practice come in!

Focus on the preposition: The preposition almost always tells you which case to expect. If you see s, expect Instrumental. If you see v or na, expect Locative.
Focus on the question: Does the sentence answer “to whom?” (Dative), “where?” (Locative), or “with whom/what?” (Instrumental)?
Listen and repeat: The more you hear and speak Czech, the more the correct endings will start to “feel” right, even if you can’t always pinpoint the exact grammatical rule on the spot.

Don’t get overwhelmed by the tables! Start by memorizing the most common phrases and nouns in these cases, and the patterns will emerge.

Chapter 21: The Past Tense: What Happened Yesterday?

Now let’s talk about things that have already happened. Czech has a relatively straightforward way to form the past tense for most verbs, using a “past participle” and a form of the verb “být” (to be).

Examples in Action:

Dialogue 1: What did you do yesterday? You: Co jsi včera dělal? (man speaking) /Tso si VCHE-ra DYE-lal/ (What did you do yesterday?) Friend: Včera jsem pracoval. (man speaking) /VCHE-ra ysem PRA-tso-val/ (Yesterday I worked.) You: A co jsi dělala? (woman speaking) /A tso si DYE-la-la/ (And what did you do? [to a woman]) Friend: Včera jsem četla knihu. (woman speaking) /VCHE-ra ysem CHET-la KNI-hoo/ (Yesterday I read a book.)

Dialogue 2: Where were you? You: Kde jsi byl? (man speaking) /GDE si bil/ (Where were you?) Friend: Byl jsem doma. (man speaking) /Bil ysem DO-ma/ (I was at home.) You: A kde jsi byla? (woman speaking) /A GDE si BI-la/ (And where were you? [to a woman]) Friend: Byla jsem v Praze. (woman speaking) /BI-la ysem v PRA-ze/ (I was in Prague.)

Vocabulary Table: Time Expressions & Common Past Participles

Czech Word / Phrase	Phonetic Transcription	English Meaning	Notes
včera	/VCHE-ra/	yesterday
předevčírem	/PRE-dev-chee-rem/	the day before yesterday
minulý týden	/MI-noo-lee TEE-den/	last week
minulý rok	/MI-noo-lee rok/	last year
být (to be)	/beet/		Irregular verb.
byl (masculine singular)	/bil/	was (m.)	Past participle of být.
byla (feminine singular)	/BI-la/	was (f.)	Past participle of být.
bylo (neuter singular)	/BI-lo/	was (n.)	Past participle of být.
byli (masculine animate plural)	/BI-li/	were (m. anim.)	Past participle of být.
byly (masculine inanimate/feminine plural)	/BI-li/	were (m. inanim./f.)	Past participle of být.
byla (neuter plural)	/BI-la/	were (n.)	Past participle of být.
pracovat (to work)	/PRA-tso-vat/		Regular verb.
pracoval (m.)	/PRA-tso-val/	worked (m.)	Past participle.
pracovala (f.)	/PRA-tso-va-la/	worked (f.)	Past participle.
číst (to read)	/cheest/		Irregular verb.
četl (m.)	/chetl/	read (m.)	Past participle.
četla (f.)	/chet-la/	read (f.)	Past participle.
vidět (to see)	/VID-yet/		Irregular verb.
viděl (m.)	/VID-yel/	saw (m.)	Past participle.
viděla (f.)	/VID-ye-la/	saw (f.)	Past participle.

Grammar Breakdown: Forming the Past Tense

The Czech past tense is formed using two parts:

The past participle of the main verb: This part changes based on the gender and number of the subject.
- Masculine singular: ends in -l (e.g., dělal, pracoval, viděl)
- Feminine singular: ends in -la (e.g., dělala, pracovala, viděla)
- Neuter singular: ends in -lo (e.g., dělalo, pracovalo, vidělo)
- Plural (all genders): generally ends in -li (for masculine animate), -ly (for feminine and masculine inanimate), or -la (for neuter). For simplicity, most plural past participles will end in -li or -ly for now.
  - Masculine animate plural: -li (e.g., pracovali - they (men) worked)
  - Feminine/Masculine inanimate plural: -ly (e.g., pracovaly - they (women/cars) worked)
  - Neuter plural: -la (e.g., pracovala - they (cities) worked)
The auxiliary verb “být” (to be) in the present tense: This part indicates who performed the action.
- jsem (I am) - for já
- jsi (you are, informal) - for ty
- (je) (he/she/it is) - for on/ona/ono (usually omitted)
- jsme (we are) - for my
- jste (you are, formal/plural) - for vy
- (jsou) (they are) - for oni/ony (usually omitted)

Structure: Subject + auxiliary ‘být’ (optional for 3rd person) + past participle.

Examples:

Já jsem pracoval. (I worked - man)
Já jsem pracovala. (I worked - woman)
Ty jsi viděl. (You saw - informal, man)
Ty jsi viděla. (You saw - informal, woman)
On (je) četl. (He read.) - je is usually omitted.
Ona (je) četla. (She read.) - je is usually omitted.
My jsme byli. (We were.)
Vy jste viděli. (You (plural) saw.)
Oni (jsou) pracovali. (They (men) worked.) - jsou is usually omitted.

Key takeaway: The past tense is gender-specific for singular subjects, and the auxiliary “být” tells you who did the action.

Comparison: Czech past tense structure vs. French passé composé

This comparison should make the Czech past tense much more intuitive for French speakers!

French Passé Composé: avoir / être (present tense) + past participle.
- J’ai parlé. (I have spoken / I spoke.) $\rightarrow$ avoir + participle
- Je suis allé(e). (I have gone / I went.) $\rightarrow$ être + participle, and participle agrees in gender/number with subject.
Czech Past Tense: být (present tense) + past participle.
- Já jsem mluvil. (I spoke - man) $\rightarrow$ jsem (from být) + participle that agrees with subject.
- Já jsem mluvila. (I spoke - woman) $\rightarrow$ jsem (from být) + participle that agrees with subject.

The main difference is that Czech always uses a form of “být” as the auxiliary, whereas French uses both avoir and être depending on the verb. However, the concept of a two-part verb form with a gender-agreeing participle is very similar!

Chapter 22: The Future Tense: What Will Happen Tomorrow?

Talking about the future in Czech is also relatively straightforward. For most verbs, you’ll use a form of “být” (to be) followed by the infinitive of the imperfective verb.

Examples in Action:

Dialogue 1: What will you do tomorrow? You: Co budeš zítra dělat? /Tso BOO-desh ZEE-tra DYE-lat/ (What will you do tomorrow?) Friend: Zítra budu pracovat. /ZEE-tra BOO-doo PRA-tso-vat/ (Tomorrow I will work.)

Dialogue 2: Making plans You: Kdy půjdeme na kávu? /Gdi POOY-de-me na KAA-voo/ (When will we go for coffee?) Friend: Budeme mít čas v neděli. /BOO-de-me meet CHAS v NE-dye-li/ (We will have time on Sunday.)

Vocabulary Table: Time Expressions & Future Verb Forms

Czech Word / Phrase	Phonetic Transcription	English Meaning	Notes
zítra	/ZEE-tra/	tomorrow
pozítří	/PO-zee-trzhee/	the day after tomorrow
příští týden	/PRZHEESH-tyee TEE-den/	next week
příští rok	/PRZHEESH-tyee rok/	next year
být (future tense forms)	/beet/	to be (future)
budu	/BOO-doo/	I will be
budeš	/BOO-desh/	you will be (informal)
bude	/BOO-de/	he/she/it will be
budeme	/BOO-de-me/	we will be
budete	/BOO-de-te/	you will be (formal/plural)
budou	/BOO-dow/	they will be
dělat	/DYE-lat/	to do / to make	Imperfective verb (action in progress or repeated).
pracovat	/PRA-tso-vat/	to work	Imperfective verb.
číst	/cheest/	to read	Imperfective verb.
mít	/meet/	to have	Imperfective verb.
jít	/yeet/	to go (by foot)	Imperfective verb. (Perfective jdu / půjdu is more common for “will go”).

