Tento tvar je zajímavý.

This shape is interesting.

Breakdown of Tento tvar je zajímavý.

• být: to be
• zajímavý: interesting
• tento: this
• tvar: the shape

Questions & Answers about Tento tvar je zajímavý.

Why is it tento and not ten?

Both tento and ten can mean this, but tento is more explicit or emphatic.

• tento tvar = this shape/form
• ten tvar can also sometimes mean that shape/form, depending on context

In modern everyday Czech, people often use tenhle / tenhleten or just ten in speech, but tento is very common in writing and in careful, neutral style.

So Tento tvar je zajímavý. sounds perfectly natural, especially in written or explanatory language.

What gender is tvar, and how can I tell?

Tvar is masculine inanimate.

That matters because Czech adjectives and demonstratives must agree with the noun in:

• gender
• number
• case

Here, the noun is singular masculine inanimate, nominative, so the other words match it:

• tento = masculine singular nominative
• zajímavý = masculine singular nominative

You often just have to learn a noun’s gender together with the word. In this sentence, agreement helps confirm it.

Why does zajímavý end in -ý?