Přívod vody je za pračkou.

Přívod vody literally means water supply or water inlet.

• přívod = supply, inlet, feed
• vody = of water

So the whole phrase means something like the water supply line / water inlet. In everyday context, it often refers to the place or pipe where water comes into an appliance or room.

Because vody is the genitive singular form of voda.

In Czech, one noun often modifies another by using the genitive case, where English would often use of.

So:

• voda = water
• přívod vody = supply of water

This is very common in Czech:

• sklenice vody = a glass of water
• láhev vína = a bottle of wine
• přívod elektřiny = electricity supply

Because after za meaning behind in a location sense, Czech uses the instrumental case.

So:

• pračka = washing machine
• za pračkou = behind the washing machine

This is a very important pattern:

• za + instrumental = location (behind)
• za + accusative = movement to a position behind something

Compare:

• Přívod vody je za pračkou. = The water supply is behind the washing machine.
• Dám to za pračku. = I’ll put it behind the washing machine.

It is the instrumental singular of pračka.

The noun pračka is a feminine noun, and its instrumental singular form is pračkou.

A simplified pattern for many feminine nouns ending in -a is:

• nominative: pračka
• instrumental: pračkou

Other examples:

• škola → školou
• židle does not follow this exact pattern, so not every noun changes in the same way

Here za means behind.

It is a preposition, but in Czech its meaning and case depend on whether you are describing:

• location → za + instrumental
• movement/direction → za + accusative

So in your sentence, it describes where something is located:

• je za pračkou = is behind the washing machine

Je is the 3rd person singular of být (to be) and means is.

In this sentence, it is normally included because Czech uses the verb to be in present-tense sentences like this:

• Přívod vody je za pračkou. = The water supply is behind the washing machine.

In some informal contexts, Czech can omit forms of to be, but not in standard neutral sentences like this one. So here je should stay.

Yes. Czech word order is more flexible than English because the cases show the grammatical relationships.

The basic version is:

• Přívod vody je za pračkou.

But you could also say:

• Za pračkou je přívod vody.

Both are grammatical. The difference is mostly about focus or what information is new.

• Přívod vody je za pračkou. → starts with the thing you are talking about
• Za pračkou je přívod vody. → starts with the location

English is less flexible here, but Czech often moves elements around for emphasis.

In normal everyday Czech, pračka almost always means washing machine.

It comes from the verb prát = to wash laundry.

So:

• pračka = washing machine
• myčka = dishwasher

That distinction is useful because English speakers sometimes confuse them.

Because Czech does not have articles like a/an/the.

So:

• Přívod vody je za pračkou.

can mean:

• The water supply is behind the washing machine
• or, depending on context, A water supply is behind a washing machine

In practice, context tells you which meaning is intended. In this sentence, English would usually translate it with the.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

PŘEE-vot VO-dih yeh za PRACH-koh

A few notes:

• ř in Přívod is a special Czech sound with no exact English equivalent
• í is a long ee
• vody sounds roughly like vo-dih
• je sounds like yeh
• ch in pračkou is like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach
• ou in pračkou sounds like oh

The hardest parts for English speakers are usually ř and ch.

Yes, especially in practical or household contexts, though it sounds a little more technical than a very casual phrase.

You might hear it when talking about:

• plumbing
• appliances
• installation
• repairs

Depending on context, Czechs might also talk about:

• vodovodní přípojka = water connection
• hadice na vodu = water hose
• ventil = valve

But přívod vody is perfectly normal and clear.