Klobása a steak jsou syrové.

Questions & Answers about Klobása a steak jsou syrové.

Why is the verb jsou and not je?

Because the subject is actually two things: klobása + steak.

  • klobása = sausage
  • a = and
  • steak = steak

When two nouns are joined by a (and), Czech normally treats them as a plural subject, so the verb must also be plural:

  • je = is
  • jsou = are

So:

  • Klobása je syrová. = The sausage is raw.
  • Steak je syrový. = The steak is raw.
  • Klobása a steak jsou syrové. = The sausage and the steak are raw.
Why is syrové used here?

Syrové is the adjective raw, and it has to agree with what it describes.

Here, it refers to klobása a steak together, so it must be plural.

The singular forms would be:

  • syrová for a feminine singular noun like klobása
  • syrový for a masculine inanimate singular noun like steak

But together they form a plural subject, so the adjective becomes syrové.

A useful comparison:

  • Klobása je syrová.
  • Steak je syrový.
  • Klobása a steak jsou syrové.
Why is the ending -é in syrové, not -í?

In Czech plural agreement, the ending depends on the gender makeup of the group.

For mixed or plural subjects:

In this sentence:

  • klobása is feminine
  • steak is masculine inanimate

Since there is no masculine animate noun, Czech uses syrové.

Compare:

  • Muži jsou syroví. = The men are raw. (grammatically masculine animate plural, so *-í)*
  • Klobása a steak jsou syrové. = The sausage and the steak are raw. (no masculine animate, so *-é)*
What case are klobása and steak in?

They are in the nominative case, because they are the subject of the sentence.

You can think of the structure as:

  • Klobása a steak = subject
  • jsou = verb
  • syrové = predicate adjective

So this is a basic subject + verb + complement sentence.

Is klobása singular or plural?

It is singular.

Even though the whole subject is plural, each noun by itself is singular:

  • klobása = a sausage
  • steak = a steak

Together they make a plural idea:

  • klobása a steak = the sausage and the steak

That is why the verb is plural (jsou), even though each individual noun is singular.

Does Czech have the word the in this sentence?

No. Czech does not use articles like a/an and the the way English does.

So Klobása a steak jsou syrové could mean:

  • The sausage and the steak are raw
  • A sausage and a steak are raw

The exact meaning depends on context.

Can the word order change?

Yes, Czech word order is fairly flexible because the grammar is shown by endings more than by position.

The neutral order here is:

  • Klobása a steak jsou syrové.

But other orders are possible for emphasis, for example:

  • Syrové jsou klobása a steak.
  • Klobása a steak syrové jsou. (possible, but much less neutral)

For learners, the original version is the most natural and safest to use.

Why is steak written like an English word in a Czech sentence?

Because steak is a borrowed word and Czech commonly uses it in this spelling.

Even though it looks English, it behaves like a Czech noun in the sentence:

  • steak je syrový
  • steak can take Czech case endings in some contexts

In everyday Czech, you may also hear pronunciation close to stejk.

How is Klobása a steak jsou syrové pronounced?

A rough English-friendly guide would be:

KLO-ba-sa a stayk zhoh sy-ro-vay

A few notes:

  • klobása: stress on the first syllable, as in almost all Czech words
  • á is a long vowel
  • jsou is pronounced roughly like zhoh
  • syrové ends with a long -é, roughly vay

Czech stress is usually on the first syllable of each word:

  • KLObása
  • STEAK
  • jsou
  • SYrové
Could you also say Klobása a steak jsou syrový?

In standard Czech, no. The correct form here is syrové.

Because the subject is plural and does not include a masculine animate noun, standard Czech uses syrové.

So:

  • Klobása a steak jsou syrové. = correct
  • Klobása a steak jsou syrový. = non-standard/colloquial at best, and not what learners should use
Can jsou be omitted?

Normally, no in a regular sentence like this.

Czech usually keeps the present-tense form of být (to be) in sentences with predicate adjectives:

  • Klobása a steak jsou syrové.

Leaving out jsou would sound incomplete in normal standard speech. You might see omission in headlines, notes, or very informal fragments, but not as the standard full sentence.

What is the basic grammar pattern of this sentence?

The pattern is:

noun + a + noun + být + adjective

More specifically:

  • Klobása = noun
  • a = and
  • steak = noun
  • jsou = present plural of být (to be)
  • syrové = plural adjective

So the full structure is:

[subject] + [verb] + [predicate adjective]

This is a very common Czech sentence pattern:

  • Polévka je teplá. = The soup is warm.
  • Brambory jsou studené. = The potatoes are cold.
  • Klobása a steak jsou syrové. = The sausage and the steak are raw.
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