Když je vítr studený, beru si kabát.

When the wind is cold, I put on a coat.

Breakdown of Když je vítr studený, beru si kabát.

• já: I
• být: to be
• studený: cold
• když: when
• brát si: to put on
• kabát: the coat
• vítr: the wind

Questions & Answers about Když je vítr studený, beru si kabát.

Why is když used here? Could I also use až or jestli?

Když means “when / whenever” in the sense of every time that and is used for general, repeated situations or facts.

• Když je vítr studený, beru si kabát.
  = When(ever) the wind is cold, I (habitually) take/put on my coat.

Až is more like “when (once)” for a single, usually future event:

• Až bude vítr studený, vezmu si kabát.
  = When the wind is cold (at that future time), I’ll put on my coat (once).

Jestli is mainly “if” (a condition, not a time that you’re sure will come):

• Jestli bude vítr studený, vezmu si kabát.
  = If the wind is cold, I’ll put on my coat.

So in your sentence we talk about a general habit, so když is the natural choice.

Why is the word order je vítr studený and not vítr je studený?

Both are grammatically correct, but they sound a bit different in terms of emphasis.

• Když je vítr studený, beru si kabát. – completely neutral, common order in a subordinate clause.
• Když vítr je studený, beru si kabát. – possible, but sounds more marked/stylized, putting extra emphasis on vítr.
• Když je studený vítr, beru si kabát. – also possible; may feel a bit more poetic or focused on “a cold wind” as a unit.

Czech word order is relatively flexible; in subordinate clauses it’s very natural to put the verb je early:

když je…, protože je…, jestli je…

Why is studený in that form? Why not studené or studená?

Studený agrees with vítr in:

• gender: vítr = masculine
• number: singular
• case: nominative (the subject)

So:

• masculine singular nominative: studený vítr
• feminine singular nominative: studená voda (cold water)
• neuter singular nominative: studené pivo (cold beer)

In Je vítr studený, studený is a predicate adjective describing vítr, but it still matches its gender/number/case.

What exactly does beru si kabát mean? Is it “I take a coat”, “I wear a coat”, or “I put on a coat”?

Brát si + clothing usually means “to take/put on (for oneself)” or “to take with oneself”, depending on context.

• In this sentence, beru si kabát is best understood as:
  • I put on my coat
    or
  • I take my coat (with me / on me).

Compare:

• Beru si kabát. – I’m taking/putting on my coat (now / habitually).
• Nosím kabát. – I wear a coat (as a general habit, not the action of putting it on).
• Vezmu si kabát. – I’ll put on my coat / I’ll take my coat (one-time, future).

So here it describes the action you do whenever the wind is cold.

Why is there si in beru si kabát? Could I say beru kabát?

Si is a reflexive dative pronoun; you can think of it as “for myself”.

• Beru si kabát. – I take/put on a coat (for myself).
  This is what people normally say for clothes.
• Beru kabát. – I’m taking the coat (maybe moving it somewhere, carrying it), but it doesn’t automatically sound like putting it on yourself.

For many common verbs, the reflexive si is a very natural part of “doing something for myself”:

• Dám si kávu. – I’ll have (take for myself) a coffee.
• Kupuje si nové boty. – He/she is buying (him/herself) new shoes.
• Obouvám si boty. – I’m putting my shoes on.

So here beru si kabát is the normal, idiomatic way to talk about putting on / taking a coat for yourself.

Why is kabát in that form? What case is it?

Kabát is in the accusative singular, because it is the direct object of the verb beru (si) – it answers “what am I taking?”.

Nominative (dictionary form): kabát
Accusative singular of a typical masculine inanimate noun: also kabát

A quick paradigm (masc. inanimate like kabát):

• Nominative: kabát – kabát je nový (the coat is new)
• Accusative: kabát – beru si kabát (I’m taking a coat)
• Genitive: kabátu – bez kabátu (without a coat)
• Instrumental: kabátem – s kabátem (with a coat)

So it’s accusative here, even though it looks the same as nominative.

Why don’t we say můj kabát (my coat)? How do we know whose coat it is?

Czech often omits possessive pronouns where English uses my, your, his, her if it is obvious from context.

Because beru si kabát has si (for myself), it is clearly about my own coat:

• Beru si kabát. – I’m taking my coat.
• Beru si svůj kabát. – I’m taking my own coat (possible, but a bit more explicit / emphatic).
• Beru tvůj kabát. – I’m taking your coat (now we change the possessor).

In neutral, everyday speech, beru si kabát is fully understood as “I put on/take my coat.”

Why is the verb in the present tense (beru si) and not future, like vezmu si?

The present tense here expresses a habitual action or a general rule:

• Když je vítr studený, beru si kabát.
  = Whenever the wind is cold, I (normally) put on my coat.

This is similar to English present simple in conditionals and general truths:

• When it rains, I take an umbrella.

If you change it to future and perfective:

• Když bude vítr studený, vezmu si kabát. = When the wind is cold (that time), I’ll put on my coat (once).

So:

• beru si (imperfective, present) – usual behavior, habit
• vezmu si (perfective, future) – one-time decision in the future

What is the difference between beru si kabát and nosím kabát?

• Beru si kabát. – focuses on the action of taking/putting it on at a particular moment (or each time the condition is met).
• Nosím kabát. – means “I wear a coat” (in general, as a characteristic), not the act of putting it on.

Compare:

• Když je vítr studený, beru si kabát.
  When the wind is cold, I put on my coat (then).
• V zimě nosím kabát.
  In winter I wear a coat (as my usual clothing).

So brát si = the event of taking/putting on;
nosit = the state/habit of wearing.

Why is there a comma before beru si kabát?

In Czech, a subordinate clause introduced by words like když, protože, jestli, že is normally separated from the main clause by a comma.

• Když je vítr studený, – subordinate clause (condition/time)
• beru si kabát. – main clause (result)

Word order can change, but the comma rule stays:

• Beru si kabát, když je vítr studený.
  (Same meaning, just reversed order; still with a comma.)

Could I drop je and say Když vítr studený, beru si kabát?

No, not in standard Czech. You need the verb je (is) here.

• Correct: Když je vítr studený, beru si kabát.
• Incorrect in standard language: Když vítr studený, beru si kabát.

Omitting je sometimes happens in headlines, slogans, or some dialects, but in normal spoken and written Czech you should keep je.

Is there any difference between Když je vítr studený, beru si kabát. and Když je studený vítr, beru si kabát.?

Both are acceptable and very similar in meaning. The difference is mainly in focus:

• Když je vítr studený, beru si kabát.
  Slightly more neutral: “when the wind is cold…”
• Když je studený vítr, beru si kabát.
  Feels a bit more like talking about “a cold wind” as a whole situation; might sound a touch more literary or stylistic.

In everyday speech, Když je vítr studený, … will probably sound the most natural.

How do you pronounce vítr and kabát? Anything important to know?

• Vítr: [vee-tr]
  • í is a long vowel (hold it a bit longer than short i).
  • Stress is always on the first syllable in Czech: VÍ-tr.
• Kabát: [kah-baht]
  • á is a long a.
  • Again, stress on the first syllable: KA-bát.

So spoken rhythmically: KDYŽ je VÍ-tr stu-DE-ný, BE-ru si KA-bát. (with primary stress at the start of each word).