Learn Hardcore Czech: Moje dcera říká, že zelené šaty se dobře hodí k jejím bílým botám. - My daughter says that the green dress goes well with her white shoes.

The main clause is Moje dcera říká (My daughter says).
The subordinate clause is že zelené šaty se dobře hodí k jejím bílým botám (that the green dress goes well with her white shoes).

So že works just like English that in sentences such as She says that..., I think that..., He knows that... and it almost always takes a comma before it in Czech writing.

Why is it zelené šaty and not zelená šaty?

The noun šaty is grammatically plural, even when it means a single dress.

šaty = dress (but grammatically plural, like trousers in English)
Nominative plural feminine ending for adjectives is typically -é (for soft-type adjectives).

So you need:

zelené šaty = literally green dresses, but in practice often (a) green dress.

zelená is singular feminine, so it would go with nouns like:

zelená košile – a green shirt
zelená sukně – a green skirt

But with šaty, you must use the plural form: zelené šaty.

Is šaty always plural? Can it mean more than one dress too?

Yes, šaty is a plural-only noun (pluralia tantum):

jedny šaty – one (pair of) dress
dvoje šaty – two dresses
troje šaty – three dresses

Context decides whether šaty means one dress or several:

Koupila jsem si nové šaty.
→ Could be I bought a new dress or I bought new dresses.

In your sentence, zelené šaty can most naturally be taken as one green dress, but grammatically it’s plural.

What does se do in hodí se? Isn’t hodit “to throw”?

The verb hodit on its own usually means “to throw”:

hodit míč – to throw a ball

But in the reflexive form hodit se, it has a different meaning:

hodit se (k něčemu) = to suit, to go well (with something), to be appropriate (for something)

So:

zelené šaty se dobře hodí k jejím bílým botám
≈ the green dress goes well with her white shoes / matches her white shoes nicely.

Here se is a reflexive particle that changes the meaning of the verb. This is very common in Czech; many verbs have a basic meaning and a different reflexive meaning.

Why is it k jejím bílým botám and not something with na or s?

The preposition k in Czech often means:

“to / towards” in a spatial sense, and
metaphorically, “with / to” in the sense of matching or belonging with something.

In the phrase hodit se k něčemu (to go well with something), k is the standard preposition:

hodí se k jejím bílým botám – goes well with her white shoes
hodí se k tomu svetru – goes well with that sweater

Using s (with) here would sound wrong:

✗ hodí se s jejím bílým botám – incorrect

na means “on” and is used differently, e.g.:

vzít si šaty na večírek – to wear a dress to a party (for the party)

So in combination with hodit se, you should remember hodit se k + dative.

Why are jejím and bílým in that form? What case is k jejím bílým botám?

The preposition k always takes the dative case.
The noun bota (shoe), plural boty, in dative plural is:

botám

The adjectives and possessive pronoun have to match the noun in gender, number, and case:

feminine plural dative endings: usually -ým / -ím

So:

jejím – her (dative plural feminine)
bílým – white (dative plural feminine)
botám – shoes (dative plural feminine)

All three agree:

k jejím bílým botám
→ k
- dative plural feminine

Why is it jejím bílým botám if the subject is moje dcera? Why not mojí dcery bílým botám or something similar?

In Czech you usually use possessive adjectives/pronouns rather than a genitive “of-phrase” for possession with people:

její boty – her shoes
dcera má boty – the daughter has shoes
dcery boty is possible but sounds more like a label (the daughter’s shoes as a phrase, often written, less natural in everyday speech here).

In your sentence, the possession is clear from the context: Moje dcera is the person, and we refer to her shoes. So:

jejím bílým botám = (to) her white shoes

Using botám mojí dcery would be grammatically possible but stylistically heavier and less natural in this particular context.

Why is it Moje dcera, but later jejím and not something like mojím?

Moje refers to my (the speaker’s) daughter:

Moje dcera – my daughter

Later, when we talk about her shoes (the daughter’s shoes), we wouldn’t usually repeat moje; we switch to její / jejím (her):

její bílá bota – her white shoe (nominative)
k jejím bílým botám – to her white shoes (dative plural)

If we said k mojím bílým botám, that would mean:

to my white shoes – the speaker’s shoes, not the daughter’s.

So the pronoun changes because the owner we are referring to is different: first I (my daughter), then she (her shoes).

Could I say Moje dcera říká, že se zelené šaty dobře hodí k jejím bílým botám? Does the word order of se and dobře matter?

Yes, Moje dcera říká, že se zelené šaty dobře hodí k jejím bílým botám is also correct.

Czech word order is relatively flexible, especially with clitics like se. Common possibilities:

… že zelené šaty se dobře hodí k jejím bílým botám.
… že se zelené šaty dobře hodí k jejím bílým botám.
… že zelené šaty se hodí dobře k jejím bílým botám. (more emphasis on well)

Differences are mostly about rhythm and emphasis, not basic grammar. The version you have is very natural and common.

What’s the difference between hodit se k něčemu and other ways of saying “to match / go with,” like jít k něčemu or ladit s něčím?

All of these can describe things that look good together, but they differ in nuance and usual usage:

hodit se k něčemu – very common, neutral
- Ty boty se hodí k těm šatům. – Those shoes go well with that dress.
jít k něčemu – a bit more colloquial, similar meaning
- Ty boty k tomu nejdou. – Those shoes don’t go with it.
ladit s něčím – focuses more on harmony, coordination (colors, style)
- Ta barva neladí s tvýma očima. – That color doesn’t harmonize with your eyes.

In your sentence, hodí se k jejím bílým botám is the most straightforward and typical way to say goes well with her white shoes.

Why is it říká (present) and not řekla, if she already said it?

říkat (imperfective) vs říct / říci (perfective):

říkat – to say (repeatedly, habitually, or emphasizing the process)
říct / říci – to say (once, as a completed act)

Moje dcera říká, že… suggests:

she generally says / often says / is saying (now) that the green dress goes well with her white shoes.

If you wanted to talk about one specific, completed act of saying, you’d use řekla:

Moje dcera řekla, že zelené šaty se dobře hodí k jejím bílým botám.
– My daughter said that the green dress goes well with her white shoes. (one occasion)

Why is it Moje dcera and not Má dcera? What’s the difference between moje and má?

Both moje dcera and má dcera mean “my daughter”. The difference is stylistic and positional:

moje – the full form
má – the short form, more typical after the verb or in more formal/literary style.

Typical patterns:

To je moje dcera. – This is my daughter.
Dcera má narozeniny. – My daughter has a birthday.
Má dcera is possible, but sounds a bit more formal or old-fashioned in everyday speech, especially at the beginning of a sentence.

So Moje dcera říká… is the most neutral, natural way to start this sentence in modern Czech.

How do you pronounce říká? What is the sound ř?

říká is pronounced roughly like:

[řiːkaː]

The ř is a special Czech sound that does not exist in English. It’s often described as:

a rolled / trilled r plus a zh sound (like the s in measure) at the same time.

Some tips:

Start with a normal Czech r (a tap or trill with the tongue).
Then add frication (a slight buzzing) as in ž (like the s in pleasure).
Voiced in říká, so your vocal cords vibrate.

This makes říká sound a bit like “rzhí-kah”, but with the two parts (r + zh) blended into a single consonant.