Tato rada je důležitá.

Because rada is a feminine singular noun, and Czech words like this have to agree with the noun they describe.

The demonstrative tento changes by gender:

• tento = masculine
• tato = feminine
• toto = neuter

So:

• tato rada = this advice / this piece of advice

You cannot use tento rada, because the forms do not agree.

Rada is feminine.

A very common clue in Czech is that nouns ending in -a are often feminine, especially in the nominative singular. That is true for rada.

Because rada is feminine, other words connected to it also take feminine forms:

• tato rada
• rada je důležitá

So the sentence shows agreement in two places.

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

The basic dictionary form is usually the masculine singular nominative, so you often learn adjectives as:

• důležitý = important

But here the adjective refers to rada, which is feminine singular, so the form changes to:

• důležitá

Compare:

• důležitý muž = an important man
• důležitá rada = important advice / an important piece of advice
• důležité město = an important city

It is nominative singular.

In this sentence, rada is the subject of the sentence, and subjects are normally in the nominative:

• Tato rada = the subject
• je = is
• důležitá = important

So both tato and rada are in the nominative, and důležitá is also in the matching nominative form.

In normal standard Czech, you usually do need the present-tense form of být (to be).

So:

• Tato rada je důležitá. = correct

Leaving out je would usually sound ungrammatical in a normal sentence:

• Tato rada důležitá. = not standard Czech

Czech is not like Russian, where the present-tense is is often omitted.

Not completely. Czech word order is more flexible than English because endings show grammatical relationships.

Tato rada je důležitá. is the most neutral word order.

You may also hear other orders for emphasis, for example:

• Důležitá je tato rada. = It is this advice that is important.
• Je tato rada důležitá? = Is this advice important?

So the basic meaning stays similar, but the emphasis can change.

Because Czech has no articles.

English uses articles:

• the advice
• an important piece of advice

Czech usually expresses definiteness from context instead of using words like the or a.

So:

• Tato rada already clearly means this advice / this piece of advice
• no article is needed

Not exactly in how it behaves grammatically.

English advice is usually uncountable:

• This advice is important.

Czech rada is a countable feminine noun, more like piece of advice or tip in many contexts.

So Czech often says:

• Tato rada je důležitá.

where English naturally says:

• This advice is important.
• or This piece of advice is important.

That difference is very common and worth noticing.

Je is pronounced roughly like ye in yes, but shorter.

So:

• je ≈ ye

The whole sentence begins something like:

• TA-to RA-da ye ...

Roughly:

• DOO-leh-zhi-taa

A few details:

• dů sounds like doo
• ži has the ž sound, like the s in measure
• tá has a long á, so it is held a little longer

A rough full pronunciation of the sentence is:

• TA-to RA-da ye DOO-leh-zhi-taa

Also remember that Czech stress usually falls on the first syllable of each word.

The letter ů represents a long ú sound.

So in pronunciation, ů and ú are basically pronounced the same in modern Czech: a long oo sound.

For learners, the main thing is:

• dů- sounds like doo-

The difference between ú and ů is mostly about spelling and word history, not a different modern pronunciation.

Tato is the more explicit form meaning this.

Ta can mean that, but in everyday Czech it is also often used where English would say this or simply the, depending on context.

So:

• tato rada = this advice, clearly and explicitly
• ta rada = that advice / the advice / sometimes this advice, depending on context and tone

For a learner, tato rada is a very good clear form to learn first.

Because Czech uses agreement very consistently.

The noun rada is feminine singular, so words connected to it must match:

• tato = feminine singular form of this
• důležitá = feminine singular form of important

This is one of the most important patterns in Czech grammar: words around the noun often change their endings to match its gender, number, and case.