CZECH FOR BEGINNERS STEP BY STEP (textbook)

Gramatika / Grammar

  • The verb "být" is irregular like in English. It is used as a verb with full meaning or as a so-called linking verb for forming past tense.
  • The negative of all verbs is formed easily. You only add the prefix ne-.
  • Czech sentences can miss the subject thus personal pronouns as subjects can often be omitted. We can derive what person the verb is from the form of the verb. For example: Neumím dobře česky.
  • Pronouns in 3rd person in both sg. and pl. are often replaced with demonstrative "to". For example: To je Petr. To jsou peníze.
Negation Exception: The verb "být" is an exception in the 3rd per. sg.
on je → on není

Rod: mužský, ženský, střední / Gender: Masculine, Feminine, Neuter

In Czech, not only nouns denoting people but all of them have gender. We distinguish them according to the ending. Determining the gender is important so that we were able to make the correct form of adjectives and verbs.

Koncovka
Ending
mužský
Masculine (M)
ženský
Feminine (F)
střední
Neuter (N)
Souhláska
(Consonant)
People: Petr, Pavel, Martin, Jakub, Jan, Tomáš, David
Things: mobil, dům, muž, počítač, klíč, notebook, batoh, autobus, vlak ...
People: Dagmar ——
Samohláska
(Vowel)
-a kolega -a Ivana, Eliška, Anna, Tereza, Barbora, Kristýna ...
Things: žena, dívka, peněženka, škola
-o, -í město, auto, kolo, nádraží
—— -e Marie
Things: televize, vesnice
-e dítě, letiště

Practice!
Tap a word to select it, then tap a column to place it. Tap a placed word to return it.

mužský
Masculine
ženský
Feminine
střední
Neuter