Learn Hardcore Czech: Kde je dnes tvoje babička? - Where is your grandmother today?

Kde je dnes tvoje babička? – This is the most neutral and natural version. The focus is on where she is today.
Kde je tvoje babička dnes? – Also correct, but it slightly emphasizes dnes (today). It can sound a bit more contrastive, like:
- Where is your grandma today (as opposed to other days)?

In everyday speech, people would usually say Kde je dnes tvoje babička? or Kde je tvoje babička dneska?

Why is it tvoje babička and not tvá babička?

Both forms are correct; they are just stylistically different:

tvoje babička – more common in everyday, spoken Czech; sounds relaxed and neutral.
tvá babička – a bit more formal, bookish, or poetic, and used more in writing or careful speech.

Meaning-wise, they are the same: tvoje/tvá = your (informal singular, feminine noun here).

Why is babička in this form and not declined to something like babičku or babičky?

In Kde je dnes tvoje babička?, babička is the grammatical subject of the sentence:

Kdo je dnes tvoje babička? – Who is your grandma today?
Kde je dnes tvoje babička? – Where is your grandma today?

Subjects in Czech are normally in the nominative case, and babička is the nominative singular.

You would see other forms in different roles, e.g.:

Vidím babičku. – I see grandma. (accusative)
Jdu k babičce. – I’m going to grandma’s. (dative/locative form)

How does tvoje agree with babička grammatically?

Tvoje is a possessive pronoun and must agree with the noun in:

Gender: babička is feminine.
Number: here it’s singular.
Case: nominative (because babička is the subject).

So you get tvoje babička (your grandma).
If it were masculine or neuter, it would change:

tvůj dědeček – your grandpa (masc.)
tvoje auto – your car (neut./fem. pattern for auto)

What would be the polite/formal version of this sentence?

For formal you (speaking politely to one person, or to more people), you use vaše instead of tvoje:

Kde je dnes vaše babička? – Where is your grandmother today? (formal)

vaše is the formal/plural equivalent of tvoje.

What is the difference between dnes and dneska? Could I say Kde je dneska tvoje babička?

Yes, you can say Kde je dneska tvoje babička?. It’s perfectly normal.

dnes – neutral, slightly more standard.
dneska – very common in spoken Czech, slightly more colloquial/friendly.

Meaning-wise they are the same: today.

Can I drop the verb and say Kde dnes tvoje babička?, like English “Where your grandma today?”?

No, you can’t omit je here. Czech needs the verb být (to be) in this kind of sentence.

✅ Kde je dnes tvoje babička? – correct
❌ Kde dnes tvoje babička? – incorrect

Unlike some languages, Czech does not normally drop je in such basic present-tense statements or questions.

Is it possible to drop the possessive pronoun and just say Kde je dnes babička?

Yes, that’s possible in the right context.

Kde je dnes babička? – Where is grandma today?

This is natural if both speakers already know which grandma they’re talking about (e.g. in a family context). Czech often omits possessive pronouns with close family members when it’s obvious whose they are.

If it isn’t clear from context, you keep tvoje:

Kde je dnes tvoje babička? – clarifies your grandma, not someone else’s.

What is the difference between kde, kam, and odkud? Could any of those be used here?

These three are different question words:

kde – where (in what place) – location
- Kde je dnes tvoje babička? – Where is your grandma today?
kam – where to – direction/motion to a place
- Kam jde dnes tvoje babička? – Where is your grandma going today?
odkud – from where – origin/source
- Odkud přijede tvoje babička? – Where is your grandma coming from?

In the original sentence you are asking about location, so only kde is correct.

How do you pronounce kde? It looks difficult with k and d together.

kde is pronounced roughly like g-deh, in one quick syllable:

k and d blend very closely.
The e is a short e as in get.

Tips:

Don’t insert a vowel between k and d (not ku-de).
Try saying kde as one burst: kde [gde].

Why is it babička and not a shorter form like babi or babka?

babička is the standard, neutral word for grandmother. There are several variants with different levels of familiarity or regional flavor:

babička – neutral, common, polite.
babi / babí – affectionate, used within families (like gran / nan).
babka – can sound rustic, familiar, sometimes mildly negative depending on context.

In a neutral question like this, babička is the safest and most standard choice.

Could I say Kde dnes je tvoje babička? with dnes right after kde?

It’s grammatically possible, but it sounds less natural and a bit marked. Standard, smooth word orders are:

Kde je dnes tvoje babička? – very natural.
Kde je dneska tvoje babička? – very natural (more colloquial).

Kde dnes je tvoje babička? might appear in some stylized speech or for special emphasis, but it’s not the default.

Could I say Dnes je kde tvoje babička? or Dnes kde je tvoje babička?

No, those sound unnatural.

The question word kde normally appears at or near the beginning of the question. The natural pattern is:

Kde je dnes tvoje babička?

Starting with Dnes and putting kde later feels wrong in normal Czech word order for questions.

Is the sentence formal or informal? Can I use tvoje babička with anyone?

The sentence with tvoje is informal. You use tvoje when:

talking to friends,
talking to family,
talking to someone you address as ty.

With strangers, older people, or in formal situations, you should use vaše:

Informal: Kde je dnes tvoje babička?
Formal: Kde je dnes vaše babička?