Czech Grammar Guide

Welcome to the Elon.io Czech Grammar Guide. 737 topics across every area of Czech grammar, tagged by CEFR level so you can find the right page for your level.

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Start Here (A1)

New to Czech? These are the foundation topics every beginner needs.

Adjectives

Agreement & Usage

Comparison

Declension

  • Hard Adjectives: the -ý/-á/-é PatternA2The largest Czech adjective class — model mladý — agrees with its noun in gender, number, and case, with the long vowels -ého, -ému, -ým as its signature.
  • Soft Adjectives: the -í PatternA2The soft adjective class — model jarní — uses a single -í ending for masculine, feminine, and neuter alike, giving it far fewer distinct forms than the hard type.
  • Telling Hard and Soft Adjectives ApartA2A one-step test for sorting any Czech adjective into the hard (-ý/-á/-é) or soft (-í) class — read the dictionary form, and the entire case table follows.
  • Adjective–Noun AgreementA2Every Czech adjective copies its noun's gender, number, and case — so the same adjective wears a different ending in nearly every phrase, and getting the noun right but the adjective wrong is still an error.
  • Masculine Animate Nominative Plural and Its AlternationsB1The special -í plural for animate-male nouns (mladí muži) and the consonant softening it triggers.
  • Short-Form Adjectives: rád, zdráv, hodenB1The small surviving set of short-form (nominal) adjectives that appear only as predicates — rád above all, plus zdráv, hoden, jist and the past-passive participles — and why they never stand before a noun.
  • Adjectives Used as NounsB1How Czech turns adjectives into nouns — vrátný (doorman), vstupné (admission), the surname Novotný — while keeping the adjective endings throughout the declension.
  • Indeclinable and Foreign AdjectivesB2Borrowed colour and quality words (fér, prima, bordó, khaki) that never inflect.

Possessive Adjectives

Adverbs

Annotated Texts

Dialogues

  • Dialogue: Greetings and IntroductionsA1A close reading of a first-meeting dialogue (Dobrý den, jak se máte?), annotated for the reflexive verb, formal vy, and the vocative.
  • Dialogue: Ordering in a CaféA1Ordering coffee and cake, annotated for the accusative of the direct object and polite conditional requests.
  • Dialogue: Shopping in a ShopA2Buying groceries, annotated for quantity expressions, the genitive plural after numerals, and the gendered numeral dvě versus dva.
  • Dialogue: Asking for DirectionsA2Asking how to get somewhere, annotated for kam vs kudy vs kde, the impersonal jde se, and motion verbs.
  • Dialogue: At the DoctorA2Describing symptoms, annotated for the accusative experiencer of bolet and the dative of je mi.
  • Dialogue: Making PlansA2A three-line plan-making exchange, annotated for the two Czech futures — budu + imperfective vs. the perfective/motion present — plus do + genitive and the pronoun se mnou.
  • Dialogue: On the PhoneB1A phone call, annotated for clitic ordering and the second-position rule.
  • Dialogue: Buying Train TicketsB1At the station, annotated for prepositions of destination and the locative of places.
  • Dialogue: Talking About FamilyB1Describing relatives, annotated for possessives, the reflexive svůj, and genitive of possession.
  • Dialogue: Weather Small TalkA2A two-line weather exchange annotated for subjectless impersonal constructions, the adverbial predicate hezky, the accusative of duration, and the evidential particle prý.
  • Dialogue: At WorkB1A workplace exchange, annotated for the imperative, aspect in commands, and verbal government.
  • Dialogue: Renting a FlatB1Viewing an apartment, annotated for relative clauses with který and locative descriptions.
  • Dialogue: At the Post OfficeB1Sending a parcel, annotated for the destination genitive (do + country), the aspect pair poslat/posílat, and manner adverbs.
  • Dialogue: Apologizing and ComplainingB1A restaurant complaint and apology, annotated for the reflexive omlouvat se, the dative of the affected person, and how Czech softens politely.
  • Dialogue: Telling Time and SchedulingB1Setting a meeting time, annotated for clock expressions, ordinals, and prepositions of time.
  • Dialogue: Switching from Vy to TyB1Two acquaintances move to first-name terms, annotated for tykání vs vykání and verb agreement.

