Na karoserii je koroze.

There is corrosion on the car body.

Breakdown of Na karoserii je koroze.

• být: to be
• na: on
• karoserie: the car body
• koroze: the corrosion

Questions & Answers about Na karoserii je koroze.

Why does na mean on here, and why is it followed by karoserii?

Here na expresses a location: something is on the car body / bodywork.

With na, Czech changes case depending on meaning:

• location → usually locative
• movement toward a surface/place → usually accusative

So in Na karoserii je koroze, this is a static location, so Czech uses the locative:

• na karoserii = on the bodywork

Compare:

• Je to na karoserii. = It is on the bodywork.
• Dám nálepku na karoserii. = I’ll put a sticker onto the bodywork.

In the second example, the form happens to look the same, but the grammar function is different.

Why is it karoserii and not karoserie?

Because karoserii is a declined form of the noun karoserie.

• dictionary form: karoserie
• after na for location: na karoserii

So the ending changes because Czech nouns change form according to case.

A useful way to think about it:

• karoserie = the basic form
• na karoserii = on the bodywork

For many feminine nouns ending in -ie, the locative singular ends in -ii.

What case is koroze, and why?