Nerozumím otázce, můžeš mi prosím pomoci?

I don't understand the question, can you please help me?

Breakdown of Nerozumím otázce, můžeš mi prosím pomoci?

• já: I
• prosím: please
• moci: can
• pomoci: to help
• otázka: the question
• mi: me
• rozumět: to understand
• ty: you

Questions & Answers about Nerozumím otázce, můžeš mi prosím pomoci?

What does nerozumím literally mean, and how is it formed?

Nerozumím means I don’t understand.

Grammatically:

• The verb is rozumět = to understand.
• It’s in 1st person singular, present tense: rozumím = I understand.
• The prefix ne- makes it negative: nerozumím = I don’t understand.

So:

• rozumím – I understand
• nerozumím – I don’t understand

Why is it otázce and not otázku?

Otázce is in the dative case, singular, of otázka (question).

The verb rozumět (to understand) always takes the dative case, not the accusative. So you literally say:

• nerozumím otázce = I don’t understand *to the question
  (in natural English: *I don’t understand the question)

If you used otázku (accusative), it would be grammatically wrong with rozumět. Some verbs in Czech just “want” the dative, and rozumět is one of them.

What case is mi in můžeš mi prosím pomoci and why?

Mi is also dative.

So you have:

• mi = to me (dative, weak/clitic form)
• pomoci = to help

Literally: můžeš mi pomoci = can you help to me → can you help me?

Czech uses the dative with pomoci (pomáhat) někomu = help someone (literally: help to someone).

Why is there a comma before můžeš?

The sentence has two independent clauses:

1. Nerozumím otázce – I don’t understand the question
2. můžeš mi prosím pomoci? – can you please help me?

In Czech, separate independent clauses in one sentence are usually divided by a comma, similar to English. So the comma is normal and correct here:

• Nerozumím otázce, můžeš mi prosím pomoci?

Why is there no “I” or “you” written? Where are the subjects?

In Czech, the subject pronouns (já = I, ty = you) are often dropped, because the verb ending already shows the person.

• nerozumím clearly shows 1st person singular → subject is já (I).
• můžeš clearly shows 2nd person singular → subject is ty (you).

You could say:

• Já nerozumím otázce, můžeš mi prosím pomoci?
  but já is usually omitted unless you want to emphasize I.

What tense and person are nerozumím and můžeš?

Both verbs are in the present tense.

• nerozumím – 1st person singular, present
  
  • já (I) nerozumím – I don’t understand
• můžeš – 2nd person singular, present
  
  • ty (you) můžeš – you can

So the structure is:
I (present) don’t understand, you (present) can help me?

What is the difference between mi and mě? Both seem to mean “me”.

Both refer to “me”, but they have different cases and uses:

• mi / mně – dative = to me, for me

  • mi is the weak/clitic form (usually unstressed, in the middle of the sentence)
  • mně is the full/stressed form
    Example: Můžeš mi pomoci? – Can you help me?

• mě / mne – accusative = me as a direct object

  • mě is the common spoken form
  • mne is more formal/literary
    Example: Vidíš mě? – Do you see me?

In můžeš mi prosím pomoci, the verb pomoci takes the dative, so mi is correct.

Can I move prosím to a different place in the sentence?

Yes. Prosím (please) is flexible in word order. All of these are possible:

• Můžeš mi prosím pomoci?
• Můžeš mi pomoci, prosím?
• Prosím, můžeš mi pomoci?

They are all polite. The nuance is very small:

• At the beginning (Prosím, …) sounds slightly more formal or emphatic.
• At the end (…, prosím?) is very common in spoken Czech.

Your original version is completely natural.

Is pomoci the same as pomoct? Which one should I use?

They mean the same thing: to help.

• pomoci – more formal/standard, infinitive
• pomoct – more colloquial, very common in speech

In your sentence, you could say either:

• Můžeš mi prosím pomoci? – slightly more formal/neutral
• Můžeš mi prosím pomoct? – very natural in everyday speech

Both are correct.

Is this polite enough, or should I use a more formal form for “you”?

Your sentence uses informal singular ty (you to a friend, family member, child, etc.):

• můžeš = you (sg., informal) can

To be more polite/formal (addressing a stranger, teacher, or in official context), use vy (formal you) and plural verb:

• Nerozumím otázce, můžete mi prosím pomoci?
  → formal: I don’t understand the question, could you please help me?

You can make it even more “soft” by using the conditional:

• Nerozumím otázce, mohl byste mi prosím pomoci? (to a man)
• Nerozumím otázce, mohla byste mi prosím pomoci? (to a woman)

Why is there a question mark at the end if the first part is not a question?

The whole sentence ends with a question, so the entire sentence takes a question mark:

• Statement: Nerozumím otázce (I don’t understand the question)
• Question: můžeš mi prosím pomoci? (can you please help me?)

When you combine them into one sentence, the final punctuation follows the last clause:

• Nerozumím otázce, můžeš mi prosím pomoci?

Is rozumět always used for “understand”, or can I use chápat instead?

Both mean to understand, but there is a nuance:

• rozumět – to understand in the sense of comprehend what is being said / meant

  • Nerozumím otázce. – I don’t understand the question (its wording, meaning).

• chápat – to understand in the sense of grasp, get the idea, see the point

  • Nechápu tu otázku. – I don’t get this question / I don’t see what it’s about.

In your sentence, Nerozumím otázce is the most standard choice, but Nechápu tu otázku is also possible with a slightly different feel (more like I don’t get it).

Czech has no articles. If I wanted to stress “the question” (a specific one), how would I do that?

Czech does not use articles (a / the), so otázka / otázce can mean either a question or the question, depending on context.

To make it clearly that specific question, you can add a demonstrative:

• Nerozumím té otázce, můžeš mi prosím pomoci?
  
  • té otázce = that question / the question (we’re talking about)

So:

• otázce – a/the question (context decides)
• té otázce – that (particular) question