Functional & Formal Texts

Literary Excerpts

Proverbs & Sayings

Short Texts & Notices

  • Text: A Weather ForecastA2A short meteorological bulletin, annotated for the impersonal future bude oblačno, numeral-genitive agreement, and the verbless telegraphic style.
  • Text: A RecipeB1Cooking instructions, annotated for the imperative and the perfective/imperfective contrast in steps.
  • Text: A Short News ItemB1A brief news report, annotated for the past tense, the passive, and reported speech.
  • Text: A Job AdvertisementB2A realistic Czech job posting, annotated for requirement constructions, the masculine-animate accusative, the instrumental of accompaniment, and formal register.
  • Text: A Restaurant MenuA2A few lines of a Czech menu, annotated for the genitive of source/material, the instrumental of accompaniment, na + locative for sauces, and how nouns count after prices.
  • Text: A Train AnnouncementB1A station announcement, annotated for the future, ordinal platform numbers, and prepositions of place.
  • Text: A Text Message ExchangeB1Casual SMS between friends, annotated for Common Czech features, abbreviations, and informal aspect.
  • Text: A Simple EmailB1A semi-formal email, annotated for greetings/closings, the conditional of politeness, and clitic order.
  • Text: Public Signs and NoticesA2A close reading of everyday Czech signage — Zákaz kouření, Táhnout / Tlačit, Pozor, vlak!, Nevstupujte! — covering prohibition nouns plus the genitive, infinitives as instructions, and negative imperatives.

Cases

Accusative

Case Government

Dative

  • The Dative as Indirect ObjectA1How the Czech dative case marks the person to or for whom something is given, said, shown, or sent — with no preposition at all.
  • Verbs That Govern the DativeA2The important class of Czech verbs whose only object stands in the dative, even though English uses a direct object.
  • Prepositions That Take the DativeA2The small but high-frequency set of prepositions — k, proti, kvůli, díky, naproti, vůči — that govern the dative case.
  • The Dative of Interest and PossessionB1Using a bare dative to show the person affected by, interested in, or possessing something.
  • The Reflexive Dative SiB1The dative reflexive pronoun si and the 'for oneself' meaning it adds to verbs.
  • The Experiencer DativeA2The very common impersonal pattern — je mi zima, je mi smutno, je mi líto — where the person who feels something stands in the dative and there is no subject at all.
  • Dative Plural EndingsB1The regular dative plural endings -ům, -ám, -ím across the genders.

Genitive

  • The Genitive of PossessionA1Using the genitive to express possession and the 'of' relationship between two nouns.
  • The Genitive of NegationB2The optional, receding genitive object under negation — nemám času vs. nemám čas — its partitive flavour, and the obligatory genitive after není.
  • The Genitive After Quantity WordsA2How indefinite quantity words like mnoho, málo and trochu force the counted noun into the genitive.
  • The Partitive GenitiveA2Why a container, measure or portion forces the substance it holds into the genitive — sklenice vody, kilo masa, šálek kávy — with no word for 'of'.
  • Prepositions That Take the GenitiveA2The large family of genitive prepositions — do, z, od, bez, u, vedle, podle, kolem, během, místo, kromě, uprostřed — and why the case is fixed no matter what they mean.
  • The Genitive in DatesA2Why Czech puts both the day-ordinal and the month name in the genitive to say a calendar date — and the irregular month stems you need to read figures aloud.
  • Verbs That Govern the GenitiveB1The set of Czech verbs whose object stands in the genitive rather than the accusative.
  • The Genitive Plural and Its Zero EndingB1Forming the often endingless genitive plural (žen, měst, aut), the masculine -ů and soft -í, and the inserted vowel that breaks up consonant clusters (matka → matek).
  • The Genitive in Comparisons and Set PhrasesB1The residual genitive uses: plný + genitive (full of), quantifying nouns like řada/spousta, adjectives that govern the genitive, and frozen adverbial genitives like jednoho dne.

