Kapitán týmu čeká na cenu pro vítěze.

Because týmu is in the genitive singular, and here it means of the team.

So:

• kapitán = captain
• týmu = of the team

Czech often shows relationships like possession or belonging with the genitive, where English uses of or an apostrophe:

• kapitán týmu = the team’s captain / captain of the team

A learner may notice that týmu can also be dative or locative in other contexts, but in this sentence it is understood as genitive because it depends on kapitán.

In Czech, the verb čekat usually means to wait for when used with na + accusative.

So:

• čekat na něco / někoho = to wait for something / someone

That is why the sentence has:

• čeká na cenu = is waiting for the prize

If you leave out na, the meaning changes or sounds incomplete in normal everyday Czech. In standard modern usage, čekat na is the normal pattern for wait for.

Because after na in the expression čekat na, Czech uses the accusative case.

• dictionary form: cena
• accusative singular: cenu

So:

• na cenu = for the prize

This is a very common thing in Czech: prepositions often require a specific case, and na can take different cases depending on the meaning. With čekat na, it takes the accusative.

Pro takes the accusative, so vítěze is in the accusative.

• pro = for
• vítěz = winner
• pro vítěze = for the winner / for the winners

With masculine animate nouns, the accusative often has a special ending, and vítěz becomes vítěze.

So the structure is:

• cenu pro vítěze = a prize for the winner

or, depending on context,

• a prize for the winners

Formally, vítěze can be ambiguous.

It can be:

• accusative singular = the winner
• accusative plural = the winners

So pro vítěze can mean either:

• for the winner
• for the winners

Usually, the context tells you which one is meant. If the meaning has already been given to the learner, then that context settles it.

Because Czech has no articles.

English uses:

• the captain
• a prize
• the winner

Czech usually does not use separate words for a/an or the. Definiteness is understood from context.

So:

• Kapitán týmu can mean the team captain or a team captain
• cenu can mean a prize or the prize

You figure out which one is meant from the situation.

Čeká is the 3rd person singular present tense form of čekat.

That means the subject is:

• he
• she
• it
• or a singular noun

Here the subject is Kapitán týmu, which is singular, so čeká matches it.

Compare:

• čekám = I wait / am waiting
• čekáš = you wait
• čeká = he/she/it waits; also the captain waits

Yes. Czech present tense often covers both:

• waits
• is waiting

So čeká can mean either:

• waits
• is waiting

The exact English translation depends on context. Czech does not always make the same simple vs. continuous distinction that English does.

Czech word order is more flexible than English word order because cases show the grammatical roles.

The sentence:

• Kapitán týmu čeká na cenu pro vítěze.

is a normal, neutral order.

But other orders are possible, for example to shift emphasis:

• Na cenu pro vítěze čeká kapitán týmu.
• Cenu pro vítěze čeká kapitán týmu. (less natural in many contexts, but possible with special emphasis or style)

Even when the order changes, the cases still help show what belongs where.

Good question. They do different jobs here.

• čekat na cenu = to wait for the prize
• cena pro vítěze = a prize for the winner

So:

• na belongs with the verb čekat
• pro describes the purpose or intended recipient of the prize

In other words:

• na cenu = what he is waiting for
• pro vítěze = who the prize is intended for

Even though English uses for in both places, Czech uses two different prepositions because the meanings are different.

It is not a fixed idiom, but it is a very normal noun phrase.

It follows a common Czech pattern:

• noun + genitive noun

Examples:

• kapitán týmu = captain of the team
• ředitel školy = director of the school
• barva auta = color of the car

So once you know this pattern, phrases like kapitán týmu become easy to recognize.

Because Czech often uses the genitive case instead of a possessive adjective or apostrophe construction.

English says:

• the team’s captain
• captain of the team

Czech expresses this with:

• kapitán týmu

So instead of adding something like team’s, Czech changes the form of tým to týmu.

Čekat is imperfective.

That matters because imperfective verbs are used for:

• ongoing actions
• repeated actions
• general situations

So čeká na cenu naturally means something like:

• he is waiting for the prize
• he waits for the prize

There is also a perfective partner in some contexts, but for the idea of waiting, the imperfective čekat is the normal verb you will most often see.

Not in this sentence, because the verb čekat na clearly forms the meaning wait for.

It is true that na can have different meanings in Czech, such as on, onto, or for, depending on the verb and case. But Czech learners need to learn many verb-preposition combinations as units.

Here you should read:

• čekat na = to wait for

as one standard pattern.