Výtah v našem domě je starý, ale dobrý.

The elevator in our house is old but good.

Breakdown of Výtah v našem domě je starý, ale dobrý.

• být: to be
• dobrý: good
• dům: the house
• v: in
• ale: but
• náš: our
• starý: old
• výtah: the elevator

Questions & Answers about Výtah v našem domě je starý, ale dobrý.

Why is it v našem domě and not v našem dům?

Because the preposition v (“in”) normally takes the locative case in Czech.

• The basic form (nominative) of the noun is dům (“house”).
• The locative singular of dům is domě (“in the house”).

So:

• náš dům = our house (subject, nominative)
• v našem domě = in our house (locative, required by v)

The possessive náš must also change to the locative masculine singular form našem to agree with domě:

• nominative: náš dům
• locative: v našem domě

How do I know that výtah is masculine, so the adjectives are starý, dobrý?

You generally have to learn the gender of each noun, but there are patterns:

• výtah ends in a consonant → this usually means masculine.
• It is specifically masculine inanimate.

Predicate adjectives (adjectives after je) agree with the subject in gender, number, and case:

• Subject: výtah – masculine singular
• Adjectives: starý, dobrý – masculine singular, nominative

Compare:

• Výtah je starý. – The elevator is old. (masc.)
• Skříň je stará. – The wardrobe is old. (fem.)
• Auto je staré. – The car is old. (neuter.)

Why can the sentence say je starý, ale dobrý without repeating je?

Czech often omits a repeated verb when it is the same verb and the subject stays the same.

• Výtah v našem domě je starý, ale dobrý.
  = literally “The elevator in our house is old, but good.”

You can also say:

• Výtah v našem domě je starý, ale je dobrý.

Both are grammatically correct. The version without the second je is shorter and very natural in speech and writing, especially with short adjectives.

Could I say v našem dům or v našem domu instead of v našem domě?

• v našem dům is incorrect – you need the locative case, not nominative.
• v našem domu can appear in colloquial speech in some regions, but the standard written form for “in the house” with dům is v domě, therefore v našem domě.

So for standard Czech you should learn:

• nominative: dům
• locative: (v) domě

And with náš:

• nominative: náš dům
• locative: v našem domě

What is the function of ě in domě? Why not just dome?

The letter ě in Czech is special. It indicates a change in the pronunciation of the consonant before it.

• m + e → [me]
• m + ě → [mňe]

So domě is pronounced roughly like [dom-nye].
Historically this reflects a palatalization (softening) of the consonant.

You almost never just replace e with ě freely; it is tied to particular grammatical forms and to the consonant in front of it. In the paradigm of dům, the locative singular is simply domě, and that is the form you have to memorize.

Why is there a comma before ale?

The comma rules here are similar to English:

• ale = “but” (coordinating conjunction).
• When ale joins two parts that each have their own predicate (“is old” / “(is) good”), Czech normally uses a comma before ale.

So:

• Výtah v našem domě je starý, ale dobrý.

If the second part were not a full clause or predicate, the comma might be omitted, but in this sentence, the comma is standard and expected.

Why do the adjectives starý and dobrý end in -ý here?

These adjectives are in the predicate position (after the verb je), and they must match:

• gender: masculine
• number: singular
• case: nominative (because they describe the subject výtah)

For a typical hard-stem adjective like starý / dobrý:

• masculine singular nominative: -ý → starý, dobrý
• feminine singular nominative: -á → stará, dobrá
• neuter singular nominative: -é → staré, dobré

So with výtah (masc.) you must use starý, dobrý.

What is the difference between v našem domě and našem domě v in word order?

Within the phrase v našem domě, the neutral and practically the only natural order is:

1. preposition: v
2. determiner/possessive: našem
3. noun: domě

So:

• v našem domě = in our house

You cannot move the noun in front of the preposition like našem domě v; that is ungrammatical. The preposition has to be directly attached to the noun phrase it governs:

• v našem domě ✔
• v domě našem ✔ but marked, poetic or very emphatic
• našem domě v ✘

When should I use v and when ve in Czech? Why is it v našem domě, not ve našem domě?

Both v and ve mean “in”. Ve is used mainly for euphony – to make pronunciation easier when the next word starts with certain consonant groups.

You typically use ve before:

• words starting with v-: ve Vídni (in Vienna), ve vchodu (in the entrance)
• some words starting with f-: ve Francii (in France)
• some tricky clusters where v
  • word would be hard to pronounce

Here, the next word is našem, which is easy to say after v, so:

• v našem domě is normal.
• ve našem domě sounds unnatural/wrong to native speakers.

Why is there no word for “the” in Výtah v našem domě je starý, ale dobrý?

Czech has no articles (no “a/an” or “the”). Definiteness and specificity are expressed by:

• context: we know which elevator we are talking about
• word order and stress
• demonstratives (like ten, “that / the”) if needed

So Výtah v našem domě je starý, ale dobrý. can translate as either:

• The elevator in our building is old but good.
• An elevator in our building is old but good.

In this context, English naturally chooses the because it’s clear we mean that specific elevator. In Czech, you don’t add anything; definiteness is understood from context.

Could I say Náš výtah v domě je starý, ale dobrý? Does the word order change the meaning?

You can say:

• Náš výtah v domě je starý, ale dobrý.

But the nuance is slightly different:

• Výtah v našem domě je starý, ale dobrý.
  → neutral focus on “the elevator in our house” as the topic.

• Náš výtah v domě je starý, ale dobrý.
  → puts a bit more emphasis on náš výtah (“our elevator”), for example in contrast with someone else’s elevator.

Czech word order is fairly flexible, but not totally free. Different orders usually signal different emphasis or information structure rather than a big change in basic meaning.