Instrumental

Locative

Nominative

Overview

Vocative

Choosing

Collocations and Phraseology

Common Mistakes

Complex Grammar

Conjunctions

Countries and Culture

Determiners

Discourse Markers

Exclamations

Expressions

Everyday Topics

  • Numbers, Time, and Dates in UseA2Ready-made templates for telling the time, saying the date with the ordinal genitive, naming the year, and counting nouns with the 1 / 2–4 / 5+ agreement split.
  • Talking About the WeatherA1Weather expressions built on impersonal verbs and the je + adverb construction.
  • Food and Ordering in a RestaurantA2How to order food and drink politely in Czech — Dám si / Chtěl bych + the accusative, the gender-marked conditional softener, partitive quantity phrases, and asking for the bill.
  • Shopping and MoneyA2Asking prices, ordering by weight, and the three-way currency agreement of the Czech crown.
  • Directions and TransportA2Asking the way and talking about getting around, anchored in the do/na destination split, the kam/kde contrast, and the instrumental of means.
  • Health, the Body, and at the DoctorA2Describing ailments, body parts, and doctor visits — built on the dative experiencer Je mi špatně and the accusative experiencer of bolet.
  • Family and RelationshipsA1Family vocabulary and possession, using genitive and possessive adjectives.
  • Work and ProfessionA2Talking about jobs and workplaces, with the instrumental of profession and the na/v split for workplaces.
  • Daily RoutineA2Describing a typical day, with reflexive verbs and the imperfective habitual present.
  • Making Plans and InvitationsB1How to invite, suggest, accept, and decline plans in Czech — using the perfective present for the future, the Co kdybychom suggestion, and the polite conditional.
  • On the TelephoneB1The Czech phone routine — answering, asking for someone with mluvit s + instrumental, identifying yourself, leaving a message, and handling a bad line.
  • Expressing Emotions and OpinionsB1Stating feelings and views, with dative-feeling constructions and Myslím, že.
  • Agreeing and DisagreeingB1Expressing agreement, disagreement, and partial agreement, including negative-question answers.
  • Describing People and AppearanceA2Describing looks and character, with adjective agreement and mít + accusative for features.
  • House and HomeA2Rooms, furniture, and saying where things are, anchored in v + locative, na + locative, and the position prepositions that take the instrumental.
  • ClothingA2Clothing vocabulary, the always-plural kalhoty, and the three verbs Czech uses where English has one: oblékat se, oblékat si, and nosit.
  • Nature and AnimalsA2Animal and nature vocabulary as a showcase of two declension points: masculine animacy in the accusative and the -e neuter 'young animal' type.
  • Sports and HobbiesA2Talking about free-time activities: hrát + accusative for sports but hrát na + accusative for instruments, the verbs sportovat, plavat, lyžovat, běhat, plus Baví mě and Rád + verb for saying what you enjoy.
  • School and StudyingA2School vocabulary and the three easily confused verbs of learning — učit se, učit, and studovat — with their case patterns and the perfective naučit se.
  • Travel and HolidaysB1Travel language with motion verbs, do/na destinations, and the instrumental of transport.
  • Computers and the InternetB1Tech vocabulary and loanword integration, showing how borrowings are declined.

Flagship Contrasts

  • Likes and Dislikes: mít rád, líbit se, chutnatB1The three-way Czech distinction English flattens into 'like' — lasting fondness (mít rád), being pleased by appearance (líbit se), and liking a taste (chutnat) — with the dative-experiencer twist.
  • Idioms with mítB1The family of fixed expressions where Czech uses mít ('to have') plus an accusative noun for states English renders with 'to be' — Mám hlad, Mám pravdu, Mám strach — and how to keep them apart from the dative-feeling pattern.
  • Expressions with být and the DativeA2How Czech says 'I'm cold', 'I feel sick' and 'I am twenty' with být plus a dative person and no subject at all.

Idiomatic

  • Idioms with Body PartsB2Common figurative expressions built on body-part nouns, with their special dual-remnant plurals.
  • Colors and Color IdiomsA2The basic color adjectives, how they agree with their noun in gender, number, and case, and the figurative color expressions Czech actually uses.

