Chci dům s velkou zahradou.

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Breakdown of Chci dům s velkou zahradou.

• dům: the house
• velký: big
• chtít: to want

Questions & Answers about Chci dům s velkou zahradou.

Why do we say Chci instead of Chce?

In Czech, chci is the first-person singular form of the verb chtít (to want), so it means I want. Meanwhile, chce is the third-person singular form, meaning he/she/it wants. Since you are talking about what you personally want, you need chci.

Why is s velkou zahradou in the instrumental case?

The preposition s (meaning with) always requires the instrumental case in Czech. That’s why zahrada (garden) appears as zahradou, and the adjective velká (big) adjusts to velkou in the instrumental form to match the noun.

Why don’t we use an article like “a” before dům?

Czech does not use articles (like a, an, or the) as English does. The word dům simply refers to a house or the house, depending on context.

What’s the difference between Chci dům and Chtěl bych dům?

Chci dům is direct and can sometimes sound less polite if you’re making a request. Chtěl bych dům (literally I would like a house) is more polite or tentative—common if you’re expressing a wish in a softer way.

Can I say instead?