Máme různé kódy.

Máme is the present-tense form of mít (to have) for we.

• mám = I have
• máš = you have (singular, informal)
• má = he/she/it has
• máme = we have
• máte = you have (plural or formal)
• mají = they have

So Máme různé kódy. means we have ...

In Czech, the verb ending often already shows who the subject is. The ending -me in máme tells you the subject is we.

So Czech often leaves out my (we) unless it is needed for emphasis or contrast.

• Máme různé kódy. = We have different/various codes.
• My máme různé kódy. = We have different/various codes.
  This sounds more emphatic, like contrasting we with someone else.

The dictionary form is kód, meaning code.

Kódy is the plural form: codes.

So:

• kód = code
• kódy = codes

This noun is masculine inanimate in Czech.

Because kód is a masculine inanimate noun, and its regular plural form is kódy.

In this sentence, kódy is the direct object of máme, so it is in the accusative plural. For many masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative plural looks the same as the nominative plural.

So here:

• nominative plural: kódy
• accusative plural: kódy

That is why you see kódy after máme.

The adjective has to agree with the noun it describes.

Since kódy is:

• plural
• masculine inanimate
• accusative

the adjective různý changes to různé.

So:

• basic form: různý = different / various
• with kódy: různé kódy

This agreement is normal in Czech: adjectives change their endings to match the noun’s gender, number, and case.

It is in the accusative plural.

The verb mít (to have) takes a direct object, and direct objects are usually in the accusative in Czech.

So in Máme různé kódy.

• máme = verb
• různé kódy = direct object in the accusative plural

A useful thing to know here is that for masculine inanimate plural, the accusative often looks exactly like the nominative, so it may not look different on the surface.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Různé often means:

• different
• various
• assorted

So Máme různé kódy. could be understood as:

• We have different codes.
• We have various codes.

In many situations, various is actually a very natural translation of různé.

Czech does not have articles like English a/an and the.

So Máme různé kódy. does not explicitly say:

• the different codes
• some different codes
• different codes

The exact meaning depends on context. Czech speakers usually understand this from the situation rather than from an article.

Yes. Czech word order is more flexible than English word order.

The neutral, straightforward order here is:

• Máme různé kódy.

But other orders are possible for emphasis or style, for example:

• Různé kódy máme.

That does not usually change the basic meaning, but it changes what is being emphasized. The original sentence is the most neutral and standard version.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

MAA-me ROOZ-neh KOO-dee

A few helpful points:

• á, ů, and ó are long vowels.
• á sounds like a long a
• ů sounds like a long oo
• ó also marks a long vowel
• Czech stress normally falls on the first syllable of each word:
  • MÁ-me
  • RŮZ-né
  • KÓ-dy

Also, the r in Czech is usually a tapped or rolled r, not the typical English r.

You would use singular forms:

• Máme různý kód. = We have a different/various code.

Here:

• kód is singular
• různý is the singular masculine form that agrees with kód

So the plural sentence is:

• Máme různé kódy.

and the singular version is:

• Máme různý kód.