Social Basics

  • Greetings and PolitenessA1The core greetings, leave-takings, and politeness formulas, anchored in the tykání/vykání distinction.
  • Introducing Yourself and OthersA1How to give your name, ask others theirs, and introduce people, with the instrumental of profession.
  • Apologizing and ThankingA2The everyday apology and gratitude formulas, with za + accusative for what you thank for and the dative of the person you address.
  • Congratulations and WishesA2Holiday greetings and good wishes, built on the accusative of the wished-thing and the dative of the recipient.

Learner Paths

  • How to Use This Guide and Study CzechA1An orientation to the guide's structure and a strategy for tackling Czech.
  • A1 Learner PathA1The ordered beginner sequence: sounds, gender, the easy cases, and the present tense.
  • A2 Learner PathA2Expanding cases, the past tense, and the first taste of aspect.
  • B1 Learner PathB1Mastering aspect, the future, the conditional, and motion verbs.
  • B2 Learner PathB2Complex syntax, the passive, clitic mastery, and register awareness.
  • C1 Learner PathC1Literary forms, nominalization, stylistic command, and dialect comprehension.
  • C2 Learner PathC2Native-like mastery: the rarest forms, full stylistic range, and close reading.

Negation

Nouns

Feminine

Gender & Number Basics

Irregular & Special Nouns

Masculine Animate

Masculine Inanimate

Neuter

Proper Nouns & Names

Numbers

Pragmatics

Prepositions

By Case

Special Topics

Pronouns

Demonstrative

Indefinite & Negative

Interrogative & Relative

  • kdo and co: Who and WhatA2The pronouns kdo (who) and co (what) as both question words and relatives, with their full declension and their fixed singular agreement.
  • který: The Main Relative PronounB1který/která/které declined as a hard adjective, the workhorse relative 'which/that/who'.
  • jaký vs který: What Kind vs Which OneB1Both translate as 'what' or 'which', but jaký asks about quality or kind while který asks you to pick one out of a known set.
  • The Literary Relative jenžC1jenž/jež as the formal written relative, including the -ž forms jehož, jejíž, jejichž.
  • čí: Whose?B1The interrogative possessive čí (whose) and its soft-adjective declension.

Personal

Possessive

Reflexive

Pronunciation

Questions

Regional Variation

Register and Style

Sentences

Spelling

Syntax

Verb Reference

Common Irregular & Athematic Verbs

  • jíst — to eatA1Full conjugation of the athematic verb jíst (to eat), its í-present versus d-stem alternation, and its perfective partners sníst and najíst se.
  • pít — to drinkA1Full conjugation of pít (to drink), its pí- to pij- stem shift, accusative object, and the perfective partners vypít and napít se with its genitive.
  • spát — to sleepA1Full conjugation of spát, a Class IV -í- verb with the spí- present, plus its reflexive perfective vyspat se and the related usnout.
  • stát — to stand; to costA2Full conjugation of the homonym stát (to stand / to cost), kept carefully apart from the separate perfective stát se (to happen / to become), which takes the instrumental.
  • bát se — to be afraidA2Full conjugation of the reflexive verb bát se, its bá-/boj- stem alternation, the genitive of the thing feared, the o + accusative 'fear for' construction, and second-position se.
  • smát se — to laughA2Full conjugation of the reflexive smát se, its smá-/směj- stem alternation, the dative of what one laughs at, the perfective zasmát se, and the contrast with usmívat se (to smile).
  • psát / napsat — to writeA1Full conjugation of the aspect pair psát (imperfective) and napsat (perfective), a mazat-type verb with the s → š alternation.
  • číst / přečíst — to readA1Full conjugation of the aspect pair číst (imperfective) and přečíst (perfective), a verb with three different-looking stems: číst, čtu, četl.
  • brát / vzít — to takeA1Full conjugation of the suppletive aspect pair brát (imperfective) and vzít (perfective) — one meaning built from two unrelated roots.
  • nést — to carry (determinate)A2Full conjugation of nést, the model Class I -e- verb and determinate carrying verb.
  • vést — to lead (determinate)A2Full reference for vést 'to lead, conduct' — its ved- present stem, its determinate/indeterminate partner vodit, and how to keep it apart from its near-twin vézt.
  • péci / péct — to bake, to roastB1Full conjugation of péci/péct, a Class I verb with c/č/k velar alternation.
  • moci — modal reference (full paradigm)A2Reference conjugation of the modal moci with both literary and colloquial forms, presented as the model verb of the velar-stem (-ci/-ct) class.
  • chtít — volition reference (full paradigm)A2Reference conjugation of chtít built around its three irregular stems and the three-tier politeness scale from chci to chtěl bych poprosit.
  • vidět — to seeA1Conjugation and usage of the perception verb vidět, its perfective uvidět, and the contrast with intentional dívat se / koukat.
  • slyšet — to hearA1Full conjugation of slyšet, a Class IV -í- perception verb, with perfective uslyšet.
  • umět — to know how, to be able to (skill)A1Full conjugation of umět, the verb of acquired skill, contrasted with moci and smět.
  • zapomenout / zapomínat — to forgetA2The aspect pair for 'forget', with the tricky -mně- in the perfective past (zapomněl), the -ne-/-nou- present, and the bare-accusative vs na+accusative government split.

