Dnes se zase cítím dobře.

Today I feel good again.

Breakdown of Dnes se zase cítím dobře.

• já: I
• se: oneself
• dnes: today
• dobře: well
• cítit se: to feel
• zase: again

Questions & Answers about Dnes se zase cítím dobře.

Why do we need se in cítím? Why can’t I just say Dnes zase cítím dobře?

In Czech, cítit se is a reflexive verb that means to feel (in oneself), i.e. to feel a certain physical or emotional state.

• cítit se = to feel (well, bad, tired, happy, etc.)
  
  • Dnes se cítím dobře. = Today I feel good.
• cítit (without se) is normally transitive: to feel/touch/sense something, to smell something:
  • Cítím bolest. = I feel pain.
  • Cítím kouř. = I smell smoke.

So in this sentence se is not optional; without se, the verb changes meaning and the Czech sentence becomes ungrammatical or confusing here. You need se whenever you mean I feel (in myself).

Why is se in the second position: Dnes se zase cítím dobře and not Dnes zase se cítím dobře?

In Czech, short pronouns like se, si, mi, ti, ho, je (called clitics) prefer to stand in the second position in the clause, after the first stressed element. This is sometimes called the Wackernagel position.

• First stressed word: Dnes
• Clitic goes after it: Dnes se
• Then comes the rest: Dnes se zase cítím dobře.

Putting se in Dnes zase se cítím dobře sounds wrong to native speakers because se has been pushed out of its natural “second position” slot. In speech you might occasionally hear something similar in more complex sentences, but the standard and safe pattern is: [first stressed element] + se + …

What exactly does zase mean here? Is it the same as znovu or opět?

In this sentence, zase means again, in the sense of back to a (good) state that was there before:

• Dnes se zase cítím dobře.
  → Today I feel good again (I wasn’t feeling good before, but now I’m back to feeling good).

Rough differences:

• zase – common, informal–neutral, often back to a previous state, can sometimes carry emotional color (annoyance: again?!).
• znovu – neutral again; focuses on repetition itself, slightly more “bookish” or careful.
• opět – more formal or literary again, often in writing or formal speech.

In your sentence, you could also say:

• Dnes se znovu cítím dobře. (more neutral/formal)
• Dnes se opět cítím dobře. (sounds stylistically more formal/elevated)

But zase is the most natural, everyday option.

Why is it dobře and not dobrý at the end?

Because dobře is an adverb (how you feel), while dobrý is an adjective (good as a quality of a noun).

• dobrý – adjective:

  • dobrý den = a good day
  • dobrý člověk = a good person

• dobře – adverb:

  • cítím se dobře = I feel well / I feel good
  • spím dobře = I sleep well

The verb cítit se + adverb answers the question Jak se cítíš? (How do you feel?) → dobře (how, in what way).

Why is there no já? Could I say Já se dnes zase cítím dobře?

Czech usually omits subject pronouns when the person is clear from the verb ending.

• cítím already tells you it is 1st person singular = já.
• So Dnes se zase cítím dobře. is the normal, neutral way.

You can add Já for emphasis or contrast:

• Já se dnes zase cítím dobře.
  → I feel good again today (implying: maybe others don’t, or I didn’t before, etc.)

So já is optional and changes the nuance to more emphatic.

Is the word order fixed, or can I say Zase se dnes cítím dobře or Cítím se dnes zase dobře?

Czech word order is fairly flexible, but not all variants sound equally natural. All of these are grammatical, but differ in emphasis or style:

1. Dnes se zase cítím dobře.
   – Neutral, common. Emphasis slightly on dnes (today).

2. Zase se dnes cítím dobře.
   – Emphasis more on zase (again). Like: Again, I’m feeling good today; can sound a bit more emotional or contrastive.

3. Cítím se dnes zase dobře.
   – Also fine; here, the adverbials are grouped after the verb. Feels a bit more “evenly balanced” or slightly more expressive.

What is not flexible: the clitic position – se should still appear very early (2nd position) in the clause. That’s why Dnes zase se cítím dobře sounds wrong.

What is the infinitive of cítím and how is it conjugated?

The infinitive is cítit se (to feel [oneself]). Conjugation in the present tense:

• já se cítím – I feel
• ty se cítíš – you feel (singular, informal)
• on/ona/ono se cítí – he/she/it feels
• my se cítíme – we feel
• vy se cítíte – you feel (plural or formal)
• oni se cítí – they feel

Verb stem: cít-
The reflexive part (se) does not change; the endings attach to cít-.

How do I pronounce cítím and cítit correctly?

Important points:

• c in Czech is pronounced /ts/ (like ts in cats), not like English k or s.
• í is a long i, held longer than i.
• ť is a soft t, similar to ty in British tune or like t in Tuesday in some accents.

So approximate pronunciation:

• cítit → [tsee-tyt]
• cítím → [tsee-teem]

Try to keep the í clearly long: cí–tím, not citim.

Is there a difference between Dnes se zase cítím dobře and Dnes je mi zase dobře?

Yes, both are natural but slightly different in structure and feel:

1. Dnes se zase cítím dobře.

   • Literally: Today I again feel good.
   • Focus is on your subjective feeling, your own perception.

2. Dnes je mi zase dobře.

   • Literally: Today it is good to me again.
   • Structure: Je mi + adverb/adjective is an impersonal construction often used for physical/health states.
   • Feels very natural when talking about health:
     
     • Nebylo mi dobře. = I wasn’t feeling well / I felt sick.
     • Teď je mi zase dobře. = Now I feel fine again.

In everyday speech, both sentences often overlap in meaning; je mi dobře is slightly more tied to physical wellbeing.

Could zase here sound negative, like complaining: “again!”?

zase can be neutral or negative, depending on context and tone.

In Dnes se zase cítím dobře, it’s normally positive/neutral:
→ I once again feel good today (after a time when I didn’t).

It can be negative in other contexts:

• Zase prší. = It’s raining again. (often complaining)
• Zase přišel pozdě. = He was late again. (annoyance)

Here, because it combines with cítím dobře, speakers tend to interpret it positively: you are happy you feel good again.

Can I say Dnes se cítím zase dobře instead? Does it change the meaning?

Yes, Dnes se cítím zase dobře. is also correct and natural.

Difference in nuance is tiny:

• Dnes se zase cítím dobře. – zase is closer to the beginning → slightly more prominent: Today I again feel good.
• Dnes se cítím zase dobře. – zase is closer to dobře → suggests I’m back to feeling well again (a bit more focus on the return to dobře).

Both are fully acceptable in normal conversation; the choice is often just about rhythm and personal style.

Could I say Dnes se zase mám dobře instead of Dnes se zase cítím dobře?

You can say something very close: Dnes se zase mám dobře. (usually without se: Dnes se zase mám dobře is non‑standard; the idiom is mám se dobře).

Compare:

• Dnes se zase cítím dobře.
  – Focus on how you feel inside (physically, emotionally).

• Dnes se zase mám dobře. (Dnes se zase mám dobře is incorrect; correct: Dnes se zase mám dobře → actually: Dnes se zase mám dobře is confusing; best: Dnes se zase mám dobře → the idiom is mít se dobře)
  – Idiomatic mít se dobře = to be doing well in life / to be fine.
  – More about circumstances or overall wellbeing (money, comfort, no problems).

So:

• After illness: Dnes se zase cítím dobře. (my body/health feels fine again)
• After some hard times: Teď se zase mám dobře. (my situation is good again)

For your original health-type meaning, cítím se dobře is more precise.