s versus z: 'with' versus 'from' | Czech Grammar

Two of the most common Czech prepositions, s and z, sound almost identical — a soft s against a buzzy z — and English speakers confuse them constantly. But they mean completely different things and take completely different cases. s / se means "with" and takes the instrumental; z / ze means "from, out of" and takes the genitive. This page shows you how to keep them apart, and how the case ending alone tells you which one you are hearing.

The two prepositions at a glance

Preposition	Meaning	Case	Example
s / se	with (accompaniment)	instrumental	s bratrem (with my brother)
z / ze	from, out of, off	genitive	z lesa (out of the forest)

Because each preposition forces a different case, the ending of the following noun disambiguates them even when your ear can't. s bratrem ends in the instrumental -em; z bratra would end in the genitive -a. Once you can read the case, you always know which preposition is in play.

s / se = "with" (instrumental)

Use s for accompaniment — doing something together with a person, or something that comes along with a thing (coffee with milk, bread with butter). It always governs the instrumental case.

Jdu do kina s kamarádkou.

I'm going to the cinema with a friend.

Dám si kávu s mlékem.

I'll have a coffee with milk.

Bydlím s rodiči.

I live with my parents.

Mluvil jsem s doktorem o těch výsledcích.

I talked with the doctor about those results.

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"With" is always s + instrumental — never z. If your sentence has the meaning "together with / accompanied by," reach for s and an instrumental ending (-em, -ou, -y, -i) without a second thought. There is no situation where "with" uses z.

z / ze = "from, out of, off" (genitive)

Use z for origin and exit — coming from a place, taking something out of a container, getting off a surface. It always governs the genitive case.

Přijel jsem z Brna.

I came from Brno.

Vyndej ten sýr z lednice.

Take the cheese out of the fridge.

Vrátil se z práce úplně vyčerpaný.

He came back from work completely exhausted.

Jsem z Prahy, ale teď žiju na Moravě.

I'm from Prague, but I live in Moravia now.

"Off a surface" also uses z in standard Czech

This trips people up: English distinguishes "out of" (a box) from "off" (a table), but standard Czech uses z / ze for both. Taking something off the table, getting off a chair, falling off a tree — all z + genitive.

Sundej tu knihu ze stolu.

Take that book off the table.

Spadl ze stromu a zlomil si nohu.

He fell off the tree and broke his leg.

Vstaň ze židle, prosím.

Get up off the chair, please.

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You will also see s used for "off a surface" — spadl se stromu, vzal to se stolu. This is the traditional codified rule: s + genitive for "down off the top of" a surface (se stolu, se střechy), as opposed to z + genitive for "out of" an enclosure (z ta šky). It is standard literary Czech, not a regionalism — but it is steadily receding, and modern usage increasingly extends z / ze to "off" as well, so ze stolu is now equally accepted and even commoner. The simplest safe policy for a learner: use z / ze for "off" and "out of" alike, keep s strictly for "with," and just recognise se stolu when you meet it. The choosing guide walks through this distinction in detail.

Vocalized forms: se and ze before clusters

When the following word begins with an awkward consonant cluster — especially another s, z, š, or ž — the preposition gains an -e to make it pronounceable: s → se, z → ze. This is purely about ease of pronunciation; the meaning and case are unchanged.

Půjdeš se mnou na oběd?

Will you come with me to lunch?

Pořád si hraje se psem.

He's always playing with the dog.

Vstal ze židle a odešel.

He got up off the chair and left.

Ta socha je vyrobená ze dřeva.

That statue is made of wood.

Note the matching pairs: se mnou (with me), se sestrou (with my sister), se školou (with the school) all vocalize because mn-, s-, š- would clash; ze židle (off the chair), ze severu (from the north), ze stromu (off the tree) do the same on the z side. For the complete set of triggers, see the vocalized forms page.

Fixed phrases worth banking

Both prepositions lock into a number of everyday set phrases. s / se shows up in expressions of manner and "to go," z / ze in expressions of cause and origin — and noticing the case still confirms which is which.

Dám si kávu s sebou.

I'll have the coffee to go. (with-me, instrumental)

Pomůžu ti s radostí.

I'll help you with pleasure / gladly.

Řekl to jen ze srandy.

He only said it as a joke. (out of fun, genitive)

Jeden z nás bude muset zůstat.

One of us will have to stay. (one out of us, genitive)

Note z / ze for cause — ze zvyku (out of habit), ze strachu (out of fear), ze zvědavosti (out of curiosity) — all genitive, all "from the source of an emotion." That same "source" logic is why z covers both physical exit and abstract cause.

How to choose, every time

Does the sentence mean "together with"? → s
- instrumental. Always.
Does it mean "from / out of / off" a place, container, or surface? → z
- genitive. Always.
Check the case ending to confirm: instrumental (-em / -ou) backs up s; genitive (-a / -u / -y / -e) backs up z.

This page is the reference for the prepositions themselves. For a focused look at the errors learners make — and a drill to fix them — see the s-versus-z mistake page. For the cases each one governs, see the instrumental after s and the genitive after prepositions.

Common mistakes

❌ Jdu z kamarádem do kina.

Incorrect — 'with' is never z; use s + instrumental.

✅ Jdu s kamarádem do kina.

I'm going to the cinema with a friend.

❌ Přijel jsem s Brna.

Incorrect — 'from a place' is z + genitive, not s.

✅ Přijel jsem z Brna.

I came from Brno.

❌ Mluvil jsem s bratra.

Incorrect — s takes the instrumental, not the genitive.

✅ Mluvil jsem s bratrem.

I talked with my brother.

❌ Vyšel z lesem na louku.

Incorrect — z takes the genitive, not the instrumental.

✅ Vyšel z lesa na louku.

He came out of the forest onto the meadow.

❌ Vstaň z židle.

Incorrect — the cluster forces the vocalized form 'ze'.

✅ Vstaň ze židle.

Get up off the chair.

Key takeaways

s / se = "with", always instrumental — s bratrem, s kamarádkou, káva s mlékem.
z / ze = "from / out of / off", always genitive — z Brna, z lesa, ze stolu.
For "off a surface", z / ze is now the safe default; s
- genitive (se stolu) is the traditional codified form — standard, not regional, but steadily receding, so recognise it rather than reach for it.
The case ending is your safety net when s and z sound alike.
Add -e (se, ze) before a clashing cluster: se mnou, ze židle.

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