Brzdový kotouč je za pneumatikou.

• brzdový = brake / braking (an adjective)
• kotouč = disc
• je = is
• za = behind
• pneumatikou = tire in a changed form required by the preposition

So the sentence is literally:

Brake disc is behind tire.

In natural English, that becomes The brake disc is behind the tire.

Czech often uses an adjective + noun structure where English uses a noun + noun structure.

So:

• English: brake disc
• Czech: brzdový kotouč

The adjective brzdový is formed from brzda (brake). It means something like brake-related or for braking.

This pattern is very common in Czech:

• motorový olej = motor oil
• parkovací místo = parking space
• telefonní číslo = telephone number

Because it has to agree with kotouč.

In Czech, adjectives match the noun they describe in:

• gender
• number
• case

Here, kotouč is:

• masculine inanimate
• singular
• nominative (because it is the subject)

So the adjective also takes the matching form:

• brzdový kotouč

If the noun changed, the adjective would change too:

• brzdového kotouče = of the brake disc
• brzdovým kotoučem = with the brake disc

Because kotouč is the subject of the sentence, and subjects are normally in the nominative case.

In Brzdový kotouč je za pneumatikou:

• Brzdový kotouč = the subject
• je = the verb
• za pneumatikou = a location phrase

So kotouč stays in its dictionary form, the nominative singular.

Because the preposition za requires a specific case here.

When za means behind in the sense of location, Czech uses the instrumental case.

So:

• basic form: pneumatika = tire
• after za for location: za pneumatikou = behind the tire

This is a very common pattern:

• za domem = behind the house
• za autem = behind the car
• za školou = behind the school

No. Za can take different cases depending on meaning.

With location (where?) it usually takes the instrumental:

• Je za pneumatikou. = It is behind the tire.

With movement toward a position (where to?) it often takes the accusative:

• Dám to za pneumatiku. = I’ll put it behind the tire.

So the contrast is:

• za pneumatikou = behind the tire, already there
• za pneumatiku = to behind the tire, motion toward that position

It is instrumental singular.

The noun pneumatika is a feminine noun. Its basic form is:

• pneumatika

Its instrumental singular form is:

• pneumatikou

That -ou ending is very typical for many feminine nouns in the instrumental singular:

• žena → ženou
• ulice → ulicí (different pattern)
• škola → školou
• pneumatika → pneumatikou

Because Czech does not use articles like a, an, and the.

So Brzdový kotouč je za pneumatikou can mean:

• The brake disc is behind the tire
• A brake disc is behind a tire

Which one sounds best in English depends on context. In many teaching examples, the is the most natural translation.

Yes. Czech word order is more flexible than English word order.

The sentence:

• Brzdový kotouč je za pneumatikou.

could also be:

• Za pneumatikou je brzdový kotouč.

Both are grammatical. The difference is mainly one of focus or emphasis.

• Brzdový kotouč je za pneumatikou. = neutral, starts with the thing being talked about
• Za pneumatikou je brzdový kotouč. = puts more emphasis on the location

English is much less flexible here.

A rough guide:

• brzdový ≈ BRZ-doh-vee
• kotouč ≈ KO-tohch
• je ≈ ye
• za ≈ za
• pneumatikou ≈ PNEU-ma-ti-koh

A few useful notes:

• Czech stress is usually on the first syllable of each word.
• č sounds like ch in church.
• j is pronounced like English y in yes.
• ou is a diphthong, somewhat like oh-oo said smoothly together.

No, not exactly.

• pneumatika = tire / tyre (the rubber outer part)
• kolo = wheel

So this sentence specifically says the brake disc is behind the tire, not just the wheel in a general sense.

In real-world usage, people may sometimes speak loosely, but the vocabulary difference is important:

• wheel = kolo
• tire/tyre = pneumatika

In the present tense, Czech usually does use je for he/she/it is or is.

So:

• Brzdový kotouč je za pneumatikou. = The brake disc is behind the tire.

In some styles, especially headlines or very informal notes, forms of být (to be) may be omitted, but in a normal full sentence like this, je is the standard form.

The dictionary forms are:

• brzdový = adjective meaning brake / braking
• kotouč = disc
• být = to be → here it appears as je
• za = behind / beyond / for
• pneumatika = tire

This is useful because when you look words up, you usually need the dictionary form, not the changed form used in the sentence.