Questions & Answers about Celková cena je vysoká.
What does each word in Celková cena je vysoká mean?
- celková = total / overall
- cena = price
- je = is
- vysoká = high
So the sentence is literally The total price is high.
Why do both celková and vysoká end in -á?
Because they agree with cena, which is a feminine singular noun.
In Czech, adjectives must match the noun they describe in:
- gender
- number
- case
Here, cena is:
- feminine
- singular
- nominative
So both adjectives take the feminine singular nominative ending -á:
- celková cena
- cena je vysoká
What case is cena in here?
It is in the nominative case.
That is because cena is the subject of the sentence: The total price is high.
Also, after je in this kind of simple descriptive sentence, Czech commonly uses the adjective in a form that matches the nominative subject:
- Cena je vysoká.
- Místnost je velká.
- Polévka je teplá.
Why is vysoká used? Doesn’t it literally mean high, not expensive?
Yes, vysoká literally means high.
Czech often talks about a price being high:
- Cena je vysoká. = The price is high.
This is very natural.
But Czech also often uses drahý / drahá / drahé for expensive:
- To je drahé. = That is expensive.
- Cena je vysoká. = The price is high.
These are similar in meaning, but not identical in structure:
- vysoká cena = a high price
- drahé zboží = expensive goods
Could I also say Celková cena je drahá?
Why is je included? Can Czech leave out is?
In the present tense, Czech usually does use the verb být (to be) in normal sentences like this:
- Cena je vysoká.
So here, je is necessary.
Czech can sometimes omit forms of to be in special styles such as:
- headlines
- notes
- very informal fragments
But in a standard full sentence, you should say:
- Celková cena je vysoká.
Can the word order change?
Yes. Czech word order is more flexible than English because the endings carry a lot of grammatical information.
The neutral order is:
- Celková cena je vysoká.
But other orders are possible for emphasis:
- Cena je celkově vysoká. = slightly different meaning: The price is high overall.
- Vysoká je celková cena. = marked/emphatic
- Celkově je cena vysoká. = Overall, the price is high.
For a learner, the original sentence is the safest and most natural basic version.
What is the difference between celková and celkem / celkově?
They are related, but they are not used in the same way.
celková = an adjective: total / overall
- celková cena = the total price
celkem = an adverb, often meaning altogether / quite / fairly
- Celkem dobré. = Quite good.
celkově = an adverb meaning overall / on the whole
- Celkově je to drahé. = Overall, it is expensive.
So in your sentence, celková is correct because it directly describes the noun cena.
How do I pronounce Celková cena je vysoká?
A simple approximate pronunciation is:
TSEL-ko-vaa TSE-na ye VY-so-kaa
A few useful points:
- c in Czech is pronounced like ts
- j is pronounced like English y
- e is usually like e in met
- y is a short vowel, somewhat like i in bit
- á is a long vowel, so hold it slightly longer
Stress in Czech is usually on the first syllable of each word:
- CELková
- CEna
- JE
- VYsoká
Is celková cena a common expression?
Yes, very common.
You will often see it in:
- shops
- invoices
- online checkouts
- travel bookings
- service quotes
It means total price, often as opposed to:
- základní cena = base price
- konečná cena = final price
- jednotková cena = unit price
So Celková cena je vysoká is a very natural sentence.
Can I drop celková and just say Cena je vysoká?
Yes.
- Cena je vysoká. = The price is high.
- Celková cena je vysoká. = The total price is high.
Adding celková makes the meaning more specific. Without it, the sentence is more general.
What are the dictionary forms of the adjectives in this sentence?
The dictionary forms are the masculine singular forms:
- celkový
- vysoký
In the sentence, they appear as feminine singular forms because they agree with cena:
- celkový → celková
- vysoký → vysoká
This is very common in Czech dictionaries: adjectives are usually listed in the masculine singular form.
How would this change with a different noun gender?
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