Mám málo času.

I have little time.

Breakdown of Mám málo času.

• já: I
• mít: to have
• čas: the time
• málo: little

Questions & Answers about Mám málo času.

What does mám mean, and which verb is it from?

Mám means “I have”.

It is the 1st person singular present form of the verb mít (to have):

• já mám – I have
• ty máš – you have (sg., informal)
• on/ona/ono má – he/she/it has
• my máme – we have
• vy máte – you have (pl. or formal)
• oni mají – they have

So Mám málo času literally = “I have little time.”

Why is it mám and not something with jsem (I am)?

Czech uses mít (to have), not být (to be), to talk about possession or available time.

• Mám auto. – I have a car.
• Mám čas. – I have time.

Using jsem here (“Jsem málo času”) is ungrammatical. Jsem is only for “I am” with nouns/adjectives:

• Jsem unavený. – I am tired.
• Jsem učitel. – I am a teacher.

What case is času, and why isn’t it just čas?

Času is genitive singular of čas.

After quantity words like málo (little), hodně (a lot), moc (a lot), spousta (plenty), Czech normally uses the genitive:

• málo času – little time
• hodně času – a lot of time
• moc času – a lot of time

So the pattern is:
mám + [quantity word] + [noun in genitive].

Why is it málo času and not málo čas?

Because čas changes form in the genitive.

• Nominative (dictionary form): čas – time
• Genitive singular: času – of time

With málo, you must use the genitive, so málo času, not málo čas.

Is Mám málo času closer to “I have little time” or “I don’t have much time”?

It naturally suggests a negative/insufficient amount of time.

Both English translations work depending on context:

• I have little time.
• I don’t have much time.

If you want to emphasize the negative a bit more, you can also say:

• Nemám moc času. – I don’t have much time.
• Nemám skoro žádný čas. – I have almost no time.

How would I say “I have a little time” (a small amount, but enough) rather than “little time” (not enough)?

To sound more positive, use trochu (a bit / a little):

• Mám trochu času. – I have a little time (enough for something small).

Compare:

• Mám málo času. – I have little time (complaint: not much, probably not enough).
• Mám trochu času. – I have a bit of time (there is at least some usable time).

Why is there no word for “a” or “the” in Mám málo času?

Czech has no articles (a, an, the) at all.

Whether English would use “a little time”, “little time”, or “the time” is understood in Czech only from context and word choice, not from a separate word.

What gender is čas, and does that matter here?

Čas is masculine inanimate.

This affects:

• Its declension: čas – času – času – čas – čase …
• Any adjectives you might add:
  
  • krátký čas – a short time (masc. sg. form krátký)
  • hodně drahého času – a lot of precious time (gen. masc. sg.)

In Mám málo času, the gender explains why the genitive form is času, not something else.

Can I change the word order to Málo času mám? Does it sound natural?

Yes, but it sounds emphatic and a bit unusual in isolation.

• Mám málo času. – neutral word order, standard.
• Málo času mám. – strongly emphasizes “málo času” (the little time part):
  
  • e.g. Málo času mám a moc práce. – I have little time and lots of work.

You’d use this non‑neutral order mostly for contrast or emphasis.

How do I say it in past and future: “I had little time” / “I will have little time”?

Past:

• Měl jsem málo času. – I had little time.
  
  • Měl – masculine speaker
  • Měla jsem málo času. – feminine speaker

Future:

• Budu mít málo času. – I will have little time.

Pattern:

• present: Mám málo času.
• past: Měl/Měla jsem málo času.
• future: Budu mít málo času.

What’s the difference between Mám málo času and Nemám čas?

Both can mean you’re not available, but the nuance differs:

• Nemám čas. – I don’t have time (at all, or for this). Very direct refusal.
• Mám málo času. – I have little time (I’m very busy / my time is limited). Softer, more descriptive; you might still do something small.

Examples:

• Nemám čas na oběd. – I don’t have time for lunch.
• Mám málo času na oběd. – I don’t have much time for lunch / I can only have a quick lunch.

How do I pronounce Mám málo času correctly?

Roughly like: [maam MAH-loh CHAH-soo]

Details:

• mám – long á ([aː]), stress on mám
• málo – má has long á again; lo is short [lo]
• času – č like English “ch” in “church”; both vowels short: ča-su

Czech stress is always on the first syllable of each word: MÁM MÁ-lo ČA-su.

What does málo mean, and how is it different from moc, hodně, or příliš?

Málo = little, not much, an insufficient amount.

Common quantity words with čas:

• málo času – little time (not enough)
• moc času / hodně času – a lot of time
• spousta času – plenty of time
• příliš málo času – too little time
• příliš mnoho času – too much time

So Mám málo času contrasts naturally with e.g. Mám hodně času – I have a lot of time.