Čtyři sazenice jsou na záhonu.

Four seedlings are in the garden bed.

Breakdown of Čtyři sazenice jsou na záhonu.

• být: to be
• na: on
• záhon: the garden bed
• sazenice: the seedling

Questions & Answers about Čtyři sazenice jsou na záhonu.

Why is sazenice the same form as singular sazenice? How do I know it is plural here?

Because sazenice has the same form in the nominative singular and nominative plural.

So by itself, sazenice could mean a seedling or seedlings. In this sentence, you know it is plural because of:

• čtyři = four
• jsou = plural form of to be

Czech often lets the surrounding words show the number.

---

Why is it čtyři sazenice and not čtyři sazenic?

After dva, tři, čtyři (two, three, four), Czech normally uses the noun in the nominative/accusative plural.

So:

• čtyři sazenice = correct
• čtyři sazenic = not correct here

But with five and above, Czech usually switches to the genitive plural:

• pět sazenic

That is one of the big number patterns Czech learners have to get used to.

---

Why is the verb jsou plural?