Říkám dětem, že zvířata v lese nejsou hračky.

I tell the children that the animals in the forest are not toys.

Breakdown of Říkám dětem, že zvířata v lese nejsou hračky.

• já: I
• být: to be
• v: in
• že: that
• říkat: to tell
• dítě: the child
• les: the forest
• zvíře: the animal
• hračka: the toy

Questions & Answers about Říkám dětem, že zvířata v lese nejsou hračky.

What does dětem mean, and why is it not děti like in the dictionary?

Děti is the basic (nominative) form meaning children.

In Říkám dětem, že zvířata v lese nejsou hračky. the word dětem is in the dative case, because you are saying something to the children.

• Říkám komu? čemu? → dětem (to the children) – dative plural
• Dictionary form: děti (nominative plural, used for the subject: Děti spí. – The children are sleeping.)
• Dative plural of many feminine nouns in -e / -ě / -i ends in -ám / -ím / -em. Here: děti → dětem.

So Říkám dětem literally means I say (it) to the children / I tell the children.

What exactly does říkám mean, and how is it different from řeknu or říkat?

All three are related to the verb říkat / říci = to say / to tell.

• říkat – imperfective infinitive (to be saying / to say repeatedly)
• říci (or říct in colloquial speech) – perfective infinitive (to say once, to get it said)

Říkám is:

• 1st person singular
• present tense
• imperfective
• from říkat

So říkám ≈ I say / I am saying / I tell (habitually or right now).

Compare:

• Říkám dětem… – I tell the children (in general / habitually, or now).
• Řeknu dětem… – I will tell the children (one concrete future act).

Where is the word “them” in the Czech sentence? In English we say “I tell them”.

In Czech, the idea of “to them” is expressed by the dative case, not by a separate pronoun.

• Říkám dětem… literally: I say (it) to the children → that to the children already includes the idea of “them”.

If you replaced dětem (the noun) by a pronoun, you would say:

• Říkám jim, že… – I tell them that…
  
  • jim = dative plural of oni (they)

So:

• Říkám dětem… = I tell the children
• Říkám jim… = I tell them

What does že do here? Is it the same as English “that” in “I tell the children that…”?

Yes. že is a subordinating conjunction that introduces a content clause, very much like English that in this sentence.

• Říkám dětem, že zvířata v lese nejsou hračky.
  → I tell the children that the animals in the forest are not toys.

Key points:

• že cannot be omitted the way English that often can.
  
  • English: I know (that) it’s true.
  • Czech: Vím, že je to pravda. – you must keep že.
• Word order in the že-clause is relatively flexible, but že itself normally comes at the beginning of the clause.

Why is there a comma before že?

Czech always puts a comma before a subordinating conjunction like že when it introduces a clause.

So:

• Říkám dětem, že zvířata v lese nejsou hračky.
  – main clause: Říkám dětem
  – subordinate clause: že zvířata v lese nejsou hračky

Rule of thumb:
Whenever you have že, když, protože, aby, etc., starting a clause, you normally put a comma before it.

Why is it zvířata and not zvíře or zvíři?

The dictionary form zvíře means an animal (singular, neuter).
Its plural is irregular: zvíře → zvířata (neuter plural).

So:

• zvíře – an animal
• zvířata – animals

In the sentence:

• zvířata v lese = the animals in the forest

The -ata plural ending is used by several neuter nouns in Czech (e.g. dítě → děti, kuře → kuřata, tele → telata, etc.).

Why is it v lese and not v lesu or v les? What case is that?

Les is the basic form (nominative singular) meaning forest / wood.

After the preposition v (in), you normally use the locative case to indicate location:

• kde? (where?) → v lese – in the forest

Forms:

• Nominative: les (subject: Les je velký.)
• Locative: v lese – in the forest

So v lese = in the forest.

You might hear v lesu in some dialects / spoken language, but v lese is the standard correct form.

Why is the verb negative nejsou and not something like jsou ne?

In Czech, the usual way to negate a verb is to put ne- directly in front of the verb, as a prefix, not as a separate word after it.

• jsou – they are
• nejsou – they are not

You do not say jsou ne.

More examples:

• mám – I have → nemám – I don’t have
• chápu – I understand → nechápu – I don’t understand

Why is hračky plural, and what form is it?

Hračka is the basic form (nominative singular) = toy.

In the sentence, we have:

• nejsou hračky – (they) are not toys

Hračky here is:

• plural
• nominative (it is the complement of nejsou)

English also uses the plural in this figurative meaning:

• “Animals in the forest are not toys.”

Czech very often uses the plural for general categories like this:

• Psi nejsou lidé. – Dogs are not people.
• Zbraně nejsou hračky. – Weapons are not toys.

Could you change the word order, for example: Dětem říkám, že zvířata v lese nejsou hračky?

Yes. Czech word order is relatively flexible, and both are correct:

• Říkám dětem, že zvířata v lese nejsou hračky.
• Dětem říkám, že zvířata v lese nejsou hračky.

The difference is mainly in emphasis:

• Starting with Dětem emphasizes to the children (as opposed to someone else):
  Dětem říkám, že… – To the children I say that…
• The original order is more neutral, simply stating what you say and to whom.

Is there any difference in meaning between “are not toys” and something stronger like “are definitely not toys” in Czech?

You can strengthen the statement in Czech in several ways. The original:

• Zvířata v lese nejsou hračky. – Animals in the forest are not toys.

Stronger versions:

• Zvířata v lese rozhodně nejsou hračky. – Animals in the forest are definitely not toys.
• Zvířata v lese nejsou žádné hračky. – Animals in the forest are no toys at all / certainly not toys.

The basic grammar stays the same; you just add adverbs or žádné for emphasis.