Learn Hardcore Czech: Třetí film dnes není moc zajímavý. - The third film today is not very interesting.

Whether you translate třetí film as “the third film” or “a third film” depends completely on context, not on any specific Czech word. In most realistic situations (e.g. talking about a sequence of films today), English would naturally use “the third film”, so that’s how we translate it.

So:

třetí film → “the third film” (most contexts)
But technically it could be “a/another third film” if the context were strange enough.

Czech just doesn’t grammatically mark that difference; your brain supplies it from context.

Why does třetí come before film? Can I say film třetí?

The normal, neutral word order in Czech is adjective (or ordinal) + noun, so:

třetí film = “third film”
dobrý film = “a good film”
nové auto = “a new car”

Putting film třetí is possible but marked and sounds poetic, old-fashioned, or stylized (similar to English “film the third”). You’d see that in titles, literature, or to sound dramatic, not in everyday speech. In normal conversation, say třetí film.

Why does třetí end in -í, while zajímavý ends in -ý? Aren’t both describing the noun?

Yes, both describe the noun, but they belong to slightly different grammatical categories:

třetí is an ordinal numeral (like “first, second, third”).
zajímavý is a regular adjective (“interesting”).

In Czech:

Most regular masculine adjectives in nominative singular end in -ý: zajímavý film, dobrý film, starý dům.
Many ordinal numerals end in -í in the basic form: první (first), druhý (second), třetí (third), čtvrtý (fourth), etc.

Even though třetí behaves like an adjective (it declines and agrees with the noun), its base form simply happens to end in -í. That’s just the lexical form of this ordinal.

So:

třetí film – “third film”
zajímavý film – “interesting film”

Why is zajímavý in that form? How would it change with feminine or plural nouns?

Zajímavý is an adjective meaning “interesting”. It must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Here:

film is masculine inanimate, singular, nominative.
So the adjective takes the corresponding form: zajímavý.

Examples with different genders/numbers:

ten zajímavý film – the interesting film (masc. sg.)
ta zajímavá kniha – the interesting book (fem. sg.)
to zajímavé město – the interesting town (neut. sg.)
ty zajímavé filmy – the interesting films (masc. pl.)
ty zajímavé knihy – the interesting books (fem. pl.)
ta zajímavá města – the interesting towns (neut. pl.)

So if the sentence was about a book:

Třetí kniha dnes není moc zajímavá.
(“The third book today is not very interesting.”)

What exactly does moc mean here? Is it “very” or “too”? How is it different from hodně, velmi, or příliš?

Moc is a very common intensifier. Its meaning depends on context and tone:

In everyday positive or negative statements, moc often means “very / really”:
- Je moc zajímavý. – “It’s very/really interesting.”
- Není moc zajímavý. – “It’s not very interesting.”
In some contexts, moc can mean “too (much)”, especially if the idea of excess is clear:
- Je to moc drahé. – “It’s too expensive.”

In Třetí film dnes není moc zajímavý, the natural reading is:

“The third film today is not very interesting,”
not “not too interesting”.

Comparison with other words:

hodně zajímavý – very interesting (spoken, neutral)
moc zajímavý – very/really interesting (very common in speech)
velmi zajímavý – very interesting (more formal or careful speech)
příliš zajímavý – too interesting (explicit sense of “excess”)

Because the sentence is negative (není) + moc zajímavý, it’s best translated as “not very interesting.”

Can I leave moc out? What is the difference between není zajímavý and není moc zajímavý?

Yes, you can leave moc out. The nuance changes:

Třetí film dnes není zajímavý.
→ “The third film today is not interesting.”
This sounds quite absolute, like it’s just plain boring.
Třetí film dnes není moc zajímavý.
→ “The third film today is not very interesting.”
Softer, more moderate. It suggests it has some interest, but not enough.

So moc works like a softener in the negative; it makes the criticism less harsh.

Why is the negation není and not something like je ne? How is negation formed with být (“to be”)?

Czech forms negation by putting “ne-” directly in front of the verb, not by adding a separate word after it.

For the verb být (“to be”), present tense forms:

já jsem – I am → nejsem – I am not
ty jsi – you are → nejsi / nejsi – you are not
on/ona/to je – he/she/it is → není – he/she/it is not
my jsme – we are → nejsme – we are not
vy jste – you (pl./formal) are → nejste – you are not
oni jsou – they are → nejsou – they are not

So:

Třetí film dnes je moc zajímavý. – “The third film today is very interesting.”
Třetí film dnes není moc zajímavý. – “The third film today is not very interesting.”

There is no construction like je ne in standard Czech. You always fuse ne- with the verb.

Can dnes go in other positions? What’s the difference between Třetí film dnes není moc zajímavý and, for example, Dnes třetí film není moc zajímavý?

Yes, dnes (today) can move around; Czech word order is flexible and often used for emphasis.

Some common, grammatical variants:

Třetí film dnes není moc zajímavý.
Neutral; “The third film today is not very interesting.”
Slight focus on třetí film (the third one in particular).
Dnes třetí film není moc zajímavý.
Puts more emphasis on dnes: “Today, the third film isn’t very interesting.”
Feels like you’re contrasting today with other days.
Třetí film není dnes moc zajímavý.
Mild emphasis on dnes as a contrast (others times it might be).

All are correct. The differences are about information structure and emphasis, not grammar. The original sentence is the most typical neutral-sounding variant.

What is the difference between dnes and dneska? Could I say Třetí film dneska není moc zajímavý?

You can absolutely say:

Třetí film dneska není moc zajímavý.

dnes vs dneska:

dnes – neutral, a bit more standard; used in both spoken and written Czech.
dneska – more colloquial, very common in everyday spoken Czech; sounds more informal.

Meaning-wise, they both mean “today”. In ordinary conversation, dneska might even be more frequent. In writing or careful speech, dnes is slightly preferred.

Could I say “Třetí dnešní film” instead of “Třetí film dnes”? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say:

Třetí dnešní film není moc zajímavý.

Here, dnešní is an adjective meaning “today’s”.

Comparison:

Třetí film dnes není moc zajímavý.
Literally: “The third film today is not very interesting.”
You’re saying “today, the third film…”.
Třetí dnešní film není moc zajímavý.
Literally: “The third today’s film is not very interesting.”
Emphasizes that it’s the third film of today’s set/program.

In practice, both mean basically the same thing in this context. Třetí film dnes is a bit more common and feels simpler/less “packed” into the noun phrase.

If I wanted to say “The third film today is not very interesting for me”, how would I add “for me” in Czech and where would it go?

You’d typically add pro mě (“for me”) near the end of the sentence:

Třetí film dnes není moc zajímavý pro mě.

Other natural placements:

Pro mě třetí film dnes není moc zajímavý.
(“For me, the third film today isn’t very interesting.” – emphasis on your opinion.)
Třetí film dnes pro mě není moc zajímavý.
Also fine; a slight emphasis that for you specifically it isn’t interesting.

All three are grammatical. The most neutral is probably:

Třetí film dnes není moc zajímavý pro mě.