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Learn Hardcore Czech: Ten schod před domem je starý. - That step in front of the house is old.

Hardcore Czech
/Lesson 12
/Ten schod před domem je starý.

Ten schod před domem je starý.

Ten schod před domem je starý.

That step in front of the house is old.

Breakdown of Ten schod před domem je starý.

Questions & Answers about Ten schod před domem je starý.

Why is it ten schod and not ta schod or to schod?

In Czech, every noun has grammatical gender. Schod is masculine inanimate, so it uses the masculine form of that/this, which is ten.

ten = masculine (e.g. ten schod, ten dům)
ta = feminine (e.g. ta židle – that chair)
to = neuter (e.g. to auto – that car)

So ten schod is the only correct choice here.

What is the difference between ten schod and just schod?

Adding ten makes the noun specific and “pointed at,” similar to that step or this step in English.

schod je starý = a step is old (sounds very unnatural on its own; too generic)
ten schod je starý = that step is old / the step is old (you have a particular step in mind, probably visible to both speakers)

Czech doesn’t have articles (a/the), so demonstratives like ten are often used where English uses the/that/this.

Why is it před domem and not před dům?

The preposition před changes its case depending on meaning:

před

in front of

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před

instrumental = location (where something is)
- před domem = in front of the house (location)

před

accusative = movement into a position (where something is going)
- jdu před dům = I’m going in front of the house

In Ten schod před domem je starý, we are talking about where the step is, not where something is moving, so we use the instrumental: domem.

Which case is domem, and why does it end in -em?

Domem is the instrumental singular of dům (house). Many masculine nouns in instrumental singular end in -em:

dům → domem (house → with/by the house / in front of the house)
stůl → stolem (table → with the table)
hrad → hradem (castle → with the castle)

Because the preposition před (with location) requires the instrumental, dům changes to domem.

Why is the adjective starý and not staré or stará?

Adjectives in Czech must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

schod is masculine singular, nominative case
The matching form of starý (old) is starý (masc. sg. nominative)

Other forms would be:

stará – feminine singular (e.g. stará židle)
staré – neuter singular or some plural forms (e.g. staré auto, staré domy)

So for schod, you must say starý.

Why is it je starý and not je staré?

The verb je (is) is the same for all genders in the 3rd person singular, but the adjective after it still has to agree with the noun.

Since schod is masculine:

Ten schod je starý. – That step is old. (masculine)
Compare with:
Ta židle je stará. – That chair is old. (feminine)
To auto je staré. – That car is old. (neuter)

So starý is chosen to match schod.

Is it more common to say schod or schody here?

In everyday situations, people usually talk about steps in the plural: schody. A more typical sentence would be:

Ty schody před domem jsou staré. – The steps in front of the house are old.

Using singular schod is fine if you mean exactly one specific step (for example, if only one step is cracked or different).

How would the sentence change if we talk about several steps instead of one?

You need plural forms for the demonstrative, the noun, the verb, and the adjective:

Ten schod je starý. – That step is old. (singular)
Ty schody jsou staré. – Those steps are old. (plural)

Changes:

ten → ty (masc. pl.)
schod → schody (plural noun)
je → jsou (is → are)
starý → staré (masc. pl. nominative adjective form)

Can I change the word order, for example Schod před domem je starý or Před domem je starý schod?

Yes, Czech word order is flexible, and all of these are grammatically correct. The differences are about emphasis:

Ten schod před domem je starý. – neutral, slightly emphasizes that particular step.
Schod před domem je starý. – more neutral/general; sounds like you’re introducing “the step in front of the house” as a topic.
Před domem je starý schod. – emphasizes the location in front of the house; you’re saying what is there.

All convey essentially the same information in this simple context.

What exactly does před mean, and how is it different from u?

Both před and u talk about location, but in different ways:

před domem = in front of the house (specifically in front of the façade)
u domu = by / near the house (general vicinity, next to it)

Your sentence uses před domem because the step is literally in front of the entrance/house, not just somewhere near the building.

How do you pronounce schod and před?

Approximate English-like hints (not perfect, but useful):

schod – like skhod:
- s as in snake
- ch is a rough sound from the throat, like German Bach or Scottish loch
- o as in short (but shorter)
- d as in dog
před – roughly like pshe-d:
- př = tricky Czech sound; it’s a rolled r plus a zh sound together (like r
  - measure)
- e as in bed
- d as in dog

To sound natural, keep the vowels short and clear and avoid diphthongs (no “schoad” or “preed”).

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