Grammar Breakdown: Constructing the Future Tense

The most common way to form the future tense for imperfective verbs (verbs that describe ongoing, habitual, or unfinished actions) is:

Future form of “být” (to be) + Infinitive of the main verb

Já budu pracovat. (I will work.)
Ty budeš číst. (You will read - informal.)
On/Ona/Ono bude mít. (He/She/It will have.)
My budeme dělat. (We will do.)
Vy budete jíst. (You (formal/plural) will eat.)
Oni/Ony budou spát. (They will sleep.)

Key takeaway: To form the future tense, use the correct form of být for the subject, and then simply add the infinitive form of the verb.

Note on Verb Aspect (Perfective/Imperfective): This is a critical concept in Czech verbs.

Imperfective verbs describe actions that are ongoing, habitual, or unfinished (e.g., dělat - to be doing/to do generally). These are the verbs that use the být + infinitive future.
Perfective verbs describe actions that are completed, instantaneous, or have a clear result (e.g., udělat - to do/finish doing). Perfective verbs have their own simple future forms (e.g., půjdu - I will go, from jít), which often look like present tense forms.

We’ll delve deeper into aspect in later units, but for now, understand that the být + infinitive construction is for imperfective verbs.

Dialogue: Making plans for the upcoming weekend

Karel: Ahoj Petro, co budeš dělat o víkendu? /A-hoy PE-tro, tso BOO-desh DYE-lat o VEE-ken-doo/ (Hi Petr, what will you do on the weekend?)

Petr: Ahoj Karle. Budu se učit na zkoušku. Ale v sobotu večer možná půjdu do kina. /A-hoy KAR-le. BOO-doo se OO-chit na ZKOW-shkoo. A-le v SO-bo-too VE-cher MOZH-na POOY-doo do KI-na/ (Hi Karel. I will study for an exam. But on Saturday evening maybe I will go to the cinema.)

Karel: Chceš jít se mnou na pivo v pátek? /KHTSESh yeet se MNO-oo na PI-vo v PAA-tek/ (Do you want to go for a beer with me on Friday?)

Petr: To zní dobře! V kolik hodin se potkáme? /To znee DOBR-zhe! V KO-lik HO-din se POT-kaa-me/ (That sounds good! At what time will we meet?)

Karel: Budeme se potkávat v sedm hodin. /BOO-de-me se POT-kaa-vat v SE-dum HO-din/ (We will meet at seven o’clock.)

Chapter 23: Asking Questions: Beyond the Basics

You’ve already mastered “Kde je…?” (Where is…?) and “Kolik to stojí?” (How much does it cost?). Now, let’s expand your question-asking toolkit with more essential question words!

Examples in Action:

Dialogue 1: Who and what? You: Kdo je tam? /Gdo ye tam/ (Who is there?) Friend: Je tam Petr. /Ye tam PETR/ (Petr is there.) You: Co dělá? /Tso DYE-laa/ (What is he doing?) Friend: Čte knihu. /Ch-te KNI-hoo/ (He is reading a book.)

Dialogue 2: When and why? You: Kdy přijedeš? /Gdi PRZHI-ye-desh/ (When will you arrive?) Friend: Přijedu zítra. /PRZHI-ye-doo ZEE-tra/ (I will arrive tomorrow.) You: Proč? /PROCH/ (Why?) Friend: Musím pracovat. /MOO-seem PRA-tso-vat/ (I have to work.)

