Volba ředitele je důležitá.

Questions & Answers about Volba ředitele je důležitá.

What does volba mean here? Is it choice or election?

Volba can mean both choice and election, depending on context.

In a sentence like Volba ředitele je důležitá, it often suggests the selection/election of the director. In other contexts, it could simply mean choice.

So volba is a noun, not a verb. It is related to the verb volit = to choose / to elect.

Why is it ředitele and not ředitel?

Because after volba, Czech normally uses the genitive case to show who is being chosen/elected.

  • base form: ředitel = director
  • genitive singular: ředitele

So:

  • volba ředitele = the choice/election of the director

This is very common in Czech with verbal nouns:

  • volba prezidenta = the election of the president
  • jmenování učitele = the appointment of the teacher
Is ředitele singular or plural here?

Here it is singular.

The dictionary form is ředitel = director.
The form ředitele can be:

In this sentence, it is genitive singular because it depends on volba.

So the phrase means the choice/election of one director, not of directors.

What case is volba in?

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

You can see this from the structure:

  • Volba ředitele = the subject
  • je důležitá = the predicate, is important

So the basic pattern is:

Why is the adjective důležitá and not důležitý or důležité?

Because adjectives in Czech must agree with the noun they describe.

The noun being described is volba, and volba is:

So the adjective must also be:

  • feminine
  • singular
  • nominative

That gives:

  • masculine: důležitý
  • feminine: důležitá
  • neuter: důležité

Since volba is feminine, the correct form is důležitá.

How do I know that volba is feminine?

A very common clue is the ending -a. Many Czech nouns ending in -a are feminine, and volba is one of them.

You can also tell from agreement:

  • ta volba = that choice/election
  • volba je důležitá = the adjective also shows feminine agreement

So if you learn the noun together with its gender, it becomes easier:

  • volba — feminine noun
Why is there no word for the in this sentence?

Because Czech has no articles like English a or the.

So ředitel can mean:

  • a director
  • the director

and the exact meaning depends on context.

That means Volba ředitele je důležitá could be understood as:

  • The choice of the director is important
  • The election of the director is important

Context tells you how specific it is.

Do I have to use je here? Can Czech leave out is?

In a normal sentence like this, yes, you should use je.

  • je = is

So:

  • Volba ředitele je důležitá. = correct standard sentence

Leaving it out would sound incomplete in normal prose:

  • Volba ředitele důležitá. = not standard as a full sentence

You may sometimes see the verb omitted in headlines or note-style language, but for regular grammar, keep je.

Can the word order change?

Yes. Czech word order is more flexible than English word order, because grammatical relationships are often shown by case endings.

The neutral order here is:

  • Volba ředitele je důležitá.

But you could also say:

  • Důležitá je volba ředitele.

That version puts more emphasis on important.

Even when the order changes, the cases still show the structure:

  • volba is still the subject
  • ředitele is still dependent on volba
Could volba ředitele mean the director’s choice?

Usually, no—or at least that is not the most natural interpretation.

Volba ředitele normally means:

  • the choice/election of the director
  • in other words, someone is choosing the director

If you want to say the director’s choice meaning the choice made by the director, Czech would more naturally use:

  • ředitelova volba

So:

  • volba ředitele = choosing the director
  • ředitelova volba = the director’s choice

This is a very useful distinction.

How is this sentence pronounced, especially ř and ů?

A few useful pronunciation points:

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

    • VOL-ba
    • ŘE-di-te-le
    • je
    • DŮ-le-ži-tá
  • ů is pronounced like a long oo sound, roughly like the vowel in food, but longer:

    • důležitá
  • ř is the famous Czech sound. It is difficult for English speakers. It is something like a rolled or trilled r combined with a zh sound. You do not need to master it immediately; Czech speakers know it is hard for learners.

A rough learner-friendly approximation might be:

  • Volba rzheditele ye doolezhitaa

That is only approximate, but it can help at first.

Is this sentence formal, neutral, or colloquial?

It is neutral standard Czech.

Nothing in Volba ředitele je důležitá is slangy or especially formal. It would fit well in:

  • everyday speech
  • news language
  • school or workplace discussion
  • formal writing

So it is a good model sentence for standard Czech grammar.

AI Language TutorTry it ↗
Your avatar
“What's the best way to learn Czech grammar?”
Czech grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Czech

Master Czech — from Volba ředitele je důležitá to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions