English has one verb, to go, and it does everything: "I'm going to school," "I go to school every day," "I'm going to Brno tomorrow." Czech splits each of these in two. First it asks how you travel — on foot (jít / chodit) or by vehicle (jet / jezdit) — and then it asks what shape the trip has: one specific journey now (the determinate verb) or a repeated, habitual pattern (the indeterminate verb). Getting the second choice wrong is the single most common motion-verb error English speakers make, because English has no determinate/indeterminate distinction at all. This page turns the choice into a reflex.
The core distinction in one sentence
Use the determinate verb (jít, jet) for one specific trip — happening right now or planned as a single journey. Use the indeterminate verb (chodit, jezdit) for repeated, habitual, or general motion — every day, often, round trips, or the bare ability to do it. For the underlying theory, see the motion verbs overview.
The quick answer
Two questions, in order:
- On foot or by vehicle? On foot → jít / chodit. By car, bus, train, plane → jet / jezdit.
- One trip now, or a habit? One specific trip → the determinate (jdu, jedu). Repeated or habitual → the indeterminate (chodím, jezdím).
Decision tree
Step 1: Is it one specific trip — now or planned?
If you are on your way somewhere this minute, or you have one particular journey lined up, use the determinate verb. Czech happily uses the determinate present for a single planned future trip, the way English uses "I'm going."
Jdu do školy, mám tam za chvíli zkoušku.
I'm on my way to school, I've got an exam there shortly (on foot, now).
Zítra jedu do Brna na konferenci.
Tomorrow I'm going to Brno for a conference (one planned trip, by vehicle).
Počkej, jdu hned za tebou.
Wait, I'm coming right behind you.
In each case there is a single, one-direction journey in focus. Jdu and jedu say nothing about whether you do this regularly — only that this trip is on.
Step 2: Is it repeated, habitual, or general?
If the motion is something you do over and over — every day, often, never, as a round trip, or as a general fact about your life — use the indeterminate verb. Frequency adverbs (každý den, často, vždycky, nikdy, třikrát týdně) are a dead giveaway.
Chodím do školy každý den pěšky.
I go to school on foot every day (habit).
Jezdím do Brna docela často za rodiči.
I go to Brno fairly often to see my parents (repeated trips).
V neděli nikam nejezdím, zůstávám doma.
On Sundays I don't go anywhere, I stay home.
The indeterminate verb also covers a round trip seen as one errand ("go and come back") and the bare ability or tendency to move — which is why "the child can walk now" and "can you swim?" use indeterminate verbs.
Naše malá už chodí, je jí třináct měsíců.
Our little one can walk now, she's thirteen months old.
Umíš plavat? — Jezdíš autem do práce?
Can you swim? — Do you drive to work?
Step 3: On foot or by vehicle?
Within each shape, pick the pair by means of travel. Walking, strolling, popping next door → jít / chodit. Anything with wheels, wings, or rails → jet / jezdit. For long distances Czechs default to jet / jezdit even without naming the vehicle, because you obviously didn't walk to another city.
| On foot | By vehicle | |
|---|---|---|
| Determinate (one trip) | jdu, jdeš, jde… | jedu, jedeš, jede… |
| Indeterminate (habit) | chodím, chodíš, chodí… | jezdím, jezdíš, jezdí… |
Do obchodu jdu pěšky, je to kousek.
I'm walking to the shop, it's just around the corner.
Do Prahy jedu vlakem, autem to nestíhám.
I'm taking the train to Prague, I won't make it by car.
Step 4: The future — synthetic vs budu
The two pairs build the future differently, and this is a favourite trap. The determinate verbs jít and jet do not use budu; they fuse a prefix onto the present stem: půjdu (will go on foot), pojedu (will go by vehicle). The indeterminate verbs use the ordinary budu + infinitive: budu chodit, budu jezdit.
| Meaning | Verb | Future |
|---|---|---|
| I'll go (one trip, on foot) | jít | půjdu |
| I'll go (one trip, by vehicle) | jet | pojedu |
| I'll be going (habitually, on foot) | chodit | budu chodit |
| I'll be going (habitually, by vehicle) | jezdit | budu jezdit |
Večer půjdeme na pivo, přidáš se?
We're going for a beer tonight, will you join us (on foot)?
Od září budu jezdit do práce na kole.
From September I'll be cycling to work (new habit).
