Moje dcera se nikdy nenudí, protože ráda zpívá, tančí a kreslí.

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Questions & Answers about Moje dcera se nikdy nenudí, protože ráda zpívá, tančí a kreslí.

Why do we say se nikdy nenudí and not something like je nikdy znuděná for is never bored?

Czech usually expresses to be bored with the reflexive verb nudit se, literally to bore oneself.

  • nudit se = to be bored
    • Moje dcera se nikdy nenudí. = My daughter is never bored.

Using být znuděný (to be bored as an adjective) is possible, but it sounds more like a state description and is less common in everyday speech:

  • Moje dcera není nikdy znuděná. – grammatically fine, but less idiomatic here.

So the normal, natural way is:

  • nudit sese nenudí (she is not bored)
    combined with nikdy (never): se nikdy nenudí = she never gets/feels bored.

Why do we have both nikdy and nenudí? Isn’t that a double negation?

Yes, it is a double negation, and in Czech that is required, not a mistake.

  • nikdy = never
  • nenudí = does not get bored

In Czech, negative adverbs like nikdy (never), nikdo (nobody), nic (nothing), etc., must be accompanied by a negative verb:

  • Nikdy se nenudí. – literally: Never she does-not-get-bored.
  • Nikdo ho nezná.Nobody knows him. (literally: Nobody him does-not-know.)

Using only one negation (nikdy se nudí or se nikdy nudí) would be incorrect. The double negation is standard grammar.


What is the role of se in se nikdy nenudí? Can I move it or omit it?

se is the reflexive pronoun, required by the verb nudit se (to be bored).

  • infinitive: nudit se
  • 3rd person sg.: (ona) se nudí / se nenudí

You cannot simply omit se, because nudit without se means to bore (someone):

  • Ten film mě nudí. – That film bores me.
  • Moje dcera se nudí. – My daughter is bored.

Word order:

  • Moje dcera se nikdy nenudí. – normal, neutral.
  • Moje dcera nikdy se nenudí. – sounds wrong.
  • Moje dcera nikdy se nenudí breaks normal placement of se, which is a clitic and prefers a position after the first stressed element (here dcera), before the main verb.

You can say:

  • Moje dcera se nenudí nikdy. – possible, but sounds marked/emphatic (stressing nikdy at the end).

The given word order is the most natural.


Why is it ráda and not rád in protože ráda zpívá, tančí a kreslí?

Rád/ráda/rádo/rádi is an adjective meaning gladly / with pleasure / like to. It must agree in gender and number with the subject.

  • Moje dcera – feminine singular
    ráda

Examples:

  • On rád zpívá. – He likes to sing.
  • Ona ráda zpívá. – She likes to sing.
  • Dítě rádo zpívá. – The child likes to sing.
  • Moji rodiče rádi zpívají. – My parents like to sing.

So with dcera (daughter, feminine), we need ráda:

  • Moje dcera ráda zpívá, tančí a kreslí.

Could we say protože ona ráda zpívá, tančí a kreslí, or is ona wrong?

You can say protože ona ráda zpívá…, but it usually isn’t needed.

Czech often drops subject pronouns (já, ty, on, ona, etc.), because the verb endings already show the person:

  • zpívá = he/she/it sings → we know it still refers to dcera.

Using ona adds extra emphasis, like:

  • Moje dcera se nikdy nenudí, protože ona ráda zpívá…
    → implies a contrast: because *she likes singing … (unlike others)*.

In a neutral sentence, protože ráda zpívá… is more natural.


Why is there a comma before protože in …, protože ráda zpívá…?

In Czech, protože introduces a subordinate clause (a dependent clause of reason), and such clauses are usually separated by a comma.

Structure:

  • Main clause: Moje dcera se nikdy nenudí
  • Subordinate clause: protože ráda zpívá, tančí a kreslí

Rule of thumb:

  • Before protože → comma:
    • Je doma, protože prší. – He is at home because it is raining.

Unlike English, where the comma before because is optional or stylistic, in Czech this comma is a standard grammatical requirement.


What verb forms are zpívá, tančí, kreslí? What are their infinitives?

All three are 3rd person singular, present tense of imperfective verbs:

  • zpívá – (she) sings / is singing
    • infinitive: zpívat
  • tančí – (she) dances / is dancing
    • infinitive: tančit
  • kreslí – (she) draws / is drawing
    • infinitive: kreslit

In Czech, the same present form covers both simple present and present progressive meanings:

  • Ona zpívá. = She sings. / She is singing.

The sentence describes habitual activities she likes to do.


Could we say Má dcera se nikdy nenudí instead of Moje dcera se nikdy nenudí?

Yes, both are grammatically correct, but there is a nuance.

  • moje dcera – full possessive form
  • má dcera – shortened form, mostly used in more formal, written, or stylistically elevated language.

In everyday speech, you will most often hear Moje dcera….
Má dcera… sounds a bit more formal, literary, or emphatic.


What case and gender is dcera in this sentence?

dcera (daughter) here is:

  • gender: feminine
  • case: nominative
  • number: singular

It is the subject of the sentence:

  • Moje dceraMy daughter (nominative → doing the action: not getting bored, singing, etc.)

The possessive moje is also in feminine singular nominative, agreeing with dcera.


Could we omit ráda and just say protože zpívá, tančí a kreslí? Would the meaning change?

Yes, you can say:

  • Moje dcera se nikdy nenudí, protože zpívá, tančí a kreslí.

This is grammatically fine, but the nuance changes:

  • protože ráda zpívá, tančí a kreslí
    because she *likes singing, dancing and drawing.
    It expresses *enjoyment / preference
    .

  • protože zpívá, tančí a kreslí
    because she sings, dances and draws.
    It only states the activities, without explicitly saying she enjoys them.

So the original with ráda emphasizes that these activities are her hobbies, not just things she does.


Is the word order ráda zpívá fixed, or can I say zpívá ráda?

Both are possible, but the default and most common is:

  • ráda zpívá – neutral: she likes to sing.

You can say:

  • zpívá ráda, but then the focus shifts and sounds like:
    • She sings willingly / she sings with pleasure (as opposed to doing something else).

In your sentence:

  • protože ráda zpívá, tančí a kreslí – neutral description of her hobbies.
  • protože zpívá ráda would sound more contrastive or emphatic and is less natural in a simple hobby description.