Slyším svého psa v parku.

I hear my dog in the park.

Breakdown of Slyším svého psa v parku.

• já: I
• pes: the dog
• v: in
• park: the park
• svůj: my
• slyšet: to hear

Questions & Answers about Slyším svého psa v parku.

Why is it svého psa and not mého psa?

Czech has a special reflexive possessive pronoun svůj (here in the form svého) that you use when the possessor is the subject of the sentence.

• Subject: (Já) slyším… → I hear…
• Possessor: my own dog

Because I am the one who hears and the dog also belongs to me, Czech prefers:

• Slyším svého psa. = I hear my own dog.

If you said Slyším mého psa, it’s grammatically possible but sounds unusual or strongly emphatic and is often felt as non‑native. The normal, neutral form is svého psa whenever the owner = subject (já, ty, on, ona, my, vy, oni).

Examples:

• On slyší svého psa. – He hears his own dog.
• On slyší jeho psa. – He hears his (another man’s) dog. (non‑reflexive jeho)

What form is svého and why does it look like that?

Svého is the genitive/accusative singular masculine animate form of svůj.

You need it because:

• The verb slyšet takes a direct object in the accusative.
• pes (dog) is masculine animate, so its accusative is psa.
• The possessive svůj must agree with psa in:
  • gender: masculine animate
  • number: singular
  • case: accusative

So:

• Nominative: svůj pes – my (own) dog
• Accusative: slyším svého psa – I hear my (own) dog

Why is it psa and not the dictionary form pes?

The dictionary form pes is nominative singular (used for the subject of the sentence).

Here, dog is the object of the verb slyšet (to hear), and slyšet koho? co? requires accusative.

For masculine animate nouns like pes, the accusative singular is the same as the genitive singular:

• Nominative: pes – (who? what?) the dog (as subject)
• Accusative: psa – (whom? what?) the dog (as object)

So:

• Pes běží. – The dog is running. (subject → nominative)
• Slyším psa. – I hear the dog. (object → accusative)

Why is it v parku and not something like v park?

The preposition v (in) requires the locative case when it means “in/inside” a place.

• Question: kde? – where?
• Answer: v parku – in the park

Park is a masculine inanimate noun with these forms (singular):

• Nominative: park – the park (as subject)
• Locative: (v) parku – in the park

So the ending -u in parku marks the locative after v.

Can I change the word order, like V parku slyším svého psa?

Yes. Czech word order is flexible and often used for emphasis or information structure, not basic grammar.

All of these are grammatically correct, but with slightly different emphasis:

• Slyším svého psa v parku.
  Neutral: stating what you hear and where.

• V parku slyším svého psa.
  Emphasis on where: In the park is where I hear my dog (maybe not elsewhere).

• Svého psa slyším v parku.
  Emphasis on whom you hear: it’s my dog (perhaps not another dog).

The basic neutral order is usually S–V–O–(place):
(Já) slyším svého psa v parku.

Can I omit svého and just say Slyším psa v parku?

You can, but the meaning changes:

• Slyším svého psa v parku. – I hear my (own) dog in the park.
• Slyším psa v parku. – I hear a dog / the dog in the park (no information about ownership).

Because Czech has no articles (a, the), svého is what tells us that it is your dog. Without it, the sentence is more general or context‑dependent.

Why is já missing? Shouldn’t it be Já slyším svého psa v parku?

In Czech, subject pronouns are usually dropped if the person is clear from the verb ending.

• slyším ends in -ím → clearly 1st person singular (“I”).
• So (Já) slyším svého psa v parku. is normally said without já.

You add já only for emphasis or contrast:

• Já slyším svého psa v parku, ale ty ho neslyšíš.
  I hear my dog in the park, but you don’t.

What is the difference between slyšet and poslouchat?

• slyšet = to hear (a passive sense, sound reaches your ears)

  • Slyším svého psa v parku. – I hear my dog in the park.
    (You notice the sound; you don’t necessarily listen on purpose.)

• poslouchat = to listen (to) (an active, intentional action)

  • Poslouchám svého psa v parku. – I am listening to my dog in the park.
    (For example, you are paying attention to how he barks or whines.)

So for simply perceiving a sound, slyšet is the correct verb in your sentence.

Does slyším mean “I hear” or “I am hearing”? Is there a continuous tense in Czech?

Slyším can mean both:

• I hear my dog in the park. (general statement / right now)
• I am hearing my dog in the park. (right now)

Czech does not have a special continuous tense like English am hearing / am doing. The simple present covers both the simple and continuous meanings. Context tells you which one is intended.

Is there a perfective form of slyšet, like uslyšet? How would it change the meaning?

Yes, the perfective counterpart is uslyšet.

• slyšet (imperfective): focuses on the state or ongoing perception of hearing.

  • Teď slyším svého psa v parku. – Right now I hear / am hearing my dog in the park.

• uslyšet (perfective): focuses on the moment of first hearing / successful hearing, and it usually appears in the future:

  • Zítra ho určitě uslyším v parku. – Tomorrow I will (manage to / at some point) hear him in the park.
  • Najednou jsem uslyšel svého psa v parku. – Suddenly I heard (caught the sound of) my dog in the park.

You wouldn’t normally use uslyším for a general present meaning; it’s used for a single event, typically in future or completed‑event contexts.

How would I make this sentence negative, and where does the ne- go?

To negate slyšet, you attach ne- directly to the verb:

• Slyším svého psa v parku. – I hear my dog in the park.
• Neslyším svého psa v parku. – I do not hear / can’t hear my dog in the park.

Word order otherwise stays the same in the neutral version.