Learn Hardcore Czech: Každý měsíc mám v práci nový plán.

Každý měsíc is in the accusative case of time. In Czech, when you say how often something happens (every day, every week, every month), you usually use the accusative:

každý den – every day
každý týden – every week
každý měsíc – every month

Každém měsíci would be locative and would sound wrong in this context. You generally don’t use the locative case to express this kind of regular time phrase.

What case is měsíc in here, and why does každý look like that?

Měsíc is masculine inanimate. In the phrase každý měsíc, měsíc is in the accusative singular (expression of time).

For a masculine inanimate noun in the singular, the nominative and accusative forms are the same: měsíc.

Každý also appears in the accusative masculine inanimate singular, and that form is also každý (same as nominative). So both words look like nominative, but grammatically they function as accusative.

Can I change the word order, for example to V práci mám každý měsíc nový plán? Does it change the meaning?

Yes, you can change the word order. All of these are grammatically fine:

Každý měsíc mám v práci nový plán.
V práci mám každý měsíc nový plán.
Mám v práci každý měsíc nový plán.

Czech word order is relatively flexible. The differences are in emphasis and rhythm, not in basic meaning.

Starting with Každý měsíc emphasises the regularity / frequency.
Starting with V práci emphasises where this happens.

For a learner, the original sentence is a very neutral, natural choice.

Why is it mám and not something like dostávám? Both mean “I get”, right?

Mám literally means I have. In context, Každý měsíc mám v práci nový plán is understood as:

Every month, at work, there is a new plan that I (then) have.

If you say:

Každý měsíc dostávám v práci nový plán. – Every month I receive a new plan at work.

That focuses more on the act of receiving the plan.

The original sentence is more neutral and focuses on the state: each month, at work, there is a new plan that exists / is in effect for you.

What case is v práci, and why is práci in that form?

V práci uses the preposition v + locative case.

The base word is práce (work).
Locative singular of práce is práci.

So:

v práci – at work (location)
Preposition v is used with the locative to express where something is happening.

Compare:

Jdu do práce. – I am going to work. (do
- genitive: práce)
Jsem v práci. – I am at work. (v
- locative: práci)

Why is it nový plán and not nového plánu?

Plán is a masculine inanimate noun. In this sentence, nový plán is the direct object of mám:

(Já) mám co? nový plán.

For a masculine inanimate noun in the singular, the accusative is identical to the nominative:

nominative: nový plán
accusative: nový plán

So nový plán is correct as the direct object.

Nového plánu would be genitive singular, which would only be used in other structures (for example after certain prepositions, after some verbs, or in negative sentences like Nemám nového plánu – I don’t have a new plan).

Could I leave out v práci and just say Každý měsíc mám nový plán?

Yes, that’s grammatically correct:

Každý měsíc mám nový plán.

Then you are simply saying Every month I have a new plan, without specifying that it is at work.

Adding v práci narrows the context:

Každý měsíc mám v práci nový plán. – It’s specifically a work-related plan.

What’s the difference between Každý měsíc and Každého měsíce?

Both can be translated as every month, but they feel different:

Každý měsíc – the common, neutral way to say every month in everyday speech.
Každého měsíce – genitive; sounds more formal, bookish, or old-fashioned in modern Czech, and appears more in set phrases or in written, stylised language.

In normal conversation, you should use Každý měsíc.

Is the present tense mám used here like the English “present simple” for habits?

Yes.

Czech present tense (here mám) is used very similarly to English present simple to describe:

habits and routines:
- Každý měsíc mám v práci nový plán. – Every month I have a new plan at work.
general truths, permanent states, etc.

So the tense usage here matches English quite closely.

How should I pronounce Každý měsíc mám v práci nový plán? Where is the stress?

In Czech:

Stress is always on the first syllable of each word.
Vowel length is important (short vs. long).

Approximate breakdown (stressed syllables in capitals here just to show stress):

KÁŽ-dý – long á, ý
MĚ-síc – ě is like mye, í is a long ee
MÁM – long á
v PRÁ-ci – á long
NO-vý – long ý
PLÁN – long á

So you get something like:

KÁŽ-dý MĚ-síc MÁM v PRÁ-ci NO-vý PLÁN

All words have stress on the first syllable, and you should clearly hold the long vowels (á, í, ý) a bit longer.