Learn Hardcore Czech: Já zřídka kouřím, ale vím, že je to i tak špatná věc. - I rarely smoke, but I know that it is a bad thing anyway.

In Czech, the personal pronoun is usually omitted because the verb ending already tells you the subject. So the most neutral way to say this is simply:

Zřídka kouřím, ale vím, že je to i tak špatná věc.

Using Já adds emphasis, often similar to “I personally” or “as for me” in English. It can suggest contrast (e.g. Já zřídka kouřím, ale on kouří hodně. – I rarely smoke, but he smokes a lot.) or just a slightly stronger focus on the speaker.

Can I also say Kouřím zřídka instead of Zřídka kouřím? Is there a difference?

Yes, both word orders are grammatically correct:

Zřídka kouřím – more neutral, the adverb zřídka (rarely) is in a very common position at the beginning.
Kouřím zřídka – also correct, with a slightly stronger focus on the action kouřím first, then modifying it with zřídka.

In everyday speech, Zřídka kouřím may sound a bit more natural here, but Kouřím zřídka is also fine. The difference is subtle and mostly about rhythm and slight emphasis, not about meaning.

What is the difference between zřídka and málokdy? Could I say Já málokdy kouřím?

You can absolutely say:

Já málokdy kouřím, ale vím, že je to i tak špatná věc.

zřídka = rarely, seldom
málokdy = rarely, not often

They are very close in meaning. Málokdy is more colloquial and very common in speech; zřídka can sound a bit more formal or bookish, though it is still normal.

Examples:

Zřídka chodím do kina. – I rarely go to the cinema.
Málokdy chodím do kina. – Same meaning in everyday style.

Why is it kouřím and not something like kuřím?

[ANSWERER]
The verb is kouřit = to smoke. The present tense conjugation (singular) is:

(já) kouřím – I smoke
(ty) kouříš – you smoke (sg., informal)
(on/ona/ono) kouří – he/she/it smokes

It is not connected to the verb vařit (to cook) or hřát (to heat). Spelling and pronunciation:

kouřím is pronounced roughly koorzheem (with the Czech ř sound).
The ř is crucial; it is the same sound as in tři or dobře.

There is also a verb kouřit se (impersonal, “to smoke” as in “it is smoking/steaming”), but in this sentence kouřím clearly means “I smoke (cigarettes, etc.)”.

Why is there a comma before ale? Is it always required?

Yes, in this sentence the comma before ale is required:

Já zřídka kouřím, ale vím, že je to i tak špatná věc.

In Czech, ale is a coordinating conjunction meaning “but”, and we normally separate clauses with a comma before ale, similar to English usage.

You do not put a comma if ale is used inside a simple phrase without forming a new clause, e.g.:

Je to hezké ale drahé. – It’s nice but expensive. (more informal style)

But with full clauses (separate verbs), you use the comma as in the original sentence.

Why is there also a comma before že?

In Czech, when že introduces a subordinate clause (like English “that”), there is always a comma before it:

vím, že je to i tak špatná věc
– I know that it is still a bad thing

So the commas in the whole sentence are:

Já zřídka kouřím, ale vím, že je to i tak špatná věc.
main clause 1 , but main clause 2 , that subordinate clause

Why is it vím and not znám? Don’t both mean “to know”?

Czech vĕdět (to know) and znát (to know) are used differently, similar to English “know (a fact)” vs “know (a person/place)”.

vědět = to know a fact, information, that-clause
- Vím, že je to špatná věc. – I know that it’s a bad thing.
- Nevím, kde je. – I don’t know where it is.
znát = to know a person, place, or something as a familiar object
- Znám ho. – I know him.
- Znám to město. – I know that city.

Here we are talking about knowing a fact (“that it is a bad thing”), so vím is correct, not znám.

Why is it je to i tak špatná věc and not to je i tak špatná věc?

Both je to i tak špatná věc and to je i tak špatná věc are possible, but there is a preferred structure here.

Two common patterns:

To je + adjective/noun
- To je špatná věc. – That is a bad thing.
Je to + adjective/noun
- Je to špatná věc. – It is a bad thing.

In embedded clauses introduced by že, Czech quite often uses “že je to…”:

vím, že je to špatná věc sounds very natural.
vím, že to je špatná věc is also correct but often a bit less smooth; it can add slight emphasis on to (that).

So the chosen form že je to i tak špatná věc follows a very common, neutral pattern.

What exactly does i tak mean here? Is it the same as přesto or stejně?

i tak in this sentence means “even so / still / nevertheless”.

…ale vím, že je to i tak špatná věc.
→ …but I know it’s a bad thing *even so.*

Similar expressions:

přesto – nevertheless
- …ale vím, že je to přesto špatná věc.
stejně – still, anyway (in this sense)
- …ale vím, že je to stejně špatná věc.
pořád – still (more “continuously”)
- …ale vím, že je to pořád špatná věc.

i tak has a slight feeling of “even under these conditions / even in this situation”, which fits the contrast: I rarely smoke, but even so, it’s a bad thing.

Why do we say špatná věc (“bad thing”) and not just špatné (“bad”)?

Both are possible, but they sound a bit different:

…vím, že je to i tak špatná věc.
– I know it is still a bad thing. (explicit noun věc)
…vím, že je to i tak špatné.
– I know it is still bad. (purely adjectival, more general)

Using věc (thing) makes the sentence slightly more concrete or moral-sounding, like talking about an action as a “bad thing to do”.

Using just špatné focuses more on the quality (it is bad) without labelling it explicitly as a “thing”.

Both are natural; the original just chooses the variant with věc.

Why is it špatná and not špatný or špatné?

špatná is in the feminine singular nominative form, because it agrees with the noun věc, which is:

věc – feminine noun, singular, nominative
Therefore the attributive adjective must match: špatná věc

Forms of špatný in singular nominative:

masculine animate: špatný člověk – a bad person
masculine inanimate: špatný den – a bad day
feminine: špatná věc – a bad thing
neuter: špatné jídlo – bad food

So špatná věc is grammatically required here.

What is the function of to in že je to i tak špatná věc? Is it just “it”?

Yes, to here is a neutral pronoun (it/that), very common in Czech patterns like:

Je to + adjective/noun
- Je to špatná věc. – It is a bad thing.
- Je to problém. – It is a problem.

In your sentence, to refers back to the whole idea of “(my) smoking”:

…ale vím, že je to i tak špatná věc.
→ “I know that this (the smoking) is still a bad thing.”

Czech uses to very often in such constructions, even when English might omit the pronoun or use a more vague it.

Is the sentence still grammatical if I drop Já and i tak?

Yes. Various shorter versions are possible:

Zřídka kouřím, ale vím, že je to špatná věc.
– Still fully correct and natural.
Zřídka kouřím, ale vím, že je to pořád špatná věc.
– Using pořád (still) instead of i tak.
Zřídka kouřím, ale vím, že je to špatné.
– Without věc and without i tak.

The original Já … i tak … just adds nuance and emphasis:
Já → focus on “I personally”;
i tak → “even so / despite that”.