Tento záhon je malý.

Both ten and tento can mean this, but tento is more explicitly this one / this here and feels a bit more specific.

In everyday speech, Czech speakers often use ten where English would use this or that, depending on context. But in a textbook sentence like Tento záhon je malý, tento is a very clear way to show the learner the meaning this flower bed.

So:

• ten záhon = often that flower bed or sometimes just the/this flower bed depending on context
• tento záhon = this flower bed

Záhon usually means a flower bed, garden bed, or a cultivated patch of soil where flowers or vegetables are planted.

So it is not just any piece of land. It usually refers to a prepared planting area in a garden.

The ending -ý shows that the adjective agrees with the noun it describes.

Here, záhon is:

• masculine
• singular
• in the nominative case

So the adjective must match that, and the correct form is malý.

Compare:

• malý záhon = small flower bed
• malá zahrada = small garden
• malé město = small town

The adjective ending changes depending on the gender and case of the noun.

In Czech, every noun has a grammatical gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter.

Záhon is masculine. One clue is its dictionary form and typical ending: many masculine nouns end in a consonant, and záhon does.

That matters because other words must agree with it:

• tento is the masculine singular form
• malý is also the masculine singular form

So the whole sentence is grammatically matched.

Je means is. It is the 3rd person singular form of the verb být = to be.

So:

• Tento záhon = this flower bed
• je = is
• malý = small

Unlike in Russian or some other Slavic languages, in modern Czech you normally do use the present-tense form of to be in sentences like this.

In normal standard Czech, no. You should say:

• Tento záhon je malý.

Leaving out je would sound ungrammatical in ordinary modern Czech.

It is in the nominative case.

That is because záhon is the subject of the sentence:

• This flower bed is small.

The adjective and demonstrative also match the nominative:

• tento = masculine singular nominative
• záhon = masculine singular nominative
• malý = masculine singular nominative

Not completely. Czech word order is more flexible than English word order, because endings show grammatical relationships.

The neutral, basic order here is:

• Tento záhon je malý.

But other orders are possible for emphasis, such as:

• Malý je tento záhon.
• Tento malý záhon... if you continue the sentence differently

Still, for a beginner, the safest choice is the standard order:

subject + je + adjective

A simple approximate pronunciation is:

TEN-to ZAA-hon ye MAH-lee

A few details:

• tento = TEN-to
• záhon: the á is a long vowel, so hold it slightly longer
• je sounds like ye
• malý: the ý is also a long vowel, roughly like a long ee

Stress in Czech usually falls on the first syllable of each word:

• TENto
• ZÁhon
• je
• MAlý

The accent marks here show vowel length, not stress.

So:

• á = a long a
• ý = a long y/ee-like sound

This is important because vowel length can change meaning in Czech. So you should try to notice and pronounce long vowels clearly.

Czech does not have articles like English a and the.

So záhon can mean:

• a flower bed
• the flower bed

The exact meaning depends on context.

In this sentence, tento already makes it specific, so Tento záhon clearly means this flower bed.

Yes. As an attributive adjective, it can go before the noun:

• malý záhon = a small flower bed

But in your sentence, malý comes after je because it is part of the predicate:

• Tento záhon je malý. = This flower bed is small.

So compare:

• malý záhon = a small flower bed
• záhon je malý = the flower bed is small

Yes. Tento changes form depending on gender, number, and case.

For example, in the nominative singular:

• tento = masculine
• tato = feminine
• toto = neuter

Examples:

• Tento záhon je malý. = This flower bed is small.
• Tato zahrada je malá. = This garden is small.
• Toto město je malé. = This town is small.

So you cannot use one single form for every noun.

Záhon is masculine inanimate.

That distinction matters in some parts of Czech grammar, especially in the accusative case. But in this sentence, it does not make a visible difference, because everything is in the nominative singular.

So for this sentence, you mainly just need to know that záhon is masculine singular.