Chci číst novou knihu.

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Breakdown of Chci číst novou knihu.

• chtít: to want
• číst: to read
• nový: new
• kniha: the book

Questions & Answers about Chci číst novou knihu.

Why is číst in the infinitive form here?

In Czech, when you say Chci (I want), you typically follow it with an infinitive verb to express what you want to do. That’s why číst (meaning to read) is used in its infinitive form.

Why do we say novou knihu instead of nová kniha?

The word kniha (book) is a feminine noun in Czech. After číst (to read), the object is in the accusative case. The adjective nový (new) changes to novou in the feminine accusative singular, and kniha changes to knihu. So you get novou knihu.

How is chci formed from chtít?

Chci is the first-person singular present tense form of the verb chtít (to want). The full conjugation goes já chci, ty chceš, on/ona chce, my chceme, vy chcete, oni chtějí.

Is číst a regular verb or an irregular verb?

Číst (to read) is slightly irregular. Its present-tense forms are já čtu, ty čteš, on/ona čte, my čteme, vy čtete, oni čtou. Notice how the stem changes from číst to čt in the conjugated forms.

How do you pronounce chci?

It can be tricky for English speakers. Ch is a voiceless velar fricative (similar to the Scottish loch). Then c sounds like ts in cats. Finally, i is a long ee sound as in see. So put that together as cht-see, with stress on the first part.