Datum je na formuláři.

The date is on the form.

Breakdown of Datum je na formuláři.

• být: to be
• na: on
• formulář: the form
• datum: the date

Questions & Answers about Datum je na formuláři.

What does datum mean here? Is it related to the English word data?

Here datum means date, as in a calendar date written on a document.

It is not the same as English data in everyday use. The words are historically related, but in modern Czech datum is the normal word for date.

• datum narození = date of birth
• dnešní datum = today’s date

So in this sentence, datum is simply the noun date.

What does je mean, and why is it needed?

Je means is. It is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb být (to be).

So:

• datum = the date
• je = is
• na formuláři = on the form

Unlike in some languages, Czech normally keeps the present-tense form of to be in sentences like this, so je is needed.

Why is it na formuláři and not na formulář?

Because the preposition na changes the case of the noun.

Here na means on in the sense of location, so it takes the locative case.

The noun formulář changes like this:

• nominative: formulář
• locative singular: formuláři

So:

• na formuláři = on the form

If it were motion toward something, Czech might use a different case, but here it is just location.