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Learn Hardcore Czech: Tento program je levný. - This program is cheap.

Hardcore Czech
/Comparing and changing a mobile phone plan
/Tento program je levný.

Tento program je levný.

Word

Tento program je levný.

Meaning

This program is cheap.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Lesson

Comparing and changing a mobile phone plan

Breakdown of Tento program je levný.

Questions & Answers about Tento program je levný.

Why is it tento program and not something like tato program or ten program?

Tento has to agree with program in gender, number, and case.

program is masculine inanimate
it is singular
here it is in the nominative case, because it is the subject of the sentence

So the correct form is:

tento program

Other forms would match different nouns:

tato kniha = this book (feminine)
toto město = this city (neuter)

As for ten program: that is also possible in Czech, especially in everyday speech, but it usually feels more like that program or just a less explicit demonstrative. Tento program is a clear, standard way to say this program.

What case is program in here?

It is in the nominative singular.

In the sentence Tento program je levný, program is the subject, and subjects are normally in the nominative case in Czech.

So:

program = nominative singular
je = is
levný = adjective describing the subject

Why is there je in the sentence?

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

So:

já jsem = I am
ty jsi = you are
on/ona/ono je = he/she/it is

Since program is singular, Czech uses je:

Tento program je levný. = This program is cheap/inexpensive.

Unlike Russian, Czech normally does not omit to be in the present tense in this kind of sentence.

Why does levný end in -ý?

Because the adjective must agree with program.

Since program is:

masculine inanimate
singular
nominative

the adjective also takes the masculine singular nominative form:

levný

Compare:

levný program = cheap program (masculine)
levná kniha = cheap book (feminine)
levné auto = cheap car (neuter)
levné programy = cheap programs (plural, inanimate)

So the ending -ý is there because of grammatical agreement.

Is levný exactly the same as English cheap?

Usually it means inexpensive or low-priced.

That matters because English cheap can sometimes sound negative, like poor quality. Czech levný often does not automatically have that negative tone. It often simply means something costs little.

If you want a more negative word in Czech, something like laciný can sound more like cheap in a bad way.

So in many contexts:

levný = inexpensive / affordable
laciný = cheap, tacky, low-quality

Can program really mean a computer program here?

Yes. Program in Czech can mean several things, depending on context, including:

a computer program
a TV or radio program
a schedule or plan
a program for an event

So the sentence could refer to software, but the exact meaning depends on context.

Does Czech have articles? Why is there no word for the or a?

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

That means Czech often leaves definiteness to:

context
word order
demonstratives such as ten, tento

So:

program je levný could mean the program is cheap or a program is cheap, depending on context
tento program je levný specifically means this program is cheap

Can the word order change?

Yes. Czech word order is more flexible than English word order because case endings show grammatical roles.

The neutral word order here is:

Tento program je levný.

But other orders are possible for emphasis, for example:

Levný je tento program. = It is this program that is cheap.
Je tento program levný? = Is this program cheap?

So the basic meaning can stay similar, but the emphasis or sentence type changes.

How do you pronounce Tento program je levný?

A rough pronunciation guide is:

Tento ≈ TEN-to
program ≈ PRO-grahm
je ≈ yeh
levný ≈ LEV-nee

A few useful notes:

Czech stress is usually on the first syllable of each word.
j is pronounced like English y in yes.
ý is a long vowel, pronounced roughly like a long ee sound.
In normal speech, levný sounds roughly like lev-nee, with the n pronounced clearly.

Is tento common in everyday spoken Czech?

Yes, but with a nuance.

Tento is completely normal and correct, but in everyday conversation Czech speakers often use ten very frequently, even where English might say this or just the.

So in real speech you may hear:

Ten program je levný.

Depending on context, that can mean:

that program is cheap
this program is cheap
the program is cheap

By contrast, tento program sounds a bit more explicit and precise. It is very useful for learners because it clearly marks this.

Do I need to learn all the forms of tento?

Yes, eventually. Tento changes according to gender, number, and case.

Some basic nominative forms are:

tento = masculine singular
tato = feminine singular
toto = neuter singular
tito / tyto = plural, depending on gender and style

For a beginner, the most important thing is to recognize that tento is not a fixed word like English this. It declines, so its form changes depending on the noun it goes with.

Could I also say Program je levný without tento?

Yes.

Program je levný. = The program is cheap / A program is cheap / Program is cheap, depending on context
Tento program je levný. = This program is cheap

Adding tento makes the reference more specific. Without it, the sentence is more general or more dependent on context.

Is levný used only before nouns, or can it also come after je like here?

It can do both.

In Czech, adjectives can be:

attributive: directly before a noun
- levný program = a cheap program
predicative: after být (to be)
- Program je levný. = The program is cheap.

The form levný stays the same here because it still agrees with program.

How would I make this sentence plural?

You would change both the noun and the adjective, and usually the demonstrative too:

Tyto programy jsou levné. = These programs are cheap.

Changes:

tento → tyto
program → programy
je → jsou
levný → levné

This shows how several words in the sentence change to match plural grammar.

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