Learn Hardcore Czech: Nechci ztrácet čas. - I don't want to lose time.

So já (I) is understood from the ending -i in nechci, and you normally don’t say Já nechci ztrácet čas unless you want to emphasize I (as in “I don’t want to waste time,” but maybe someone else does).

What is the base form of nechci, and how is it conjugated?

Nechci is the 1st person singular present of chtít = to want.

Present tense (affirmative / negative):

já chci / nechci – I want / I don’t want
ty chceš / nechceš – you (sg.) want / don’t want
on/ona/ono chce / nechce – he/she/it wants / doesn’t want
my chceme / nechceme – we want / don’t want
vy chcete / nechcete – you (pl./formal) want / don’t want
oni chtějí / nechtějí – they want / don’t want

In Nechci ztrácet čas, the verb is in the present tense, but context can make it sound like a general statement, similar to English “I don’t want to waste time (in general / right now).”

Why is ztrácet in the infinitive form here?

After chtít (chci / nechci = I want / I don’t want), Czech normally uses the infinitive form of another verb, just like English uses “to + verb”:

chci jíst – I want to eat
chci spát – I want to sleep
nechci čekat – I don’t want to wait
nechci ztrácet čas – I don’t want to waste time

So ztrácet is the infinitive “to waste / to be wasting / to be losing (time).”

What’s the difference between ztrácet and ztratit? Could I say Nechci ztratit čas?

Yes, you can say Nechci ztratit čas, but it’s a bit different.

Czech has aspect:

ztrácet – imperfective (ongoing, repeated, process)
ztratit – perfective (one-time, completed action)

Nuance:

Nechci ztrácet čas.
= I don’t want to (keep) wasting time / I don’t want to be in the situation of wasting time.
Focus on the process, often more general.
Nechci ztratit čas.
= I don’t want to (end up) losing time.
Focus on one result, one loss.

In everyday speech, Nechci ztrácet čas sounds more natural for the general idea “I don’t want to waste time.”

Why is čas in that form with no ending? What case is it?

Čas means time and is a masculine inanimate noun.

In this sentence, čas is the direct object of ztrácet, so it must be in the accusative singular.

For masculine inanimate nouns like čas, the nominative and accusative singular look the same:

Nominative: čas – time (as the subject)
Accusative: čas – time (as the object)

So:

Čas běží. – Time is running. (nominative)
Nechci ztrácet čas. – I don’t want to waste time. (accusative)

Can I change the word order, for example Nechci čas ztrácet or Čas nechci ztrácet?

Yes. Czech word order is flexible and used to change emphasis:

Nechci ztrácet čas.
Neutral; slight focus on the activity ztrácet čas as a whole.
Nechci čas ztrácet.
Slight emphasis on čas; more like “I don’t want to be wasting (this) time.”
Čas nechci ztrácet.
Stronger emphasis on čas (“Time is what I don’t want to waste”), maybe contrasting with something else you do want to waste.

All are grammatically correct; choice depends on what you want to emphasize.

How would I say “I don’t want to waste your time” or “my time”?

You just add a possessive before čas:

Nechci ztrácet váš čas. – I don’t want to waste your time.
- váš = your (formal or plural)
Nechci ztrácet tvůj čas. – I don’t want to waste your time.
- tvůj = your (informal singular)

For my time, you normally use the reflexive possessive svůj (when the owner is the subject):

Nechci ztrácet svůj čas. – I don’t want to waste my (own) time.

You can say můj čas, but svůj is more natural when it refers back to the subject (já).

Are there other common ways to say “waste time” in Czech?

Yes, several verbs express similar ideas, often with different cases:

plýtvat časem – to waste time
- Nechci plýtvat časem. – I don’t want to waste time.
- Note: časem is instrumental.
mrhat časem – to squander time
- Nesmíš mrhat časem. – You mustn’t squander time.
promarnit / promrhat čas – to squander / throw away time (perfective; one-time result)
- Nechci promarnit čas. – I don’t want to squander time.

Ztrácet čas is very common and neutral; plýtvat/mrhat časem feel stronger, like “waste/squander,” not just “lose.”

How do I pronounce Nechci ztrácet čas, and where is the stress?

Czech stress is always on the first syllable of each word:

NECH-ci ZTRÁ-cet ČAS

Key sounds:

ch in nechci = like German Bach, a voiceless [kh]-type sound, not like English church.
c = [ts], so -ci sounds like “tsee”.
á in ztrácet is a long a (held longer): ztrá-.
č in čas = [ch] in church.

A rough English-friendly approximation:

“NEKH-tsee ZTRAH-tset CHAS”
(with strong stress on each first syllable: NECH / ZTRÁ / ČAS)

Is Nechci ztrácet čas polite, or does it sound rude?

On its own, Nechci ztrácet čas is quite direct and blunt, like English “I don’t want to waste time.” It’s fine when talking about yourself in a neutral way, but if said to someone, it can easily sound impatient.

To be more polite when talking about someone else’s time, you might say:

Nechci vás zdržovat. – I don’t want to keep you / hold you up.
Nechci ztrácet váš čas. – I don’t want to waste your time.
Nechci vás připravit o čas. – I don’t want to deprive you of time. (more formal/literary)

Adding prosím (please) or softeners like jen (just) or moc can also make it sound less harsh:

Já se omlouvám, nechci ztrácet váš čas.
– I’m sorry, I don’t want to waste your time.