Knihovna je vpravo od náměstí, za semaforem.

Je means is. It is the 3rd person singular form of the verb být (to be).

So:

• Knihovna = library
• je = is

Unlike in some other Slavic languages, Czech normally keeps the present-tense form of to be, so you do need je here.

Czech does not have articles like the or a/an.

So knihovna can mean:

• the library
• a library

The exact meaning comes from context. In this sentence, English naturally uses the library, but Czech does not need a separate word for that.

Yes. Vpravo od is a very common way to say to the right of.

Breakdown:

• vpravo = to the right / on the right
• od = from / of

Together, vpravo od náměstí means to the right of the square.

You can think of vpravo as an adverb, not an adjective. It describes location, not a noun directly.

Because the preposition od requires the genitive case.

In Czech, prepositions often control the case of the noun after them. Here:

• od
  • genitive
• náměstí is therefore in the genitive

This is the normal pattern in expressions like:

• vlevo od školy = to the left of the school
• naproti domu = opposite the house
• daleko od centra = far from the center

Because some Czech nouns have the same form in more than one case.

Náměstí is a neuter noun, and in the singular its nominative and genitive forms are the same:

• nominative: náměstí
• genitive: náměstí

So even though the case changes after od, the word itself does not visibly change here.

That can feel strange at first, but it is very normal in Czech.

Because za here expresses a location (behind the traffic light), and with location za takes the instrumental case.

So:

• dictionary form: semafor
• instrumental singular: semaforem

That gives:

• za semaforem = behind the traffic light

This is a very important Czech pattern:

• za
  • instrumental = location
• za
  • accusative = movement toward a position

Za semafor would normally suggest movement rather than static location.

Compare:

• Knihovna je za semaforem. = The library is behind the traffic light.
• Jdu za semafor. = I am going behind/past the traffic light.

So in your sentence, za semaforem is correct because the library is not moving; its position is being described.

Not necessarily.

In everyday directions, za semaforem often means something like:

• behind it
• past it
• on the far side of it

So the library does not have to be physically concealed by the traffic light. It usually just means that, from your point of view or route, the library is beyond the traffic light.

The comma separates an added location detail.

The sentence gives one location first:

• vpravo od náměstí = to the right of the square

Then it adds another orienting detail:

• za semaforem = behind/past the traffic light

The comma makes za semaforem sound like extra clarification: the library is to the right of the square — behind the traffic light.

Without the comma, the sentence could still be understandable in some contexts, but the comma helps show that this is an additional piece of direction.

Yes. Czech word order is more flexible than English word order.

This sentence is a natural neutral version:

• Knihovna je vpravo od náměstí, za semaforem.

But other orders are possible, especially if you want to emphasize a different part:

• Za semaforem je knihovna, vpravo od náměstí.
• Vpravo od náměstí je knihovna, za semaforem.

The basic meaning stays similar, but the focus shifts slightly depending on what comes first or last.

A simple English-friendly approximation is:

KNI-hov-na yeh VPRA-vo od NAA-mnye-stee, za SE-ma-fo-rem

A few helpful points:

• Czech stress is usually on the first syllable of each word.
• á and í are long vowels.
• ě in náměstí changes the sound of the preceding consonant, so mě sounds roughly like mnye.
• j in Czech is pronounced like English y in yes, so je sounds like yeh.

You do not need to make it perfect immediately; the biggest priorities are the first-syllable stress and the long vowels.