Learn Hardcore Czech: V úterý chci být doma s rodinou. - On Tuesday I want to be at home with my family.

So v means on here, and it requires the locative case of the noun. The base form is úterý, and in the locative it stays úterý, so you see no visible change, but grammatically it is locative after v.

You cannot just say Úterý chci být doma…; that would sound like starting a new sentence with the word Tuesday alone, not On Tuesday.

Why is the time expression V úterý at the beginning? Could I say Chci být doma s rodinou v úterý?

Yes, you can also say Chci být doma s rodinou v úterý. Czech word order is more flexible than in English.

However, it is very common in Czech to put time and place information at the beginning of the sentence:

V úterý chci být doma s rodinou. – On Tuesday, I want to be at home with my family.

Putting V úterý first slightly emphasizes the time: you are setting the time frame and then saying what you want to do then. With Chci být doma s rodinou v úterý, the focus is more on what you want, and the time is mentioned at the end.

Both orders are grammatically correct; the difference is mostly in emphasis and style.

Why is there no I before chci? How do we know it means I want?

The verb form chci already includes the subject I in its ending:

chci – I want
chceš – you (singular informal) want
chce – he/she/it wants
chceme – we want
chcete – you (plural/formal) want
chtějí – they want

Because the subject is clear from the verb ending, Czech usually drops personal pronouns like já (I) unless you want to emphasize them.

Chci být doma. – I want to be at home.
Já chci být doma. – I want to be at home (implying a contrast, e.g. maybe others don’t).

So V úterý chci být doma is the normal, neutral version.

Why is it chci být and not something like budu doma?

Chci být doma literally means I want to be at home – it expresses a wish or intention.

If you say:

V úterý budu doma. – I will be at home on Tuesday.

that’s a statement of fact or plan (future tense of být – to be), not a desire.

So:

V úterý chci být doma. – On Tuesday, I want to be at home. (focus on what you want)
V úterý budu doma. – On Tuesday, I will be at home. (focus on what will actually happen)

Both are correct; they simply express different things.

Why is it být doma and not být v domě or být v domu?

Doma is an adverb meaning at home. It’s the natural, everyday way to say that you are at your home:

Jsem doma. – I am at home.
Chci být doma. – I want to be at home.

Dům is the noun for house. If you say:

být v domě – to be in the house (inside a building, more literal, not necessarily your home)

That phrase is possible, but it’s more physical and less about the emotional idea of “being at home”. Doma covers the normal meaning at home much better than v domě.

What is the difference between dům and domov, and how do they relate to doma?

dům – a physical house, the building
domov – home in a more emotional or abstract sense (place where you belong)
doma – an adverb meaning at home

Examples:

To je můj dům. – This is my house (building).
Česko je můj domov. – Czechia is my home.
Jsem doma. – I am at home.

In V úterý chci být doma, you use doma because you’re talking about your state/location: being at home.

Why is it s rodinou and not s rodina?

The preposition s (with) requires the instrumental case in Czech. The noun rodina (family) is in the instrumental as rodinou.

Declension (singular):

Nominative (basic form): rodina – a family
Instrumental: rodinou – with a family / with the family

So:

s rodinou – with (my/the) family

Using s rodina would keep the noun in the nominative, which is grammatically incorrect after s in this meaning. It must be s + instrumental → s rodinou.

Why does s mean with here? Doesn’t s also mean from or off in some Slavic languages?

In Czech:

s (or its variant se) + instrumental usually means with:
- s rodinou – with (my) family
- s kamarádem – with a friend

The idea from/off is expressed with z rather than s:

z domu – from the house
vzít ze stolu – take from the table

So in s rodinou, s is clearly the preposition with. It is always followed by the instrumental case in this sense.

Can I change the order to V úterý chci být s rodinou doma? Is that okay?

Yes, V úterý chci být s rodinou doma is also grammatically correct.

The order of doma (at home) and s rodinou (with family) can change:

být doma s rodinou – to be at home, with family there
být s rodinou doma – to be with family, at home (slightly more emphasis on being with family)

Both are natural. The differences are subtle and mostly about rhythm and slight emphasis, not about grammatical correctness.

Is the present tense chci really talking about the future (Tuesday)? Why not future tense?

Czech very often uses the present tense to talk about the future, especially when:

the time is clear from context (like V úterý)
and you talk about plans, timetables, or intentions

So:

Zítra jedu do Prahy. – I’m going to Prague tomorrow.
V úterý chci být doma. – On Tuesday, I want to be at home.

You could also say:

V úterý budu chtít být doma. – I will want to be at home on Tuesday.

But that sounds more distant or theoretical. The simple chci with a future time expression is the natural way to express a plan or intention.

Is úterý always used with v, or are there other forms like v úterek?

The standard, neutral form is:

v úterý – on Tuesday

There is also a more colloquial form:

v úterek – also means on Tuesday (informal, common in speech in many regions)

So both are understood, but v úterý is more standard and what you will typically see in writing and in textbooks. In your sentence, V úterý chci být doma s rodinou is the standard version.

How do you pronounce úterý, and what is the difference between ú and ů in Czech?

Úterý is pronounced approximately:

[oo-teh-ree] (with Czech r)

The ú in úterý is a long u at the beginning of a word. In Czech, both ú and ů represent a long u sound, but:

ú is usually used at the beginning of words (e.g. úterý, úroveň)
ů is used inside words (e.g. dům, plural domy, but důmu in some forms, etc.)

In úterý, the long ú comes first, so it is written ú, not ů.