Learn Hardcore Czech: Moje dcera má ráda jasné barvy, proto nosí červené tričko a zelené kalhoty. - My daughter likes bright colors, so she wears a red T-shirt and green trousers.

Using just má would mean “My daughter has bright colours”, which is wrong in this context. You need the full phrase má ráda to express liking.

What is the difference between proto and protože?

Both relate to cause and effect, but they work differently:

proto = therefore / so / for that reason
It introduces a result.
- Moje dcera má ráda jasné barvy, proto nosí červené tričko…
  = My daughter likes bright colours, therefore she wears…
protože = because
It introduces a reason (a subordinate clause).
- Moje dcera nosí červené tričko, protože má ráda jasné barvy.
  = My daughter wears a red T‑shirt because she likes bright colours.

So:

proto → result (“so …”)
protože → reason (“because …”)

Why is there a comma before proto?

Proto is an adverb meaning therefore / so and it usually starts a new main clause that gives the result of the previous one. In Czech, when you join two main clauses like this, you normally put a comma:

Moje dcera má ráda jasné barvy, proto nosí…

You can think of it like English:

My daughter likes bright colours, so she wears…

So the comma separates two independent clauses:

Moje dcera má ráda jasné barvy
proto nosí červené tričko a zelené kalhoty

Why is it moje dcera and not má dcera?

Both moje and má are correct forms of the possessive my for feminine singular (nominative).

moje dcera – more neutral, common
má dcera – a bit more formal or literary in modern Czech

They decline the same way; the difference is mostly style. In everyday speech you will usually hear moje dcera, moje kniha, moje kočka.

Why is jasné barvy in that form? What case and number is it?

Barvy is the accusative plural of barva (a colour):

nominative singular: barva (a colour)
accusative singular: barvu
nominative plural: barvy (colours)
accusative plural: barvy (same form)

Here we have liking something:

má ráda co? → jasné barvy
(likes what? → bright colours)

So you need accusative plural for both the noun and its adjective:

feminine noun plural accusative: barvy
adjective feminine plural accusative: jasné

So: jasné barvy = bright colours (direct object).

Why is it červené tričko and zelené kalhoty, and why do both adjectives end in -é?

Good to separate noun and adjective:

tričko
- gender: neuter
- number: singular
- role: direct object of nosí (she wears what?) → accusative singular
Neuter -o noun:
- nominative sg: tričko
- accusative sg: tričko (same form)
The adjective in accusative neuter singular is:
- červené tričko (a red T‑shirt)
kalhoty
- gender: grammatically feminine
- number: plural only (like “pants/trousers” in English)
- role: direct object of nosí → accusative plural
Feminine plural noun:
- nominative pl: kalhoty
- accusative pl: kalhoty (same form)
The adjective in feminine accusative plural is:
- zelené kalhoty (green trousers)

The reason both adjectives end in -é is that:

neuter singular accusative: červené
feminine plural accusative: zelené

They look the same in this case, but they agree with different nouns (one neuter sg, one feminine pl).

Why do colour adjectives like červené, zelené, jasné go before the noun?

In Czech, adjectives that describe qualities (colour, size, opinion, etc.) normally come before the noun:

červené tričko = red T‑shirt
zelené kalhoty = green trousers
jasné barvy = bright colours

Putting them after the noun is possible but usually sounds poetic, archaic, or very marked in modern Czech. For normal speech and writing, use adjective + noun order.

Why is dcera in that form? Is it nominative?

Yes, dcera is in the nominative singular.

It is the subject of the first clause:

Kdo má ráda jasné barvy? → Moje dcera.
(Who likes bright colours? → My daughter.)

Nominative is used for the subject of the sentence, so:

Moje dcera má ráda…
dcera = nominative singular feminine.

Why is the verb nosí used here and not another verb? What nuance does it have?

Nosí is the 3rd person singular of nosit, which is an imperfective verb meaning to wear (clothes), or to carry (repeatedly).

Here it expresses a habitual action:

nosí červené tričko a zelené kalhoty
= she wears a red T‑shirt and green trousers (generally / usually)

Compare:

má na sobě červené tričko = she is wearing a red T‑shirt (right now)
nosí červené tričko = she tends to wear a red T‑shirt (as her habit)

So nosí makes sense because you are describing what she typically wears.

Could I use líbit se instead of mít ráda to say “likes bright colours”?

You can, but the structure changes:

mít rád / ráda
- direct object (accusative):
- Moje dcera má ráda jasné barvy.
  = My daughter likes bright colours.
líbit se
- indirect (dative) person + subject (nominative):
- Moji dceři se líbí jasné barvy.
  = Bright colours are pleasing to my daughter / My daughter likes bright colours.

Differences:

mít ráda is more direct and everyday for “to like something”.
líbit se literally means “to be pleasing” and often feels slightly more emotional or aesthetic (things you find nice, pretty, pleasing).

Both are correct; má ráda fits well here and is simpler for learners.

Why is ráda feminine? Does it change with the subject?

Yes. The word rád / ráda / rádo / rádi agrees with the person who likes something:

já mám rád (man speaking)
já mám ráda (woman speaking)
on má rád (he likes)
ona má ráda (she likes)
ono má rádo (it likes)
my máme rádi (we like; mixed or all-male group)
my máme rády (we like; all-female group, in careful style)

Here, the subject dcera is feminine, so:

dcera má ráda…

Are kalhoty always plural, like “pants” in English?

Yes. Kalhoty is a plural-only noun in Czech, just like pants / trousers / shorts / jeans in English.

You say:

tyto kalhoty jsou nové = these trousers are new
(not tato kalhota je nová)

You still talk about one pair of trousers, but grammatically you use plural:

jedny kalhoty = one pair of trousers
dvoje kalhoty = two pairs of trousers

In the sentence:

zelené kalhoty = green trousers (plural form).

Could I say Moje dcera miluje jasné barvy instead of má ráda?

Yes, milovat means to love, so the sentence would be:

Moje dcera miluje jasné barvy, proto nosí…
= My daughter loves bright colours, so she wears…

Nuance:

mít ráda = to like
milovat = to love (stronger)

If you want a softer, everyday “likes”, má ráda is perfect.
If you really want to emphasize a strong preference or passion, miluje works.