Breakdown of Na dovolené jsme jedli teplou večeři každý večer.
každý
every
my
we
večer
the evening
teplý
warm
na
on
dovolená
the vacation
jíst
to eat
večeře
the dinner
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Questions & Answers about Na dovolené jsme jedli teplou večeři každý večer.
Why is na dovolené used to mean on vacation, and why is dovolená in the locative case?
Czech uses the preposition na with the locative case to express “on” or “during” a period or location. The feminine noun dovolená takes the locative singular ending -é, becoming dovolené. So na dovolené literally means on vacation or during vacation.
Why is the verb jíst in the form jsme jedli, and why does jsme come before jedli?
- Past tense in Czech is formed with the present-tense auxiliary být (jsme for “we”) + the past participle jedli (imperfective of jíst).
- Czech clitics like jsme must occupy the second position in the clause, right after the first stressed element (Na dovolené). Hence Na dovolené jsme jedli, not Na dovolené jedli jsme.
What’s the difference between jedli and snědli? Could I use snědli instead?
Jedli is the imperfective past participle, focusing on the ongoing or habitual action (think we ate/we were eating every evening).
Snědli is the perfective past participle of sníst, emphasizing the action’s completion (think we finished eating one time).
You could use snědli, but when describing a repeated evening meal, jedli feels more natural.
Why is teplou večeři in the accusative case, and how do its endings work?
- Teplou večeři is the direct object of jíst, so it takes the accusative.
- Večeře is a feminine noun; its singular accusative is večeři.
- The adjective teplý agrees in gender, number, and case, so feminine accusative singular becomes teplou.
What nuance does teplou večeři carry compared to hot dinner?
Teplou večeři literally means warm dinner, implying a cooked, hot meal rather than cold dishes or snacks. In English you might say a hot meal, but Czech speakers specifically use teplou večeři to highlight that the evening meal was served warm.
Why is každý večer used for every evening, and what case is každý?
- Každý večer means every evening and functions as an adverbial of time.
- Večer is masculine inanimate; its nominative and accusative singular forms coincide (večer).
- Každý is in the nominative masculine singular to match večer. Placing this time phrase at the end is common in Czech.
Why are there no articles a/the in this Czech sentence?
Czech has no definite or indefinite articles. Nouns stand alone; context conveys definiteness or indefiniteness. Thus you simply say Na dovolené jsme jedli teplou večeři každý večer without adding a or the.