Essential Verbs

  • být — to beA1Full conjugation of být, the irregular athematic copula and future/passive auxiliary.
  • mít — to haveA1Full conjugation of mít (to have), its accusative object, the obligation construction mít + infinitive, and the everyday idioms mít se and mít rád.
  • moci / moct — can, to be able toA1Full conjugation of the modal verb moci/moct (can), its h/ž stem alternation, the literary versus colloquial forms, and how it differs from umět and smět.
  • muset — must, to have toA1Conjugation and usage of the modal verb muset, with the crucial difference between nemuset (don't have to) and nesmět (mustn't).
  • chtít — to wantA1Conjugation and usage of the irregular verb chtít, including the polite conditional chtěl bych ('I would like').
  • jít — to go (on foot)A1Full conjugation of jít, the determinate verb for going on foot, including its suppletive past and its irregular prefixed future půjdu.
  • jet — to go (by vehicle)A1Full conjugation of jet, the determinate verb for going by vehicle, including its special prefixed future pojedu and the instrumental of means.
  • vědět — to know (facts)A1Conjugation and usage of the athematic verb vědět, and the key distinction between vědět (know a fact) and znát (be acquainted with).
  • znát — to know, to be acquainted withA1Conjugation and usage of the regular verb znát (know a person/place/thing), contrasted with vědět and its perfective poznat.
  • dělat / udělat — to do, to makeA1Full conjugation of the aspect pair dělat (imperfective) and udělat (perfective), the model verb for the whole -á- class.
  • říci / říct — to say, to tellA1Full conjugation of perfective říci/říct and its imperfective partner říkat, with dative-addressee government and the infinitive-vs-present-stem mismatch.
  • dát / dávat — to give, to putA1Full conjugation of the aspect pair dát (perfective) and dávat (imperfective), with dative-plus-accusative government and the everyday dát si.

