Když píšu dlouhý text, bolí mě ruka i hlava.

When I write a long text, my hand and my head hurt.

Breakdown of Když píšu dlouhý text, bolí mě ruka i hlava.

• já: I
• psát: to write
• i: also
• když: when
• mě: me
• dlouhý: long
• bolet: to hurt
• text: the text
• ruka: the hand
• hlava: the head

Questions & Answers about Když píšu dlouhý text, bolí mě ruka i hlava.

What does když mean here, and how is it different from kdy?

Když is a conjunction meaning when in the sense of whenever / every time / when(ever) it happens that…. It introduces a whole clause.

• Když píšu dlouhý text, …
  = When(ever) I write a long text, …

Kdy is a question word meaning when? used in questions or indirect questions:

• Kdy píšeš ten text? = When are you writing that text?
• Nevím, kdy píšeš ten text. = I don’t know when you’re writing that text.

So:

• když = when (as a conjunction in statements)
• kdy = when? (as a question word)

Why is it píšu and not something like písám or psám? What’s the infinitive?

The infinitive is psát = to write. It’s irregular and changes its stem in the present tense.

Present tense of psát (informal spoken forms):

• já píšu – I write / I am writing
• ty píšeš – you write
• on/ona/to píše – he/she/it writes
• my píšeme – we write
• vy píšete – you (pl./formal) write
• oni píšou / píší – they write

There is also a more formal variant píši instead of píšu, mainly in written language:

• já píši – I write (formal, old‑fashioned / literary)

So in everyday speech and writing, píšu is the normal 1st person singular form of psát.

Why is dlouhý in that form? What is it agreeing with?

Dlouhý is an adjective meaning long. In Czech, adjectives must agree with the noun in:

• gender
• number
• case

The noun text is:

• masculine
• singular
• in the accusative case (because it is the direct object of píšu)

Masculine inanimate, singular, accusative form of dlouhý is dlouhý (same shape as nominative).

So:

• dlouhý text = a long text
  (masc. sg. acc. adjective + masc. sg. acc. noun)

If you changed the noun, the adjective would change too:

• dlouhá kniha (feminine) – a long book
• dlouhé slovo (neuter) – a long word

Why is there a comma in Když píšu dlouhý text, bolí mě ruka i hlava?

In Czech, a subordinate clause introduced by když is normally separated from the main clause by a comma.

Structure:

• Subordinate clause: Když píšu dlouhý text = When I write a long text
• Main clause: bolí mě ruka i hlava = my hand and my head hurt

Rule: když-clauses (time clauses) are separated with a comma, regardless of whether they come first or second:

• Když píšu dlouhý text, bolí mě ruka i hlava.
• Bolí mě ruka i hlava, když píšu dlouhý text.

What does bolí mě literally mean, and why is mě after bolí?

Bolet = to hurt / to ache (to be painful).

The pattern is:

• [something] bolí [someone in the accusative]

So:

• Bolí mě ruka.
  Literally: The hand hurts me.
  Natural English: My hand hurts.

Here mě is the object (accusative of já = I). Ruka is the subject.

Word order in Czech is flexible. You can say:

• Bolí mě ruka. (neutral)
• Mě bolí ruka. (emphasis on me, like I’m the one whose hand hurts)
• Ruka mě bolí. (emphasis on ruka)

In the sentence:

• … bolí mě ruka i hlava.

the neutral order bolí mě X is used. Other orders are possible but may change the emphasis slightly.

What is the difference between mě and mně? Why is it bolí mě, not bolí mně?

Both mě and mně are forms of já (I), but used in different cases and positions.

Very simplified practical rule:

• After verbs (as a direct object) you almost always use mě:

  • Bolí mě ruka. – My hand hurts.
  • Vidíš mě? – Do you see me?

• Mně is typically used in dative (to/for me) or for emphasis in certain positions:

  • Mně je zima. – I am cold. (literally: It is cold to me.)
  • To se mně nelíbí. – I don’t like that. (emphasis on me)

In bolí mě ruka, mě is in the accusative as a direct object of bolí, so mě is correct, not mně.

Why is it just ruka, not moje ruka (= my hand)?

Czech often leaves out possessive pronouns (můj, tvoje, jeho…) with body parts and close relationships when it’s clear from context whose it is.

So:

• Bolí mě ruka.
  Literally: The hand hurts me.
  Meaning: My hand hurts.

Adding moje is not wrong, but it usually adds contrast or emphasis:

• Bolí mě moje ruka, ne tvoje.
  It’s my hand that hurts, not yours.

In the neutral sentence, ruka without moje is the most natural.

Does ruka mean only hand, or also arm?

Ruka in Czech usually covers both hand and arm as one unit, especially in everyday speech.

More specific terms exist:

• dlaň = palm
• prsty = fingers
• paže = arm (upper arm)
• loket = elbow

But in typical sentences like:

• Bolí mě ruka.
  people often just mean my arm / my hand in general, and English often chooses arm in translation depending on context.

So in bolí mě ruka, the natural translation could be my hand hurts or my arm hurts, depending on what you want to express. In the given sentence (writing a long text), hand sounds more natural in English.

What does i mean in ruka i hlava? Why not a?

Both a and i can translate as and, but they’re used a bit differently.

• a = neutral and, just connecting things:

  • ruka a hlava – the hand and the head

• i = and also / as well / even / both … and
  It adds a feeling of addition or both of them.

So:

• ruka i hlava can be felt as both my hand and my head.

The sentence:

• bolí mě ruka i hlava

naturally suggests: both my hand and my head hurt (they both hurt, not just one).
You could say ruka a hlava; it’s grammatically fine, just a bit more neutral, less “both”‑like in tone.

Is the present tense píšu here talking about now, or in general?

In Czech, the present tense is also used for general, repeated situations, like English when I do X, Y happens.

So:

• Když píšu dlouhý text, bolí mě ruka i hlava.
  = When(ever) I write a long text, my hand and head hurt.
  (general habit / repeated situation)

It does not mean:

• Right now I’m writing a long text and my hand hurts.

For a specific present moment, you would usually add context words:

• Teď, když píšu tenhle dlouhý text, bolí mě ruka i hlava.
  Now, when I’m writing this long text, my hand and head hurt.

Can I change the word order in the second part? For example: Ruka i hlava mě bolí?

Yes, Czech allows various word orders. All of these are grammatically correct, but differ in emphasis:

1. Bolí mě ruka i hlava. (original)
   Neutral: my hand and head hurt.

2. Ruka i hlava mě bolí.
   More focus on ruka i hlava (it’s the hand and head that hurt).

3. Mě bolí ruka i hlava.
   Emphasizes mě: I’m the one whose hand and head hurt (e.g., not someone else’s).

All three are fine. The original version is very natural and neutral.

Could I also say something like Když píšu dlouhý text, mám bolest v ruce a v hlavě?

You could, but it would sound unusual or overly formal in everyday Czech.

More natural options:

• Když píšu dlouhý text, bolí mě ruka i hlava.
  (most natural and common)

If you want to avoid bolet, you could say for example:

• Když píšu dlouhý text, mám unavenou ruku a hlavu.
  = When I write a long text, my hand and head are tired.

Using mám bolest v ruce a v hlavě is grammatically correct but sounds clinical or written, not like normal spoken Czech for this context. The verb bolet is the standard way to talk about body parts hurting.