Questions & Answers about Spotřeba paliva je nízká.
What does each word in Spotřeba paliva je nízká mean?
Why is paliva used instead of palivo?
Because spotřeba usually takes the genitive case for what is being consumed.
- palivo = fuel (dictionary form, nominative singular)
- paliva = of fuel (genitive singular)
So:
- spotřeba paliva = consumption of fuel
This is very common in Czech. English often uses noun + noun combinations, like fuel consumption, but Czech more often uses a noun plus a genitive noun:
- spotřeba vody = water consumption
- cena benzínu = price of petrol
- výroba elektřiny = production of electricity
What case is spotřeba, and why?
Spotřeba is in the nominative singular because it is the subject of the sentence.
In Spotřeba paliva je nízká:
- spotřeba = the thing being talked about, so it is the subject
- je = the verb
- nízká = describes the subject, so it agrees with spotřeba
You can think of the sentence structure as:
- [Subject] + [is] + [description]
- Spotřeba paliva + je + nízká
Why is it nízká and not nízký or nízké?
Because nízká must agree with spotřeba, and spotřeba is:
- feminine
- singular
- nominative
So the adjective also has to be feminine singular nominative:
Examples:
- Ten stůl je nízký. = That table is low.
- Ta cena je nízká. = That price is low.
- To okno je nízké. = That window is low.
Here, since spotřeba is feminine, nízká is the correct form.
Why is je included? Can Czech leave out is?
In standard Czech, je is normally required here.
- je is the 3rd person singular present form of být = to be
- je = is
So:
Unlike some other Slavic languages, Czech normally does not omit the present tense of to be in ordinary sentences like this.
So Spotřeba paliva nízká would sound incomplete or incorrect in standard Czech.
Why is there no word for the or a?
Because Czech has no articles.
English needs words like:
- a
- an
- the
Czech usually expresses that meaning through context, word order, or other words if needed.
So:
Which one is best depends on context.
Is the word order fixed?
The neutral, most straightforward order is:
This is the most natural way to say it in isolation.
Czech word order is more flexible than English, but changing the order changes the focus or emphasis.
For example:
Nízká je spotřeba paliva.
This is possible, but it sounds more marked, as if emphasizing low.Paliva je spotřeba nízká.
This is much less natural in normal usage.
So for a learner, the best default is:
- subject + je + adjective
- Spotřeba paliva je nízká.
How do you pronounce Spotřeba paliva je nízká?
A helpful approximate pronunciation is:
A few useful notes:
Czech stress is usually on the first syllable of each word:
- SPOtřeba
- PAliva
- JE
- NÍZká
The sound ř in spotřeba is famously difficult. It is a special Czech sound, something like a mix of r and zh. Learners often need time to master it.
í is a long vowel, so nízká starts with a longer nee sound.
What is the grammatical gender of spotřeba?
You can see that from the adjective agreement:
- spotřeba ... nízká
Since the adjective ends in -á, that matches a feminine singular noun in the nominative.
This matters because in Czech, adjectives must agree with the noun in:
- gender
- number
- case
So if you learn spotřeba as feminine from the beginning, many other forms will make more sense.
Can nízká mean something other than physical low?
Yes. Just like English low, Czech nízký / nízká / nízké can be used both literally and figuratively.
Here it means low in the sense of small in amount.
So Spotřeba paliva je nízká means:
- the amount of fuel used is small
- fuel consumption is low
Other similar uses:
- nízká cena = low price
- nízký plat = low salary
- nízká teplota = low temperature
So this is a very normal and common adjective here.
Could I also say Nízká spotřeba paliva?
Yes, but that is not a full sentence in the same way.
Spotřeba paliva je nízká. = Fuel consumption is low.
This is a complete sentence.Nízká spotřeba paliva = low fuel consumption
This is a noun phrase, not a full sentence.
You would use Nízká spotřeba paliva in places like:
- a heading
- an advertisement
- a list of product features
For example, on a car brochure:
- Nízká spotřeba paliva
- Velký kufr
- Moderní design
But if you want a normal sentence, use:
- Spotřeba paliva je nízká.
Is this sentence natural Czech?
Yes, it is completely natural and standard.
It sounds neutral and would fit well in contexts like:
- car reviews
- technical descriptions
- product information
- everyday discussion about efficiency
For example, someone might say it about a car, machine, or heating system.
It is neither unusually formal nor slangy. It is just standard Czech.
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