High-Frequency Aspect Pairs

  • kupovat / koupit — to buyA1The prototypical Czech aspect pair: imperfective kupovat versus perfective koupit, conjugated side by side, with its accusative-plus-dative government.
  • prodávat / prodat — to sellA2The aspect pair for selling: imperfective prodávat versus perfective prodat, conjugated side by side, with its accusative-plus-dative government and the vowel-length contrast that marks the pair.
  • otvírat / otevřít — to openA2The aspect pair for opening: imperfective otvírat (process, habit) versus perfective otevřít (one completed act), with the tricky ř in the perfective stem and the otví-/otev- alternation.
  • zavírat / zavřít — to closeA2Side-by-side conjugation of the aspect pair zavírat (imperfective) / zavřít (perfective), the ř in the perfective stem, the accusative object, and the antonym otvírat / otevřít.
  • začínat / začít — to beginA2Side-by-side conjugation of the aspect pair začínat (imperfective) / začít (perfective), the začí-/zač- stem alternation, the rule that the dependent infinitive must be imperfective, and the s + instrumental construction.
  • končit / skončit — to finish, to endA2The aspect pair končit (imperfective) and skončit (perfective): conjugation, the s + instrumental government, and transitive vs. intransitive uses.
  • dávat / dát — to give (aspect pair card)A2Side-by-side conjugation reference for dávat (imperfective) and dát (perfective), with their dative-plus-accusative government and the reflexive dát si.
  • platit / zaplatit — to payA2The aspect pair for paying: imperfective platit versus perfective zaplatit, conjugated side by side, with its za + accusative government and the restaurant idioms.
  • volat / zavolat — to call (aspect pair card)A2Side-by-side conjugation of volat (imperfective) and zavolat (perfective), plus the dative-versus-accusative split that decides whether you are phoning someone or summoning them.
  • psát / napsat — to write (aspect pair card)A2Side-by-side reference of psát (imperfective) / napsat (perfective).
  • číst / přečíst — to read (aspect pair card)A2Quick-reference aspect card for číst (imperfective) and přečíst (perfective) — the reading verb that wears three different stems: číst, čtu, četl.
  • vařit / uvařit — to cook, to boilA2The aspect pair for cooking and boiling: imperfective vařit versus perfective uvařit, conjugated side by side, with its accusative object and the reflexive si.
  • učit se / naučit se — to learn, to studyA2Aspect card for the reflexive pair učit se (imperfective, to study) and naučit se (perfective, to master) — conjugations, the tricky case government, and the teach-vs-learn contrast with učit.
  • pomáhat / pomoci — to helpA2Side-by-side conjugation of pomáhat (imperfective) and pomoci (perfective), the dative of the person helped, and the s + instrumental of the task.
  • ukazovat / ukázat — to showA2Side-by-side conjugation of imperfective ukazovat and perfective ukázat, the z→ž alternation in the perfective present, and the accusative-thing-plus-dative-person government.
  • posílat / poslat — to sendA2Side-by-side conjugation of imperfective posílat and perfective poslat, the posí- / pošl- stem alternation, and the accusative-thing-plus-dative-recipient government.
  • přinášet / přinést — to bringB1Side-by-side conjugation of imperfective přinášet and perfective přinést, the secondary-imperfective -ášet vs prefixed nést pattern, and the accusative-thing-plus-dative-recipient government.
  • vracet / vrátit — to return, to give backB1Side-by-side conjugation of imperfective vracet and perfective vrátit, the c/t alternation, the transitive 'give back' and reflexive 'come back' meanings, and the accusative-thing-plus-dative-recipient government.
  • ptát se / zeptat se — to ask (a question)A2The reflexive aspect pair for asking a question, its genitive-person plus na+accusative-topic government, the obligatory clitic se, and how it differs from žádat and prosit.
  • odpovídat / odpovědět — to answer, to replyA2Side-by-side conjugation of odpovídat (imperfective) and odpovědět (perfective), with its dative-person plus na+accusative-topic government and the athematic perfective present.
  • rozumět / porozumět — to understandA2Side-by-side conjugation of rozumět and porozumět, the dative case they govern (Rozumím ti, not Rozumím tě), and how they differ from chápat.
  • čekat / počkat — to waitA2Side-by-side conjugation of čekat (imperfective) and počkat (perfective), their na+accusative government, the 'expect' sense with a bare accusative, and dočkat se with the genitive.
  • hledat / najít — to look for / to findA2The functional aspect pair where the perfective adds the result: hledat (look for, process) versus najít (find, result), with najít's jít-based present and the past našel / našla.
  • ztrácet / ztratit — to loseB1Side-by-side conjugation of ztrácet (imperfective) and ztratit (perfective), the c/t alternation, the accusative government, and the reflexive ztratit se (to get lost).
  • zapomínat / zapomenout — to forget (aspect pair card)B1Side-by-side reference of zapomínat (imperfective) and zapomenout (perfective): two stems, the past zapomněl with -mně-, the na + accusative government, and the everyday Nezapomeň!
  • pamatovat si / zapamatovat si — to remember, to memorizeB1Side-by-side conjugation of the reflexive pair pamatovat si / zapamatovat si: the Class III -ovat present, the dative-reflexive si, and the contrast with vzpomínat si / vzpomenout si (to recall).
  • oblékat se / obléci se — to get dressedB1Side-by-side conjugation of the reflexive pair oblékat se / obléci se (obléknout se): the two perfective infinitives, the se vs si vs transitive split, and the contrast with svlékat se (undress).
  • mýt se / umýt se — to wash (oneself)B1Side-by-side conjugation of the reflexive pair mýt se / umýt se: the mý-/myj- alternation of the krýt type, the se vs si vs transitive split (umýt si ruce, mýt nádobí), and the imperative Umyj se!
  • setkávat se / setkat se — to meet (by arrangement)B1Side-by-side conjugation of the reflexive pair setkávat se / setkat se, the s + instrumental government, the obligatory clitic se, and how it differs from potkat, sejít se and vidět se.
  • rozhodovat se / rozhodnout se — to decideB1Side-by-side conjugation of the reflexive pair rozhodovat se / rozhodnout se, the -ovat vs -ne- present alternation, the pro + accusative / infinitive government, and the obligatory clitic se.
  • vstávat / vstát — to get up, to stand upA2Side-by-side conjugation of vstávat (imperfective) and vstát (perfective), the vstá-/vstan- present alternation, the z + genitive government, and how the pair carries daily-routine and 'stand up' meanings.
  • sedat si / sednout si — to sit downB1Side-by-side conjugation of the reflexive pair sedat si / sednout si, the -ne- present of the perfective, the na + accusative government, and the crucial contrast with the stative sedět (to be sitting).
  • líbit se / zalíbit se — to be pleasing, to likeA2The dative-experiencer pair líbit se / zalíbit se, where the thing liked is the nominative subject and the liker is in the dative — plus why number only shows up in the past.
  • jíst / sníst — to eat (aspect pair card)A2The aspect pair jíst (eat, activity) and sníst (eat up, finish), plus the reflexive najíst se (eat one's fill), the buried d-stem, and what each one governs.
  • pít / vypít — to drink (aspect pair card)A2The aspect pair pít (drink, activity) and vypít (drink up, finish), the reflexive napít se with its partitive genitive, and the pí-/pij- present alternation.
  • mluvit / promluvit — to speak, to talkA1Side-by-side conjugation of mluvit (imperfective) and promluvit (perfective), with their prepositional government.
  • spát / vyspat se — to sleep / to get a good sleepB1Side-by-side reference of imperfective spát and reflexive perfective vyspat se, why they aren't a clean aspect pair, plus usnout and prospat.
  • myslet / myslit — to thinkA2Conjugation of myslet (myslit), the verb of opinion, with the variant spelling.
  • bydlet — to live, to reside (imperfective only)A1Conjugation of bydlet, a state verb with no everyday perfective partner, and its place prepositions.
  • žít — to live, to be alive (imperfective)A2Conjugation of žít, the verb of being alive and living a life.