Budu jít and budu jet are not standard Czech — see the motion futures.
Step 5: Prefixed perfectives build off the determinate
When you need a perfective of motion — a single completed arrival or departure — you prefix the determinate verb, not the indeterminate one. jít gives přijít "to come / arrive (on foot)" and odejít "to leave (on foot)"; jet gives přijet "to arrive (by vehicle)" and odjet "to depart." The indeterminate verbs do not form these perfectives; their job is the bare habit. The full picture is at prefixed motion verbs.
Přijď v sedm, večeře bude hotová.
Come at seven, dinner will be ready (on foot).
Vlak přijede na druhé nástupiště.
The train will arrive at platform two.
Flowchart
- Are you on foot, or in/on a vehicle? On foot → jít / chodit. Vehicle (or another city) → jet / jezdit.
- One specific trip — now or planned? → the determinate (jdu / jedu; future půjdu / pojedu).
- Repeated, habitual, round trip, or general ability? → the indeterminate (chodím / jezdím; future budu chodit / budu jezdit).
- Need a single completed arrival/departure? → prefix the determinate (přijdu, odejdu, přijedu, odjedu).
Quick reference
| Situation | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| On foot, one trip now | jít | Jdu do školy. |
| On foot, habit | chodit | Chodím do školy každý den. |
| By vehicle, one trip / planned | jet | Zítra jedu do Brna. |
| By vehicle, habit | jezdit | Jezdím do Brna často. |
| General ability / "can walk" | chodit | Dítě už chodí. |
| Future, one trip | jít / jet | Půjdu / Pojedu. |
| Future, habit | chodit / jezdit | Budu chodit / Budu jezdit. |
| Completed arrival | přijít / přijet | Přijdu / Přijedu. |
Common Mistakes
❌ Každý den jdu do práce.
Incorrect — a daily habit needs the indeterminate chodit, not jít.
✅ Každý den chodím do práce.
I go to work every day.
❌ Teď jezdím do centra autobusem.
Incorrect for one trip happening now — use the determinate jedu.
✅ Teď jedu do centra autobusem.
I'm going downtown by bus right now.
❌ Zítra budu jet do Brna.
Incorrect — jet doesn't form its future with budu; use pojedu.
✅ Zítra pojedu do Brna.
Tomorrow I'll go to Brno.
❌ Často jsem jel na hory.
Incorrect — a repeated past habit (often) needs the indeterminate jezdit.
✅ Často jsem jezdil na hory.
I often used to go to the mountains (male speaker).
❌ Do Vídně vždycky jdu vlakem.
Incorrect — you take the train, you don't walk; a vehicle takes jet/jezdit, and a habit takes the indeterminate.
✅ Do Vídně vždycky jezdím vlakem.
I always go to Vienna by train.
Key Takeaways
- First pick the means: on foot → jít / chodit; by vehicle → jet / jezdit.
- Then pick the shape: one specific trip now/planned → determinate (jdu, jedu); repeated, habitual, round-trip, or general ability → indeterminate (chodím, jezdím).
- Futures split: determinate půjdu / pojedu (synthetic), indeterminate budu chodit / budu jezdit.
- Prefixed perfectives (přijít, odejít, přijet, odjet) are built on the determinate verb.
- The English-speaker pitfall is using one verb for every "go" and missing the single-trip vs habit contrast entirely.
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Start learning Czech→Related Topics
- Motion Verbs: Determinate vs IndeterminateA2 — Czech verbs of movement come in pairs that are both imperfective but differ in determinacy — one directed trip in progress versus habitual or multi-directional motion.
- jít / chodit — to go on foot (determinate / indeterminate)A2 — The determinate verb jít (one trip on foot, now) paired with its indeterminate partner chodit (habitual, repeated walking), fully conjugated side by side.
- jet / jezdit — to go by vehicle (determinate / indeterminate)A2 — The determinate verb jet (one trip by vehicle, now) paired with its indeterminate partner jezdit (regular, repeated trips), fully conjugated, with the instrumental of means.
- Prefixed Motion Verbs (přijít, odejít, přijet)B2 — How prefixes turn motion verbs into directional perfectives and their imperfectives.
- Special Motion Futures (půjdu, pojedu)B1 — The irregular prefixed futures of jít and jet.
- nést / nosit — to carry (determinate/indeterminate)B1 — Reference table for the determinate nést vs. indeterminate nosit.