Vidím ji v parku.

I see her in the park.

Breakdown of Vidím ji v parku.

• já: I
• vidět: to see
• v: in
• park: the park
• ji: her

Questions & Answers about Vidím ji v parku.

Why is there no separate word for “I” in Vidím ji v parku?

In Czech, the subject pronoun (like já = I) is usually dropped because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• Vidím = I see (the ending -ím tells us it’s first person singular).
• If you say Já vidím ji v parku, it’s not wrong, but it sounds more emphatic, like I (as opposed to someone else) see her in the park.

What does ji mean exactly, and why is it used here?

Ji is the unstressed object form of the pronoun ona (she). It corresponds to English her as a direct object.

• Vidím ji = I see her.
• It is in the accusative case (direct object case) because she is the thing being seen, not the one doing the seeing.

So the sentence is literally I-see her in-park.

What case is ji in, and how do I recognize that?

Ji is in the accusative case (direct object).

For the pronoun ona (she), the forms are:

• Nominative (subject): ona – she
• Accusative (direct object): ji / ni – her
• Dative (indirect object, to/for her): jí / ní

You use the accusative when the pronoun is the direct object of a verb, like:

• Vidím ji. – I see her.
• Znám ji. – I know her.
• Čekám na ni. – I am waiting for her. (“na” requires accusative here)

Why is it ji and not jí in this sentence?

Both ji and jí are forms of ona, but they belong to different cases:

• ji: accusative – direct object:
  
  • Vidím ji. – I see her.
  • Hledám ji. – I am looking for her.
• jí: dative – indirect object (to/for her):
  
  • Dám jí knihu. – I will give her a book.
  • Řeknu jí to. – I will tell her that.

Since in Vidím ji v parku she is the thing being seen (direct object), accusative (ji) is required, not dative (jí).

What case is parku in, and why does park change its ending?

Parku is the locative case of park (park).

After the preposition v (in) with a static location (where something is), Czech typically uses the locative:

• park (basic form, nominative) → v parku (in the park)
• město (city) → ve městě (in the city)
• škola (school) → ve škole (in the school)

So v parku literally means in-the-park, with -u marking the locative for this masculine noun.

Could I say v park or v parkem instead of v parku?

No, not with this meaning.

• v park – wrong form here; park is nominative, but after v (in) for location you need locative.
• v parkem – parkem is instrumental case, used for meanings like with/by means of; it doesn’t work with v here.

For in the park as a location, the only correct basic form is v parku.

Can I change the word order? Are sentences like Ji vidím v parku or V parku ji vidím correct?

Yes, Czech word order is more flexible than English, but it also encodes emphasis.

All of these are grammatically correct, but they feel a bit different:

• Vidím ji v parku. – Neutral: I see her in the park.
• Já ji vidím v parku. – Emphasis on I (not someone else).
• Ji vidím v parku. – Emphasis on her (not someone else). Sounds a bit marked.
• V parku ji vidím. – Emphasis on the place; something like: It’s in the park that I see her.

For beginners, Vidím ji v parku is the safest, most neutral version.

Does v always mean in? When would I use something else like do?

v generally means in / inside, but it’s used mainly for location (where?) and sometimes for static situations:

• Jsem v parku. – I am in the park.
• Vidím ji v parku. – I see her in the park.

do usually means to / into, indicating movement towards the inside:

• Jdu do parku. – I am going to the park (into it).
• Vcházím do domu. – I am entering the house.

So:

• v + locative → where something/someone is
• do + genitive → where something/someone is going into

Could ji refer only to a woman, or also to things?

Ji is the object form of ona (she), which is used for:

1. Female persons:

   • Vidím ji. – I see her. (a woman or girl)

2. Any feminine singular noun, even if it’s a thing or animal, when replaced by a pronoun:

   • Vidím kočku. – I see the cat. (kočka = feminine)
   • Vidím ji. – I see it/her. (referring to the cat)

So ji matches any feminine singular noun in the accusative, not just human females.

How would I say I see you in the park instead of I see her in the park?

You replace ji (her) with the appropriate you pronoun in the accusative:

• Informal singular you (ty):

  • Vidím tě v parku. – I see you in the park.

• Formal singular/plural you (vy):

  • Vidím vás v parku. – I see you in the park. (formal you / you all)

The rest of the sentence (verb and prepositional phrase) stays the same.

How do I pronounce Vidím ji v parku?

Approximate pronunciation in English-like terms:

• Vidím – [vee-deem]

  • v as in victory
  • i as in machine (short)
  • d as in dog
  • í is a long ee sound
  • stress on the first syllable: VI-dím

• ji – [yi]

  • j is like English y in yes
  • i as in machine (short)

• v – a short [v], often pronounced very lightly before p.

• parku – [par-koo]

  • a as in father (short)
  • r is rolled or tapped
  • k as in king
  • u as in food (shorter)

All together: VI-deem yi v PAR-koo, with the main stress on VI and PAR.