Kolik peněz máš, když jdeš do obchodu?

How much money do you have when you go to the shop?

Breakdown of Kolik peněz máš, když jdeš do obchodu?

• mít: to have
• jít: to go
• do: to
• obchod: the shop
• ty: you
• když: when
• peníze: the money
• kolik: how much

Questions & Answers about Kolik peněz máš, když jdeš do obchodu?

Why is it peněz and not peníze?

Because kolik (how much / how many) requires the genitive case for the thing being counted.

• peníze = nominative plural (dictionary form)
• peněz = genitive plural

After kolik, you normally put the noun in the genitive:

• kolik peněz – how much money
• kolik lidí – how many people
• kolik knih – how many books

So the pattern is: kolik + genitive plural. That’s why you see peněz, not peníze.

Why is peníze plural, when in English we say money (singular)?

In Czech, peníze is a plural-only noun (pluralia tantum). It exists only in the plural form and means money in general.

Basic forms:

• Nominative plural: peníze – money
• Genitive plural: peněz – of money
• Dative plural: penězům
• Accusative plural: peníze
• Locative plural: penězích
• Instrumental plural: penězi

Even though English uses a singular, in Czech you always use plural forms for peníze. So you say:

• Mám hodně peněz. – I have a lot of money.
  (literally: I have many/plenty of moneys)

Why is there máš without ty? Shouldn’t it be ty máš?

Czech usually drops subject pronouns (like I, you, he, she) because the verb ending already shows the person.

• mám = I have (1st person singular)
• máš = you have (2nd person singular, informal)
• má = he/she/it has (3rd person singular)

So:

• Máš čas? – Do you have time? (perfectly natural)
• Ty máš čas? – You have time? (can add emphasis, surprise, contrast)

In your sentence, máš alone is completely normal and natural. Ty is optional and would only add a nuance like stressing that it’s you specifically.

Why is jdeš used here and not chodíš?

Czech distinguishes two main movement verbs for going on foot:

• jít / jdu, jdeš … – determinate movement: going now / in one specific instance / in one direction
• chodit / chodím, chodíš … – indeterminate: habitual, repeated, or general movement

Compare:

• Když jdeš do obchodu… – When you go to the shop (in a specific situation, or each time you are on your way there)
• Když chodíš do obchodu… – When you (regularly) go to the shop / When you go to the shop as a habit

Both can be correct depending on what you mean.
Your sentence with jdeš can be understood as a concrete situation (when you’re going to the shop, how much money do you have?) or as a kind of typical scenario. If you want to stress regular habit, chodíš is more explicit.

Why is it do obchodu and not just do obchod?

Because the preposition do always takes the genitive case.

• obchod = nominative singular (dictionary form)
• obchodu = genitive singular

After do (to/into), you must use genitive:

• do obchodu – to the shop
• do školy – to school
• do práce – to work
• do parku – to the park

So do obchod would be grammatically wrong; it has to be do obchodu.

Could I say Když jdeš do obchodu, kolik peněz máš? instead? Is the word order important?

Yes, you can absolutely say:

Když jdeš do obchodu, kolik peněz máš?

Both versions are correct:

• Kolik peněz máš, když jdeš do obchodu?
• Když jdeš do obchodu, kolik peněz máš?

The meaning is the same. Czech word order is relatively flexible; what changes is rhythm and emphasis, not the basic meaning.

The comma is important, because když jdeš do obchodu is a subordinate clause (introduced by když = when). There must be a comma between the main clause and the clause with když, regardless of which comes first.

What is the difference between když, kdy, and až? Why is it když here?

All three relate to “when”, but they are used differently:

1. kdy – interrogative when?

   • Kdy jdeš do obchodu? – When are you going to the shop?

2. když – when / whenever introducing a clause (not a question), often for:

   • general situations
   • repeated events
   • conditions
   • Když jdeš do obchodu, vezmi si tašku. – When(ever) you go to the shop, take a bag.

3. až – when / once referring mainly to a single, concrete future moment:

   • Až půjdeš do obchodu, kup mléko. – When you go (once you go) to the shop, buy milk.

In your sentence, we are talking about a general condition / situation, so když is the natural choice: Kolik peněz máš, když jdeš do obchodu?

Why is the present tense used (máš, jdeš)? Is it talking about now or in general?

Czech present tense can express:

1. Right now:

   • Kolik peněz máš, když jdeš do obchodu?
     Could mean: Right now, as you’re going, how much money do you have?

2. General, repeated situations (like English present simple):

   • The same sentence can also mean: Whenever you go to the shop, how much money do you usually have?

Context decides which reading is intended. There is no special tense form needed for this “whenever” meaning; Czech simply uses present tense with když.

Why is it máš, jdeš and not máte, jdete? What is the difference?

Czech has informal and formal forms of you:

• máš, jdeš – 2nd person singular informal (ty)
• máte, jdete – 2nd person plural; also used as polite/formal you (vy)

So:

• Kolik peněz máš, když jdeš do obchodu?
  – talking informally to one person (friend, family member, child).

• Kolik peněz máte, když jdete do obchodu?
  – talking politely to one person (e.g. a stranger, an older person)
  – or to more than one person (you all).

The rest of the sentence stays the same; only the verb endings change with ty vs vy.

Why is there a comma before když in this sentence?

In Czech, subordinate clauses introduced by words like když, protože, že, jestli, aby etc. are always separated by a comma from the main clause.

Your sentence has:

• Main clause: Kolik peněz máš – How much money do you have
• Subordinate clause: když jdeš do obchodu – when you go to the shop

So you must write:

• Kolik peněz máš, když jdeš do obchodu?

Or with the clauses reversed:

• Když jdeš do obchodu, kolik peněz máš?

In both cases, the comma is obligatory.