Vocabulary Table: Expanded Question Words

Czech Question Word	Phonetic Transcription	English Meaning	Notes
Kdo?	/Gdo/	Who?	For people. Declines for case (e.g., Koho? - whom, Komu? - to whom).
Co?	/Tso/	What?	For things. Declines for case (e.g., Čeho? - of what, Čemu? - to what).
Kdy?	/Gdi/	When?
Proč?	/PROCH/	Why?
Jak?	/yak/	How?
Kam?	/kam/	Where to? (direction)	Used for destination.
Odkud?	/OD-kood/	From where?	Used for origin.
Který/Která/Které?	/KTE-ree/KTE-raa/KTE-re/	Which?	Agrees in gender and case with the noun.
Kolik?	/KO-lik/	How much/many?

Grammar Breakdown: Question Word Usage & Word Order

Question Word Placement: In Czech, the question word usually comes at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the verb.
- Kdo je tam? (Who is there?)
- Co děláš? (What are you doing?)
- Kdy přijdeš? (When will you come?)
- Proč se učíš česky? (Why are you learning Czech?)
Verb “být” (to be) in questions: When “být” is the main verb and the question is “who/what is,” it usually stays “je”.
- Kdo je Petr? (Who is Petr?)
- Co je to? (What is it?)
Word Order Flexibility (Less Strict than English): Czech word order is more flexible than English, especially for emphasis. While a question word usually starts the sentence, the rest of the elements can be reordered without losing meaning, though the emphasis might change.
- Co děláš? (What are you doing?) - neutral
- Děláš co? (You are doing what?) - emphasizes “what” in a slightly surprised tone.

Cultural Note: Czech directness in questioning can sometimes surprise!

Czech communication can be very direct, which might sometimes come across as abrupt or even rude to speakers of languages (like English or French) that prioritize more indirectness or softening phrases.

Instead of “Would you mind telling me where the bathroom is, please?” you might hear simply “Kde je toaleta?”
Asking “Proč?” (Why?) can feel very direct, even confrontational, in some contexts in English. In Czech, it’s often a neutral request for information.
Don’t be surprised if a Czech person asks you direct personal questions (e.g., about your job, marital status, or even salary) quite early in an acquaintance. This is often out of genuine curiosity, not an attempt to pry.

Embrace this directness in your own speech, but always remember to use “prosím” (please) and “děkuji” (thank you) to maintain politeness!

Chapter 24: Telling Time & Daily Routines

Being able to tell time and describe your daily routine is fundamental for everyday conversations and making plans.

Examples in Action:

Dialogue 1: What time is it? You: Promiňte, kolik je hodin? /PRO-min-tye, KO-lik ye HO-din/ (Excuse me, what time is it?) Local: Je pět hodin. /Ye pyet HO-din/ (It’s five o’clock.)

Dialogue 2: What do you do daily? You: Co děláš obvykle ráno? /Tso DYE-laash OB-vik-le RAA-no/ (What do you usually do in the morning?) Friend: Ráno vstávám v sedm hodin a snídám. /RAA-no VSTAA-vaam v SE-dum HO-din a SNEE-daam/ (In the morning I wake up at seven o’clock and have breakfast.)

Dialogue 3: Making a meeting time You: Sejdeme se v poledne? /SEY-de-me se v PO-led-ne/ (Shall we meet at noon?) Friend: Dobře. Nebo v jednu? /DOB-rzhe. NE-bo v YED-noo/ (Okay. Or at one?)