Motion Verbs Reference

Paradigm Class Tables

Verbs

Aspect

Conditional

Fundamentals

Future Tense

Imperative

Modality

  • moci / moct — Can, May, Be AbleA2The three modal senses of moci/moct — ability, possibility, and permission — and how 'can' splits across moci, umět, and smět.
  • muset — Must, Have ToA2How to use muset for obligation, and the high-stakes difference between nemuset (need not) and nesmět (must not).
  • smět — May, Be AllowedB1How to use smět for permission and, crucially, its negative nesmět for prohibition — the form English speakers most often get wrong.
  • mít as a Modal — Should, Be Supposed ToB1Using mít + infinitive for soft obligation and expectation.
  • chtít — Want, Will, IntendA2Using chtít to express desires, intentions and plans — with an object, with an infinitive, with an aby-clause when the subjects differ, and in the impersonal chce se mi pattern.
  • umět vs moci vs znátB1Distinguishing 'know how to', 'be able to', and 'be acquainted with'.
  • muset vs nesmět: 'Must' and 'Must Not'B1Why 'don't have to' and 'must not' are two different verbs in Czech — the nemuset / nesmět split that flips obligation into prohibition.
  • Modals of Probability and ConjectureC1Using muset, moci, and měl by — plus probability adverbs — to express 'must be', 'might be', and 'can't be' about likelihood rather than obligation.
  • nechat — Let, Leave, Have Something DoneB2The three senses of nechat — leave, let/allow, and the causative 'have/get something done' — and how nechat si + infinitive works.
  • dovést and dokázat — Manage, Be Capable OfB2Expressing capability and achievement in Czech beyond plain umět and moci — the difference between knowing how, being in a position to, and actually pulling something off.

