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Questions & Answers about Mám velký strach.
Why does the sentence use mám instead of jsem?
Because Czech often expresses feelings with mít + a noun, literally to have something.
So:
- Mám strach. = literally I have fear
- natural English meaning: I am afraid
This is a very common Czech pattern. English often uses to be for states, but Czech may use to have instead.
Compare:
- Mám hlad. = I am hungry / literally I have hunger
- Mám žízeň. = I am thirsty / literally I have thirst
- Mám strach. = I am afraid / literally I have fear
What form is mám?
Mám is the 1st person singular present tense of mít (to have).
So:
- já mám = I have
- ty máš = you have
- on/ona má = he/she has
In this sentence, mám tells you the subject is I, so Czech usually does not need the pronoun já.
- Mám velký strach. = I am very afraid
- Já mám velký strach. = also possible, but já adds emphasis
Why is it velký strach?