Vocabulary Table: Time & Daily Routines

Czech Word / Phrase	Phonetic Transcription	English Meaning	Notes
Kolik je hodin?	/KO-lik ye HO-din/	What time is it?	Your key question.
Je X hodin.	/Ye X HO-din/	It’s X o’clock.	Used for exact hours.
ráno	/RAA-no/	morning / in the morning
dopoledne	/DO-po-led-ne/	late morning / forenoon
poledne	/PO-led-ne/	noon	“v poledne” (at noon).
odpoledne	/OD-po-led-ne/	afternoon / in the afternoon
večer	/VE-cher/	evening / in the evening
noc	/nots/	night	“v noci” (at night).
vstávat	/VSTAA-vat/	to wake up / get up	Imperfective.
snídat	/SNEE-dat/	to have breakfast	Imperfective.
obědvat	/O-byed-vat/	to have lunch	Imperfective.
večeřet	/VE-che-rzhet/	to have dinner	Imperfective.
jít do práce	/yeet do PRAA-tse/	to go to work
spát	/spaat/	to sleep	Imperfective.
pracovat	/PRA-tso-vat/	to work	Imperfective.
studovat	/STU-do-vat/	to study	Imperfective.
minuta	/MI-noo-ta/	minute
hodina	/HO-di-na/	hour / o’clock
sekunda	/SE-koon-da/	second

Grammar Breakdown: Telling Time

Exact Hours: “Je [number] hodin.”
- Je jedna hodina. (It’s one o’clock.) - hodina is singular.
- Jsou dvě hodiny. (It’s two o’clock.) - hodiny is plural. (2, 3, 4 use hodiny)
- Je pět hodin. (It’s five o’clock.) - hodin is plural. (5 and up use hodin)
- It’s simplest to just use “Je [number] hodin” for most numbers from 2 onwards, and it will be understood.
“At” a specific time: Use the preposition “v” (at) followed by the time in the Accusative case (which for numbers often means no change, or specific forms for 1, 2, 3, 4).
- v jednu hodinu (at one o’clock)
- ve dvě hodiny (at two o’clock)
- v pět hodin (at five o’clock)
Halves, Quarters, etc.:
- půl (half): Czechs typically say “half to the next hour”.
  - Je půl páté. (It’s half past four / Half to five.) $\rightarrow$ 4:30
  - Je půl osmé. (It’s half past seven / Half to eight.) $\rightarrow$ 7:30
- čtvrt (quarter):
  - Je čtvrt na osm. (It’s a quarter past seven / Quarter on eight.) $\rightarrow$ 7:15
  - Je třičtvrtě na osm. (It’s three quarters to eight.) $\rightarrow$ 7:45
Minutes past the hour:
- Je deset minut po osmé. (It’s ten minutes past eight.) $\rightarrow$ 8:10
- Simpler: Je osm deset. (It’s eight ten.) $\rightarrow$ 8:10 (just state the numbers)
Minutes to the hour:
- Je deset minut před devátou. (It’s ten minutes before nine.) $\rightarrow$ 8:50
- Simpler: Je za deset devět. (It’s ten to nine.) $\rightarrow$ 8:50

Daily Routines:

When describing routines, you’ll generally use imperfective verbs in the present tense, as these are habitual actions.

Ráno vstávám v sedm hodin. (In the morning I wake up at seven o’clock.)
Pak snídám. (Then I have breakfast.)
V devět hodin jdu do práce. (At nine o’clock I go to work.)
Obědvám v poledne. (I have lunch at noon.)
Večer čtu knihu a pak jdu spát. (In the evening I read a book and then I go to sleep.)

Exercises & Practice

Time to put your new grammar and vocabulary to work!

Exercise 1: Dative Case Translate the sentences into Czech, paying attention to Dative endings for nouns and pronouns.

I give a book to the man. (man speaking) ____ ____ ____ ____.
She gives a gift to me. ____ ____ ____.
We will help her. ____ ____ ____.

Exercise 2: Locative Case Translate the sentences into Czech, using the correct Locative forms.

I am in the city. ____ ____ ____.
She is on the table. ____ ____ ____.
We are talking about Prague. ____ ____ ____ ____.

Exercise 3: Instrumental Case Translate the sentences into Czech, using the correct Instrumental forms.

I am going with a friend. (man speaking, friend is male) ____ ____ ____ ____.
He goes by bus. ____ ____ ____.
She eats with a spoon. ____ ____ ____.

Exercise 4: Past Tense Translate the sentences into Czech. Be mindful of gender for past participles.

