Při ověření totožnosti žadatel potřebuje průkaz k bankovnímu účtu.

Při means during, when, or in the course of.

So:

• Při ověření totožnosti = during identity verification
• more literally: during the verification of identity

This is a very common Czech pattern:

• při jednání = during the meeting / in the meeting
• při kontrole = during the inspection / during the check
• při studiu = during one’s studies / while studying

Grammatically, při takes the locative case, which is why ověření has the same form it would have in the locative here.

Ověření is not a finite verb here. It is a verbal noun derived from the verb ověřit / ověřovat = to verify.

So:

• ověřit = to verify
• ověření = verification

In this sentence, ověření behaves like a noun, which is why it can follow the preposition při.

A very literal breakdown is:

• při ověření totožnosti = during the verification of identity

This kind of noun is extremely common in formal Czech, especially in official or administrative language.

Because totožnosti is the genitive singular form of totožnost (identity).

The noun ověření often takes a dependent noun in the genitive, just like English verification of identity.

So:

• totožnost = identity
• ověření totožnosti = verification of identity

This is a very common structure in Czech:

• kontrola dokladů = inspection of documents
• ověření podpisu = verification of a signature
• potvrzení rezervace = confirmation of a reservation

So the genitive here answers the question verification of what? → of identity.

Žadatel is in the nominative singular because it is the subject of the sentence.

The core of the sentence is:

• žadatel potřebuje průkaz = the applicant needs an ID/document

Here:

• žadatel = subject
• potřebuje = verb
• průkaz = direct object

So žadatel stays in the nominative because it is the person doing the needing.

Grammatically, žadatel is a masculine noun, but in many official contexts it can be used in a generic sense, somewhat like applicant in English.

If you specifically want the feminine form, it is:

• žadatelka = female applicant

In formal notices, Czech often uses the masculine form generically, though modern usage may vary depending on style and inclusivity.

Potřebuje is the 3rd person singular present tense of potřebovat = to need.

So:

• já potřebuji / potřebuju = I need
• ty potřebuješ = you need
• on / ona potřebuje = he / she needs
• žadatel potřebuje = the applicant needs

Even though English sometimes uses will need in instructions, Czech often uses the present tense for general requirements:

• Žadatel potřebuje... = The applicant needs...
• In context, this can also feel like The applicant will need...

Průkaz usually means some kind of card, ID, pass, or document proving something.

Depending on context, it can mean things like:

• občanský průkaz = identity card
• řidičský průkaz = driver’s licence
• studentský průkaz = student ID

By itself, průkaz is somewhat broad. In this sentence, it means a document/card related to the bank account, not necessarily an identity card.

That said, learners should know that in real-world Czech, průkaz often sounds more like a formal card/ID/pass, while doklad is a broader word for document.

Because the preposition k takes the dative case.

So:

• účet = account
• bankovní účet = bank account
• k bankovnímu účtu = for / relating to the bank account

The forms are:

• bankovní účet = nominative
• k bankovnímu účtu = dative

And the adjective changes too:

• bankovní → bankovnímu
• účet → účtu

This is a standard pattern after k:

• k domu = to the house
• k lékaři = to the doctor
• k bankovnímu účtu = to/for the bank account

Because průkaz k bankovnímu účtu means something like a card/document for the bank account or connected with the bank account, not literally the account’s document.

The preposition k often expresses relation, attachment, or purpose:

• klíč k bytu = key to the apartment
• návod k použití = instructions for use
• přístup k internetu = access to the internet

So průkaz k bankovnímu účtu follows that same logic: a document/card associated with the account.

If you tried to force a genitive structure, the meaning would shift and sound less natural.

Because Czech has no articles.

So:

• žadatel can mean the applicant or an applicant
• průkaz can mean a card/document or the card/document
• bankovní účet can mean a bank account or the bank account

English needs articles, but Czech relies on context and word order to make the meaning clear.

In official instructions, English often translates such sentences with the:

• The applicant needs a card/document for the bank account.

But Czech itself does not include those words.

Yes, you could.

Czech word order is much more flexible than English word order, because grammatical roles are shown largely by case endings rather than by position.

These are all possible, with slightly different emphasis:

• Při ověření totožnosti žadatel potřebuje průkaz k bankovnímu účtu.
• Žadatel při ověření totožnosti potřebuje průkaz k bankovnímu účtu.

Starting with Při ověření totožnosti puts the emphasis on the situation/time: during identity verification.

Starting with Žadatel puts the focus more directly on the applicant.

In formal notices, putting the condition first is very common.

Yes, it sounds formal and somewhat administrative.

Clues include:

• ověření totožnosti instead of a simpler everyday wording
• žadatel = applicant
• the compact, official style

This is the kind of Czech you might see in:

• a bank notice
• an application form
• an official instruction
• a government or institutional website

In everyday speech, a person might say something less formal depending on context, but this style is very normal for official communication.

You can get close, but a fully word-for-word English version sounds stiff.

Very literal:

• During verification of identity the applicant needs a card/document to the bank account.

More natural English:

• During identity verification, the applicant needs a document for the bank account.
• When verifying identity, the applicant needs a bank account card/document.

So the Czech structure is straightforward, but good English usually smooths out things like:

• ověření totožnosti → identity verification
• k bankovnímu účtu → for the bank account / related to the bank account