Breakdown of Dnes mám na sobě červené tričko a modré kalhoty.
Questions & Answers about Dnes mám na sobě červené tričko a modré kalhoty.
In Czech, subject pronouns (like já, ty, on) are usually dropped, because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.
- mám clearly marks I (1st person singular), so já is not needed.
- You can add já for emphasis or contrast:
- Já dnes mám na sobě červené tričko a modré kalhoty. (As for me, today I’m wearing…)
Without emphasis, leaving já out is the most natural choice.
Czech doesn’t normally use a single verb for to be wearing the way English does. Instead, it uses the phrase:
- mít něco na sobě = literally to have something on oneself → to be wearing something right now
Compare:
- Dnes mám na sobě červené tričko… = Today I am wearing a red T-shirt… (right now)
- Nosím červené tričko do práce. = I wear a red T-shirt to work. (habit, generally)
So:
- mám na sobě → current state, what is on your body now
- nosím → habit or repeated action, what you (usually) wear
na sobě = on oneself (reflexive form)
- It’s a fixed expression with mít for clothes and similar things:
- mít na sobě šaty – to be wearing a dress
- mít na sobě boty – to be wearing shoes
- It’s a fixed expression with mít for clothes and similar things:
na mně also means on me, but it is not used for clothes in this construction. It sounds more like:
- A fly is on me, paint is on me, dirt is on me, etc.
So for I am wearing…, you should learn the whole chunk mít na sobě as a set phrase.
Czech word order is flexible. All of these are grammatically correct:
- Dnes mám na sobě červené tričko a modré kalhoty.
- Mám dnes na sobě červené tričko a modré kalhoty.
- Mám na sobě dnes červené tričko a modré kalhoty.
Differences:
- Starting with Dnes is very natural and neutral. It sets the time frame first (Today…).
- Mám dnes na sobě… is also common; dnes is still clearly about the time.
- Mám na sobě dnes… is possible, but the dnes sounds a bit more highlighted, like you are contrasting with other days.
So yes, you can move dnes, but the original order is the most typical.
Because tričko is a neuter noun, and adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe.
- tričko – neuter, singular
- In this sentence it’s a direct object (what you have on yourself), so it’s in the accusative singular.
For a regular adjective like červený (red), the neuter nominative/accusative singular ending is -é:
- masculine: červený svetr
- neuter: červené tričko
- feminine: červená košile
So červené tričko is the correctly agreed form: neuter singular accusative.
No. kalhoty (trousers, pants) is feminine plural, but:
For adjectives like modrý (blue), the feminine plural nominative/accusative ending is also -é:
- feminine plural: modré kalhoty, červené boty, krátké sukně
So:
- červené tričko – neuter singular accusative (adjective ending -é)
- modré kalhoty – feminine plural accusative (adjective ending -é)
The ending -é appears in both, but for different grammar reasons (neuter sg vs feminine pl). You have to know the gender/number of the noun to interpret it.
They are in the accusative case, because they are direct objects of mám na sobě (I have… on myself).
- mít něco → něco goes into accusative (what do you have?)
- červené tričko – neuter singular accusative
- modré kalhoty – feminine plural accusative
With these genders and numbers, the accusative forms look the same as the nominative forms:
- neuter sg: nominative = accusative (červené tričko)
- feminine pl: nominative = accusative (modré kalhoty)
So you don’t see the case change in the form itself; you understand it from the function in the sentence.
In Czech, kalhoty is a plural-only noun (called pluralia tantum). It is always plural, even for a single pair:
- jedny kalhoty – one pair of pants / one pair of trousers
- dvoje kalhoty – two pairs
- troje kalhoty – three pairs
You don’t say *kalhota for one trouser leg in normal speech. So just remember:
- kalhoty = a pair of trousers / pants (formally plural, but conceptually one item of clothing).
Both a and i can be translated as and, but they are used differently:
a – neutral and, simply connects items:
- červené tričko a modré kalhoty – a red T-shirt and blue trousers
i – and also, as well, even (adds emphasis or inclusion):
- Mám na sobě tričko i svetr. – I’m wearing a T-shirt and also a sweater.
- Mluvím i česky. – I also speak Czech.
In your sentence, you are just listing two pieces of clothing, so the neutral a is the natural choice.
You can say it, but the meaning changes:
Mám červené tričko a modré kalhoty.
- Most naturally: I have a red T-shirt and blue trousers (I own them).
Mám na sobě červené tričko a modré kalhoty.
- I am wearing a red T-shirt and blue trousers (right now, on my body).
Context could sometimes make the “wearing” meaning clear even without na sobě, but the safe, natural way to say I am wearing is to include na sobě.
Both are correct and very common:
- dnes – neutral, a bit more standard/formal
- dneska – slightly more colloquial/informal, everyday speech
You could say:
- Dnes mám na sobě červené tričko a modré kalhoty.
- Dneska mám na sobě červené tričko a modré kalhoty.
The meaning is the same: Today I am wearing… The choice is mostly about style and personal habit.
You usually need to learn the gender with the noun, but there are helpful patterns:
tričko
- Ending -o is very often neuter (e.g. město, auto, jablko).
- So tričko → neuter singular.
kalhoty
- Ends in -y and is only used in plural → often a feminine plural noun (e.g. boty, šaty, noviny).
- Dictionary or experience confirms kalhoty is feminine plural and plural-only.
Once you know the noun’s gender and number, you can correctly choose adjective endings like červené, modré.