Yesterday I worked. (man speaking) ____ ____ ____.
Yesterday she read a book. ____ ____ ____ ____.
We were at home. ____ ____ ____.

Exercise 5: Future Tense Translate the sentences into Czech.

Tomorrow I will study. (man speaking) ____ ____ ____.
She will have lunch. ____ ____ ____.
We will go to the cinema. ____ ____ ____ ____.

Exercise 6: Asking Questions Form the correct Czech questions for the answers given.

Answer: Je tam Petr. (Petr is there.) Question: ____ ____ ____?
Answer: Přijedu zítra. (I will arrive tomorrow.) Question: ____ ____ ____?
Answer: Čtu knihu, protože je zajímavá. (I am reading a book because it is interesting.) Question: ____ ____ ____ ____?

Exercise 7: Telling Time & Routines Answer the questions based on your own routine or make one up.

Kolik je teď hodin? (What time is it now?) ____ ____.
V kolik hodin vstáváš? (At what time do you wake up?) ____ ____ ____.
Co děláš večer? (What do you do in the evening?) ____ ____.

Answer Key

Exercise 1: Dative Case

I give a book to the man. (man speaking) Dávám knihu muži.
She gives a gift to me. Dává mi dárek.
We will help her. Pomůžeme jí.

Exercise 2: Locative Case

I am in the city. Jsem ve městě.
She is on the table. Ona je na stole.
We are talking about Prague. Mluvíme o Praze.

Exercise 3: Instrumental Case

I am going with a friend. (man speaking, friend is male) Jdu s kamarádem.
He goes by bus. Jede autobusem.
She eats with a spoon. Jí lžící.

Exercise 4: Past Tense

Yesterday I worked. (man speaking) Včera jsem pracoval.
Yesterday she read a book. Včera četla knihu. (or Včera četla jsem knihu.)
We were at home. Byli jsme doma.

Exercise 5: Future Tense

Tomorrow I will study. (man speaking) Zítra budu studovat.
She will have lunch. Bude obědvat.
We will go to the cinema. Půjdeme do kina. (Note: půjdu is perfective future for jít, very common for “will go”)

Exercise 6: Asking Questions

Question: Kdo je tam?
Question: Kdy přijedeš?
Question: Proč čteš knihu?

Exercise 7: Telling Time & Routines (Answers will vary based on current time and personal routine)

Kolik je teď hodin? (What time is it now?) (Example: Je šest hodin patnáct. - It’s six fifteen.)
V kolik hodin vstáváš? (At what time do you wake up?) (Example: Vstávám v sedm hodin. - I wake up at seven o’clock.)
Co děláš večer? (What do you do in the evening?) (Example: Večer čtu knihu a dívám se na televizi. - In the evening I read a book and watch TV.)

What You Learned

Gratuluji! (Congratulations!) You’ve just taken a massive leap forward in your Czech language journey. Mastering these additional cases and verb tenses is crucial for building more complex and nuanced sentences.

Here’s a recap of your enhanced abilities:

Expressing Giving & Receiving: You can now use the Dative case to say “to whom” or “for whom” an action is directed, similar to French indirect objects.
Pinpointing Locations: You have a better grasp of the Locative case with v and na to accurately state where something is.
Defining Means & Companionship: The Instrumental case allows you to say “with whom” or “with what,” and describe how actions are performed.
Talking About the Past: You can now form basic sentences in the past tense, understanding how verb participles change with gender.
Planning for the Future: You can construct sentences in the future tense for imperfective verbs, telling people what you will do.
Expanding Your Questions: Your question repertoire is much broader with Kdo?, Co?, Kdy?, Proč?, Jak?, Kam?, and Odkud?.
Mastering Time & Routine: You can ask and tell the time and describe your daily schedule.

You’ve built a strong grammatical framework. The key now is consistent practice with these new structures. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – that’s how you learn! Keep listening, speaking, and reviewing. Na shledanou příště! (See you next time!)