Myslím na ně.

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Breakdown of Myslím na ně.

• myslet: to think
• ně: them
• na: of

Questions & Answers about Myslím na ně.

Why do we say Myslím na ně and not just Myslím je? Why is na needed?

In Czech, the verb myslet in the sense of “to think of/about someone or something (have them in your thoughts)” normally takes the preposition na + accusative:

• myslet na někoho / na něco = to think (have thoughts) of/about someone or something

So:

• Myslím na ně. = I’m thinking of them / They are on my mind.

Without na, myslet tends to mean “to think something (have an opinion)”:

• Myslím, že… = I think that…
• Myslím si, že… = I think that… / In my opinion…

But Myslím je is not idiomatic in the sense “I’m thinking of them.” You really need na for this meaning.

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What case is ně, and why is it ně and not something like oni, je, or nich?

Ně here is the accusative plural of the 3rd‑person pronoun oni / ony / ona when used after most prepositions (it’s a special “short” prepositional form).

Base nominative forms (they):

• oni (masculine animate)
• ony (feminine, masculine inanimate)
• ona (neuter plural)

Accusative plural (direct object):

• je (after most verbs, without preposition)