Questions & Answers about Za domem je malá zahrada.
Domem is the instrumental case of dům (house).
The preposition za means behind / beyond and with a static location (where something is) it normally takes the instrumental:
- za domem = behind the house (location, no movement)
Other forms of dům:
- dům – nominative (subject: The house is big = Dům je velký.)
- domu – genitive/dative/locative form, used in other contexts (e.g. do domu = into the house).
- domem – instrumental (with/behind/under etc.: s domem, za domem, před domem).
So in Za domem je malá zahrada, domem must be instrumental because of za + location.
In this sentence, za means behind (in the sense of at the back of).
Za can take two different cases, and the meaning changes:
za
- instrumental → location (where something is)
- Za domem je malá zahrada. = There is a small garden behind the house.
- Stojím za tebou. = I’m standing behind you.
za
- accusative → movement towards a position behind something
- Jdu za dům. = I’m going (to) behind the house.
- Postav se za mě. = Stand behind me (move behind me).
So za does not always use the instrumental; it depends on static location (instrumental) vs movement (accusative).
Zahrada is in the nominative singular, because it is the subject of the sentence:
- Za domem je malá zahrada.
- literally: Behind the house is a small garden.
- Subject = malá zahrada (a small garden)
Czech uses a structure similar to English “There is X”, but the grammar is different:
- English: There is a small garden behind the house.
- Czech: Behind the house is a small garden. (Za domem je malá zahrada.)
Since malá zahrada is what exists / is, it stands in the nominative.
Forms you might see:
- zahradu – accusative (e.g. I see the garden = Vidím zahradu.)
- zahradě – dative/locative (e.g. I’m in the garden = Jsem na zahradě.)
Je is the 3rd person singular of být (to be), meaning is.
In Za domem je malá zahrada, je is absolutely necessary. Without it, the sentence would be ungrammatical:
- ✅ Za domem je malá zahrada.
- ❌ Za domem malá zahrada.
Czech often omits personal pronouns (já, ty, on…) because the verb ending shows the person, but it does not normally omit the verb být in such simple present‑tense sentences describing existence/location.
Because adjectives must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.
- zahrada is:
- gender: feminine
- number: singular
- case: nominative (subject)
The nominative singular feminine form of malý (small) is malá.
Basic nominative singular forms of malý:
- malý dům – masculine (a small house)
- malá zahrada – feminine (a small garden)
- malé město – neuter (a small town)
So malá zahrada is the correct agreement: feminine singular nominative adjective + noun.
Czech has no articles (a, an, the). The bare noun zahrada can mean:
- a small garden
- the small garden
Which one is intended comes only from context, not from grammar.
- If you are mentioning it for the first time, you’d usually translate as a small garden.
- If it’s already known or previously mentioned, you might translate as the small garden.
Czech does not grammatically mark the difference; English does. The original sentence by itself is compatible with both readings.
Yes, you can change the word order. Czech word order is flexible, but it affects what is emphasized.
Za domem je malá zahrada.
- Neutral way to say: There is a small garden behind the house.
- Focus is often on what is behind the house.
Malá zahrada je za domem.
- Literally: The small garden is behind the house.
- Emphasis shifts more to where the small garden is (as opposed to somewhere else).
Za domem malá zahrada je.
- Still grammatical, but sounds more poetic or marked.
All of them can describe the same situation; the difference is in information structure and emphasis, not basic meaning.
You need to make both the verb and the adjective plural:
- Za domem jsou malé zahrady.
- jsou = they are (3rd person plural of být)
- malé zahrady = small gardens (feminine plural nominative)
Compare:
- singular: Za domem je malá zahrada.
- plural: Za domem jsou malé zahrady.
Verb and adjective must agree with zahrady (plural feminine).
No. For movement to a position behind something, za takes the accusative, not the instrumental.
- Jdu za dům. = I’m going (to) behind the house.
Compare:
- Jdu za dům. – movement → accusative (dům)
- Jsem za domem. – location → instrumental (domem)
Your original sentence is a location, so it correctly uses za domem.
Approximate pronunciation (in IPA):
- Za – /za/
- domem – /ˈdomɛm/
- je – /jɛ/
- malá – /ˈmalaː/
- zahrada – /ˈzahrada/
Whole sentence: [ˈza ˌdomɛm jɛ ˈmalaː ˈzahrada] (roughly).
Key points:
- In Czech, stress is almost always on the first syllable of the word:
- ZA domem je MAlá ZAhrada.
- All vowels are pronounced clearly (no schwa).
- r in zahrada is a rolled/trilled r.
You can, and it is grammatical, but the nuance changes.
- Za domem je malá zahrada. – more neutral, common as a way to introduce what is behind the house.
- Je malá zahrada za domem. – sounds a bit marked, often used in contexts like:
- answering a yes/no question, or
- contrasting with another location (e.g. Is the small garden in front? – No, there *is a small garden behind the house.*)
So it’s not wrong, but for a neutral statement, Za domem je malá zahrada is more natural.
In Za domem je malá zahrada, za domem is purely spatial: behind the house.
However, za can also be used in time expressions, with a different meaning:
- za hodinu – in an hour (not after the hour in a chronological list, but one hour from now)
- za rok – in a year
So:
- za domem – behind the house (place, instrumental)
- za hodinu – in an hour (time, accusative)
In the original sentence there is no time meaning; it’s only about physical position.