Breakdown of I kdybys hodil znovu, stále můžu vyhrát.
Questions & Answers about I kdybys hodil znovu, stále můžu vyhrát.
What does i mean at the beginning of the sentence?
Here i means even.
So I kdybys hodil znovu means Even if you rolled/threw again.
This is a very common pattern in Czech:
- i kdyby... = even if...
- i když... = even though / although...
So the i is not the English and here. It adds the idea of even.
What exactly is kdybys?
Kdybys is the conditional form meaning if you were to... / if you... for you singular.
It is built from:
- kdyby = if
- -s / bys = the conditional person ending for you singular
So:
- kdybych = if I
- kdybys = if you
- kdyby = if he/she/it
- kdybychom = if we
- kdybyste = if you plural / formal
- kdyby = if they
A learner often wonders whether it should be kdyby jsi. In standard Czech, it is kdybys, not kdyby jsi.
Why is hodil used here? It looks like past tense.
It does look like a past form, but in this structure it is part of the conditional construction, not just a normal past tense.
Czech forms this kind of hypothetical clause with:
So:
- kdybys hodil = if you threw / if you were to throw / if you rolled
Even though hodil is also the masculine past form of hodit, here the whole expression is understood as hypothetical, not necessarily past in time.
This is normal Czech grammar:
Why is it hodil and not some other form? Does gender matter?
Yes, gender matters here.
Hodil is the masculine singular form, so it is used if the person being addressed is male.
If you were speaking to a woman, you would say:
- I kdybys hodila znovu, stále můžu vyhrát.
That is because the l-participle agrees in gender and number with the subject, even in conditional constructions.
So:
- to a man: kdybys hodil
- to a woman: kdybys hodila
Does hodit really mean roll here? I thought it meant throw.
Yes. The basic meaning of hodit is to throw, but in game contexts it can also mean to roll, especially with dice.
So depending on context:
- hodit míč = to throw a ball
- hodit kostkou = to roll a die / throw a die
In this sentence, if the meaning shown to the learner is about a game or dice, hodil znovu is naturally understood as rolled again.
Why is znovu used? Could it be zase instead?
Znovu means again / once again / anew.
You could often use zase in everyday speech, but there is a slight difference in feel:
- znovu = more neutral, clear again
- zase = very common in speech, but can also have other shades like back, again, or sometimes an annoyed yet again
So in this sentence, znovu is a straightforward choice for again.
What does stále mean here? Is it the same as pořád?
Here stále means still.
So:
- stále můžu vyhrát = I can still win
It is similar to pořád:
- stále = still, continuously; a bit more neutral or slightly more formal
- pořád = still, all the time; very common in everyday speech
In many contexts they can both work:
- Stále můžu vyhrát.
- Pořád můžu vyhrát.
Both are natural, though stále may sound a little more neutral or written.
Why is the main verb můžu in the present tense? Why not a conditional like mohl bych?
Because the speaker is stating a current possibility:
- stále můžu vyhrát = I can still win
The idea is: even under that hypothetical condition, my chance to win still exists now.
If you said:
- stále bych mohl vyhrát
that would mean something more like:
- I could still win
That version is also possible, but it sounds a bit more tentative or hypothetical.
The original sentence is stronger and more direct: the speaker says the ability or possibility remains.
Why are there no subject pronouns like ty and já?
Because Czech often leaves subject pronouns out when the verb form already shows the person.
So Czech does not need to say:
- I kdybys ty hodil znovu, stále já můžu vyhrát.
That would usually sound unnecessary.
The forms already tell us who is involved:
- kdybys = you singular
- můžu = I
Czech uses pronouns mainly for emphasis, contrast, or clarity.
Is the word order fixed?
No, Czech word order is fairly flexible, but the chosen order affects emphasis.
In this sentence:
- I kdybys hodil znovu, stále můžu vyhrát.
the first clause sets up the condition first: Even if you rolled again...
You could also reorder parts, for example:
- Stále můžu vyhrát, i kdybys hodil znovu.
That is also grammatical and natural. It puts the main point first: I can still win.
One important detail: i usually stands right before the thing it modifies.
So i kdybys... clearly means even if you...
Is můžu standard Czech, or should it be mohu?
Both are correct.
- můžu = very common in everyday standard Czech
- mohu = also standard, but more formal or bookish in many contexts
So:
- stále můžu vyhrát sounds natural and normal
- stále mohu vyhrát is also correct, just a bit more formal in tone
For most learners, můžu is the form they will hear most often in conversation.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning CzechMaster Czech — from I kdybys hodil znovu, stále můžu vyhrát to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions