Learn Hardcore Czech: Vedle knihovny je další parkoviště pro učitele a studenty. - Next to the library there is another parking lot for teachers and students.

So vedle knihovny literally means “beside of (the) library,” which is why the noun changes form. This is a normal pattern with many Czech prepositions.

Does vedle always require the genitive, and are there similar prepositions?

Yes. Vedle is always followed by the genitive.

Similar prepositions that also take genitive include:

blízko
- gen.: blízko knihovny – near the library
u
- gen.: u knihovny – at/by the library
kolem
- gen.: kolem knihovny – around the library

So whenever you see vedle, expect the following noun to be in the genitive.

What is the difference between vedle knihovny and u knihovny?

Both can be translated as “by the library,” but there is a nuance:

vedle knihovny – specifically next to, beside the library (emphasizes side-by-side position)
u knihovny – at, near the library in a more general sense (somewhere by it, in front of it, nearby, etc.)

In this sentence, vedle makes it clear the parking lot is right next to the library.

What gender is knihovna, and how is it declined in the singular?

Knihovna is a feminine noun, following the common -a pattern (like žena “woman”). Singular:

Nominative: knihovna (Tady je knihovna. – Here is a library.)
Genitive: knihovny (Vedle knihovny… – Next to the library…)
Dative: knihovně (Jdu ke knihovně. – I’m going to the library.)
Accusative: knihovnu (Vidím knihovnu. – I see the library.)
Locative: v knihovně (Jsem v knihovně. – I’m in the library.)
Instrumental: knihovnou (Jdu kolem knihovny s knihovnou? – very rare context, “with a library” as an object)

In your sentence, knihovny is genitive singular because of vedle.

What exactly does další mean here? Is it “another” or “next”?

Další can mean:

another / an additional
next (in sequence)

In this sentence, další parkoviště = another / an additional parking lot, i.e., there is one more parking lot, not just one.

Examples:

další otázka – the next question / another question
další den – the next day

Další is an adjective and agrees in gender, number, and case with the noun:

další parkoviště (neuter singular)
další knihovna (feminine singular)
další učitelé (masculine animate plural)

What kind of noun is parkoviště, and what is its plural?

Parkoviště is a neuter noun ending in -e (indeclinable stem in the written form).

Singular:

Nominative/Accusative: parkoviště

Plural:

Nominative/Accusative: parkoviště (same form)

So:

To parkoviště je nové. – That parking lot is new.
Ta parkoviště jsou nová. – Those parking lots are new.

In your sentence, další parkoviště is nominative singular; it’s the subject of je (“there is”).

Why is it je další parkoviště and not jsou další parkoviště?

Because parkoviště here is singular (one additional parking lot), so the verb is je (3rd person singular of být, “to be”).

Singular: je – (to) parkoviště je… – the parking lot is…
Plural: jsou – (ta) parkoviště jsou… – the parking lots are…

If you wanted to say “Next to the library there are more parking lots,” you would say:
Vedle knihovny jsou další parkoviště.

Why is it pro učitele a studenty and not pro učitelé a studenti?

Because pro (“for”) requires the accusative case.

učitelé / studenti = nominative plural (used mainly for subjects: “Teachers and students are here.”)
učitele / studenty = accusative plural (used after pro: “for teachers and students”)

Preposition pro (“for”) is always followed by the accusative, so we must say:

pro učitele (for teachers)
pro studenty (for students)

Why do učitelé and učitele differ only slightly, and how do I know which is which?

Učitel (“teacher”) is masculine animate. In the plural:

učitelé – nominative (subject):
- Učitelé čekají. – The teachers are waiting.
učitele – accusative (object, or after pro):
- Vidím učitele. – I see the teachers.
- pro učitele – for teachers

The difference is mainly the ending:

Nominative plural: usually -é (učitelé)
Accusative plural (masc. animate): usually -e (učitele)

This pattern is typical for many masculine animate nouns (e.g., studenté / studenty, muži / muže).

Is studenty only for male students? How do I talk about female students and teachers?

In Czech, the default plural učitelé, studenti and their oblique forms učitele, studenty are grammatically masculine animate and are used for:

a group of only men, or
a mixed group (men + women)

For specifically female groups you can use the feminine forms:

učitelka – female teacher
- plural nominative: učitelky
- after pro (accusative plural): pro učitelky
studentka – female student
- plural nominative: studentky
- after pro: pro studentky

So:

mixed / male group: pro učitele a studenty
only women: pro učitelky a studentky

Why does pro take the accusative? Are there rules for which case each preposition takes?

Yes. In Czech each preposition governs a specific case (sometimes more than one, with different meanings).

Pro always takes the accusative and usually means:

for (the benefit of): dárek pro maminku – a gift for mum
intended for: místnost pro studenty – a room for students

Other examples of fixed preposition + case combinations:

do
- genitive: do knihovny – into the library
na
- accusative: na stůl – onto the table
na
- locative: na stole – on the table
v / ve
- locative: v knihovně – in the library

So you memorize each preposition with the case(s) it uses. Pro → accusative.

Could I change the word order, e.g. Další parkoviště je vedle knihovny pro učitele a studenty?

Yes, that sentence is grammatically correct and means essentially the same thing.

Nuance:

Vedle knihovny je další parkoviště…
- Starts with the location (“Next to the library there is…”).
- Typical “there is/there are” structure, introducing the existence and position of the parking lot.
Další parkoviště je vedle knihovny…
- Starts with the parking lot (“The other/another parking lot is next to the library.”).
- Sounds more like you’re talking about that particular parking lot and then specifying where it is.

Both are correct; Czech word order is relatively flexible but used to highlight different parts of the message.

How do I pronounce the tricky parts like knihovny, parkoviště, učitele, studenty?

Key points:

Stress: always on the first syllable of each word.
knihovny: KNI-hov-ny
- kn cluster: say k-nihovny smoothly; both consonants are fully pronounced.
parkoviště: PAR-ko-vish-tye
- š = English “sh”
- ě after t → “tye” (palatalized t)
učitele: OO-chi-te-le
- u as in “put,” a bit longer and clearer
- č = “ch” in “chocolate”
studenty: STOO-den-ty
- u like in “put,” again clear and short
- final y like short “i” in “sit,” but a bit more tense

None of these words have the very difficult ř sound, so they are relatively friendly for learners.

Could I say pro učitele i studenty instead of pro učitele a studenty? Is there a difference?

Yes, both are correct but slightly different in feel:

pro učitele a studenty – “for teachers and students”
- Neutral listing of two groups.
pro učitele i studenty – “for teachers as well as students”
- The i adds a sense of inclusion, often emphasizing that both groups are included, not just one.

In many contexts they’re interchangeable, but i can sound a bit more emphatic.