Jaký je ten film?

What is that film like?

Breakdown of Jaký je ten film?

• být: to be
• film: the film
• ten: that
• jaký: what

Questions & Answers about Jaký je ten film?

Why do we use Jaký instead of Jak to ask “What is the film like?”?

In Czech, jak means how, while jaký means what kind / what … like.
To ask for an opinion or description of a noun, you normally use jaký + noun:

• Jaký je ten film? – What is the film like? / How is the film?
• Jaká je ta kniha? – What is the book like?

Using Jak je ten film? would sound incomplete or odd; you need jaký to connect the question to the noun film.

Why is Jaký masculine here, and how would it change with a different noun?

Jaký behaves like an adjective and must agree with the noun in gender, number and case.
Film is masculine (inanimate), so you use:

• Jaký je ten film?

Other genders:

• Feminine (e.g. kniha – book): Jaká je ta kniha?
• Neuter (e.g. město – city): Jaké je to město?

So the pattern is:
Jaký / Jaká / Jaké + je + [demonstrative] + [noun].

What is the function of ten in Jaký je ten film? Do we really need it?

Ten is a demonstrative determiner, roughly like that / the in English. Here it means that particular film we both know about.

• Jaký je film? – What is film (in general) like? / What is the (concept of) film like? (sounds general or abstract)
• Jaký je ten film? – What is that (specific) film like?

You can often drop ten in casual speech, but you change the nuance. With ten, it clearly refers to a specific film already known in the context.

What’s the difference between Jaký je ten film? and Jaký je film?

• Jaký je ten film? – You have a specific film in mind (the one we just talked about, the one we’re going to see, etc.).
• Jaký je film? – Sounds more general, almost like asking about film as a medium or about films overall. In everyday conversation, without context, it can sound a bit odd or too general.

So for talking about a particular movie, Jaký je ten film? is the natural choice.

How is Jaký je ten film? different from Jaký je to film?

They ask slightly different things:

• Jaký je ten film? – You’re asking for an evaluation or description: Is it good, boring, funny, long, etc.
  
  • Expected answers: Je dobrý, je nudný, je vtipný…
• Jaký je to film? – You’re usually asking for the type or genre: What kind of film is it?
  • Expected answers: Je to komedie, je to horor, je to dokument…

In practice, both can sometimes overlap, but that’s the main difference.

Could I say Jaký ten film je? instead? Is that still correct?

Yes, Jaký ten film je? is grammatically correct. Czech word order is flexible.

• Jaký je ten film? is the most common, neutral order.
• Jaký ten film je? puts a bit more emphasis on ten film, sounding slightly more expressive: “So what is that film like, then?”

For standard, neutral usage, stick with Jaký je ten film?.

Can I drop je and say just Jaký ten film?

No, in a full sentence you need the verb je (is). Jaký ten film? without je sounds incomplete or very telegraphic, like a note or a headline.

Correct full question: Jaký je ten film?

In fast, informal speech people might sometimes skip words, but you should learn and use the full form with je.

How would I say “What are the films like?” in the plural?

You need to put both the adjective and the verb in the plural:

• Jaké jsou ty filmy? – What are the films like?

Breakdown:

• Jaké – plural form for non‑masculine‑animate nouns (here filmy, masculine inanimate plural).
• jsou – plural of je (to be).
• ty filmy – those films / the films.

So the pattern is: Jaké jsou ty [plural noun]?

How do typical answers to Jaký je ten film? look in Czech?

You normally answer with je + adjective (agreeing in gender with film):

• Je dobrý. – It’s good.
• Je nudný. – It’s boring.
• Je vtipný. – It’s funny.
• Je dlouhý / krátký. – It’s long / short.

Because film is masculine, the adjectives end in ‑ý: dobrý, špatný, zajímavý, etc.

Is Jaký je ten film? closer to “How is the film?” or “What kind of film is it?” in English?

In most contexts, Jaký je ten film? corresponds to “How is the film?” in the sense of “What is it like? Is it good or bad?” – asking for an opinion.

If you specifically want “What kind of film is it?” (genre/type), Jaký je to film? is usually a better match.

Could I use Který instead of Jaký here, like Který je ten film??

No, that would be wrong in this context.

• Jaký asks about the quality, nature, or characteristics of something: what it’s like.

• Který means which (one) and is used to choose from a set:

  • Který film se ti líbí? – Which film do you like?

So to ask for an opinion/description of a specific film, you need Jaký je ten film?, not Který.