Potřebuji pár kopií.

I need a couple of copies.

Breakdown of Potřebuji pár kopií.

• potřebovat: to need
• kopie: the copy
• pár: a couple; a pair

Questions & Answers about Potřebuji pár kopií.

What does potřebuji mean, and what form is it?

Potřebuji means I need.

It is the 1st person singular present tense form of the verb potřebovat, which means to need. So:

• potřebovat = to need
• potřebuji = I need

In this sentence, it works just like English I need.

Why is there no word for I in the sentence?

Czech often leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed.

The ending in potřebuji already tells you the subject is I, so já is unnecessary here.

So both of these are possible:

• Potřebuji pár kopií. = I need a few copies.
• Já potřebuji pár kopií. = I need a few copies.

The version with já sounds more emphatic, as if you are stressing I.

What does pár mean here? Does it mean pair?