Eva je student a chce číst novou knihu.

Eva is a student and wants to read a new book.

Breakdown of Eva je student a chce číst novou knihu.

• být: to be
• Eva: Eva
• chtít: to want
• a: and
• student: the student
• číst: to read
• nový: new
• kniha: the book

Questions & Answers about Eva je student a chce číst novou knihu.

Why does the sentence use je student and not je studentka even though Eva is female?

In everyday speech, Czech speakers might use student in a more general sense, but studentka is the more precise feminine form when talking about a female student. It’s not strictly incorrect to say je student, but more commonly you’d hear Eva je studentka.

Why doesn’t the sentence have an article like a or the before student or knihu?

Czech doesn’t use articles the way English does. There are no direct equivalents of a or the in Czech. Instead, you rely on context to clarify definiteness or indefiniteness.

Why is there the word číst (to read) right after chce (wants)?

In Czech, when one verb (like chtít, meaning to want) modifies another, the second verb remains in its infinitive form (in this case, číst). It literally translates to “wants to read.”

How come the adjective is novou instead of nový?

The word kniha is feminine, and in the accusative case it becomes knihu. The adjective nový must agree in gender and case, so it changes to the accusative feminine form novou. Hence: novou knihu.

Why does Eva come first instead of something like Student je Eva or Chce číst Eva?

Czech word order is relatively flexible, but the most natural flow in this sentence is Eva je student and then a chce číst novou knihu. Typically, you present the subject first, followed by what they are or what action they do. If you changed the word order drastically, it could sound awkward or change emphasis.