Non-finite & Literary Forms

Passive & Reflexive

Past Tense

  • Forming the l-ParticipleA1Building the past-tense participle from the infinitive stem.
  • The Past Auxiliary (jsem, jsi)A1How the past tense combines the l-participle with present-tense forms of být for the 1st and 2nd persons.
  • Gender and Number Agreement of the l-ParticipleA2How the Czech past-tense participle changes its ending to match the subject's gender and number — including marking your own gender in the first person.
  • Past of BýtA1The past-tense paradigm of být, with gender agreement, and its uses as 'was/were' and in impersonal expressions.
  • Irregular Past ParticiplesB2Common verbs with unpredictable l-participles.
  • Word Order of the Past AuxiliaryA2The past-tense auxiliary jsem/jsi/jsme/jste is a second-position clitic: it locks into the second slot of the clause, right after the first stressed unit, and does not have to stand next to the participle.
  • The Perfective PastB1What a perfective past tense expresses and when to use it.
  • The Imperfective PastB1What an imperfective past tense expresses and when to use it.
  • Past Tense with se and siB1Placing the reflexive clitic and auxiliary together in the past.
  • The Dropped -l in Masculine SingularB2Consonant-stem verbs whose masculine past participle can appear without the final -l, and why the feminine, neuter, and plural always keep it.
  • The Pluperfect (Past Perfect)C1The byl jsem napsal construction for an action completed before another past action — once everyday, now largely literary, and why Czech rarely needs it.
  • Colloquial Features of the PastB2Spoken-Czech reductions in the past tense — the obligatory ses/sis contraction, auxiliary clitics in fast speech, and the Common-Czech sounds you'll hear but shouldn't write.
  • Plural Agreement: -li, -ly, -laA2How the past-tense participle chooses between -li, -ly and -la in the plural — and the rule that one masculine animate noun changes everything.
  • Negating the Past TenseA2How to negate the Czech past tense — the prefix ne- attaches to the l-participle, never to the auxiliary jsem/jsi.
  • When the Past Auxiliary Is ReducedB2Finer points of the past auxiliary — polite vy to one person, the participle's split agreement, clitic clustering order, and why the 3rd person has none.

Present Tense

Verb Government & Valency

  • Verb Government: Which Case Your Verb NeedsA2Every Czech verb fixes the case of its object, and that case is a lexical fact you learn with the verb.
  • Verbs Governing the GenitiveB2A core set of everyday Czech verbs — fear, asking, noticing, reaching, riddance — whose object stands in the genitive, not the accusative English speakers expect.
  • Verbs Governing the DativeA2The dative is one fixed government class in the verb-valency system: a set of verbs whose object is lexically required to stand in the dative, not the accusative.
  • Verbs Governing the InstrumentalB2Verbs whose complement stands in the instrumental — becoming and remaining a role (stát se lékařem), occupying oneself with something (zabývat se), and moving, waving, boasting, despising, and suffering.
  • Verbs Governing the AccusativeA2The accusative is the default object case in Czech: the vast majority of transitive verbs put their direct object in the accusative, and only a marked minority demand the dative, genitive, or instrumental instead.
  • Verbs with Prepositional ObjectsB2Verbs that reach their object through a fixed preposition plus a fixed case — čekat na, starat se o, těšit se na, mluvit o, záležet na — where the Czech preposition almost never matches the English one.
  • The líbit se ConstructionA2How to say you like something in Czech: the thing liked is the subject and the person who likes it goes in the dative — Líbí se mi to.
  • The Dative of Experiencer and FeelingB2Czech frames feelings and states as happening 'to' a person: the experiencer goes in the dative and the verb is impersonal — je mi zima, chce se mi spát, daří se mi, podařilo se mi to.
  • Verbs with Two Objects (Dative + Accusative)B2Ditransitive verbs that take a dative recipient and an accusative thing — give, send, show, lend, explain, tell.
  • Government Stays the Same across Aspect and PrefixesB2Why the case a verb governs usually survives perfectivization — learn government once per verb family.
  • How Prefixes Add New ObjectsC1Prefixed verbs that introduce a dative, genitive, or prepositional slot the base verb never had.

Word Formation