Mám tě moc rád.

I like you very much.

Breakdown of Mám tě moc rád.

• já: I
• mít rád: to like
• tě: you
• moc: too

Questions & Answers about Mám tě moc rád.

What is the literal, word‑for‑word translation of Mám tě moc rád?

Literally:

• Mám – I have
• tě – you (object form, informal singular)
• moc – very / much / a lot
• rád – glad / pleased / fond

So a literal gloss is: “I have you very gladly.”

Idiomatic English equivalents are:

• I like you very much.
• In a closer/romantic context: I love you very much.

Why is the verb mít (mám = I have) used here? Is this about possession?

No, this is not about possession. In Czech there is a common pattern:

• mít + někoho/něco + rád = to like / to be fond of someone or something

So mít rád is a set expression meaning to like / to be fond of / to love (emotionally).

Examples:

• Mám tě rád. – I like/love you.
• Mám kávu rád. – I like coffee.
• Mám tu písničku rád. – I like that song.

So mám in this phrase is part of an idiom, not literal physical possession.

What grammatical case is tě, and why is it used here?

Tě is the accusative form (object case) of the informal singular ty (you).

The structure is:

• mít (někoho) rád – to like / be fond of someone (direct object)

So tě is “you” as the direct object:

• Mám (I have) tě (you – object) moc rád (very fond).

If you changed the person, you’d also change the object pronoun:

• Mám ho rád. – I like him.
• Mám ji rád. – I like her.
• Mám je rád. – I like them.

Why is tě in the middle? Could you say Mám moc tě rád or Mám tě rád moc?

Tě is a clitic – an unstressed pronoun that likes to sit in the “second position” in the clause, after the first stressed element. That’s why:

• Mám tě moc rád. – natural
• Já tě mám moc rád. – also natural; here já is the first stressed element, so tě comes second.

Variations:

• Mám tě moc rád. – most common, very natural.
• Mám tě rád moc. – possible in speech, but sounds a bit less neutral; the adverb feels tacked on at the end.
• Mám moc tě rád. – usually sounds wrong/unnatural.
• Tě mám moc rád. – possible for emphasis on tě (“You I like very much”), but that’s special emphasis, not neutral word order.

So the safest and most standard is Mám tě moc rád. (or with optional Já at the start).

What exactly does moc mean here? Is it the same as English “too much”?

Moc is a degree adverb meaning:

• very, a lot, much

In this sentence, moc is positive intensity:

• Mám tě moc rád. – I like/love you very much / a lot.

It usually does not mean “too much” in this emotional context. For “too much” you’d normally use something like příliš.

Other similar intensifiers with mám tě rád:

• Mám tě hodně rád. – I like you a lot.
• Mám tě strašně rád. – I like you terribly / so much (colloquial, strong).
• Mám tě hrozně rád. – same as strašně, very strong, informal.

Moc is neutral and very common.

What is the difference between Mám tě rád and Miluju tě?

Both can be affectionate, but their typical use differs:

• Mám tě rád.

  • Literally: I have you gladly.
  • Often: “I like you” or “I’m fond of you.”
  • Can be used for:
    • friends, relatives, children
    • romantic partners (especially in softer, tender contexts)
  • Emotional intensity: from friendly to loving, depending on tone/context.

• Miluju tě. (also Miluji tě. – more formal spelling)

  • Straightforward: I love you.
  • Typically romantic or very deep love (partner, sometimes children).
  • Stronger and more direct than mám tě rád.

So Mám tě moc rád. could be:

• Warm “I really like you” between friends, or
• Soft “I love you very much” in a relationship.

Miluju tě is almost always understood as romantic/strong love.

Why is it rád and not something like rádý or a form agreeing with tě?

Rád agrees with the subject (“I”), not with tě (“you”).

The pattern is:

• mít + object + rád / ráda / rádo / rádi

The form of rád depends on the gender and number of the person who feels the emotion, i.e. the speaker:

Singular:

• Man speaking: Mám tě moc rád.
• Woman speaking: Mám tě moc ráda.
• Neuter (for things/animals grammatically neuter): Má to moc rádo děti.

Plural:

• Group of men or mixed group: Máme tě moc rádi.
• Group of women only: Máme tě moc rády.

So if you are a woman and you say Mám tě moc rád, it’s grammatically wrong; you should use ráda.

How do you make this sentence formal or plural, not just “you” singular informal?

Informal singular (“you” to one person you know well):

• Mám tě moc rád. (man speaking)
• Mám tě moc ráda. (woman speaking)

Formal singular or plural (“you” polite to one person, or “you all”):

• Mám vás moc rád. (man speaking)
• Mám vás moc ráda. (woman speaking)

Key changes:

• tě → vás (formal or plural object)
• rád/ráda still agrees with the speaker, not with vás.

Can I include já (“I”) at the beginning? When would I say Já tě mám moc rád?

Yes, you can add já:

• Já tě mám moc rád.
• Já tě mám moc ráda.

In Czech the subject pronoun is usually omitted because the verb ending shows who is speaking. Adding já puts emphasis on I:

• Já tě mám moc rád = I (as opposed to someone else) like/love you very much.
• It can imply contrast, e.g., “Maybe others don’t, but I do.”

Neutral statement: Mám tě moc rád.
Emphatic/contrasting: Já tě mám moc rád.

Can I use the same structure for things and activities, not just for people?

Yes. Mít rád works for people, animals, objects, and activities.

Examples with things:

• Mám moc rád kávu. – I really like coffee.
• Mám tohle město rád. – I like this city.

Examples with activities:

• Mám moc rád cestování. – I really like travelling.
• Mám rád čtení. – I like reading.

You’ll also see an alternative pattern with rád in a different position:

• Moc rád piju kávu. – I really like drinking coffee.
• Rád chodím do kina. – I like going to the cinema.

Both patterns are common; they just structure the sentence slightly differently.

How would this sentence change in the past or future?

Keep tě and rád/ráda, change mám to the appropriate tense.

Past (man speaking):

• Měl jsem tě moc rád. – I used to like/love you very much / I liked you very much.
  (Can also mean “I loved you very much” depending on context.)

Past (woman):

• Měla jsem tě moc ráda.

Future (man):

• Budu tě mít moc rád. – I will like/love you very much.

Future (woman):

• Budu tě mít moc ráda.

Note: In real conversation, future forms of emotions are used less often; context often covers it.

How should I pronounce Mám tě moc rád correctly?

Rough pronunciation (English-style):

• Mám – [maam] (a long á, like a longer “a” in father).
• tě – [tye] (soft ť, tongue against the palate; ě like “ye”).
• moc – [mots] (final c like “ts” in cats).
• rád – [raat] (again long á, and final d is often a bit softened, close to [t]).

Stress: always on the first syllable of the sentence: MÁM tě moc rád.
Czech vowels with accents (á, é, í, ó, ú, ů, ý) are long, not stressed—length and stress are separate.

Do I really have to write all the accents (čárky, háčky) in Mám tě moc rád?

In proper Czech, yes, you should:

• Mám tě moc rád.

Without diacritics (Mam te moc rad) native speakers can still understand you in casual writing (texts, chats), but:

• It looks childish or careless in any formal context.
• It can cause confusion in other sentences where different words become identical without accents.

For learning purposes, always use the correct accents; they matter for both pronunciation and meaning.