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Když jsme na mostě, vidíme nejen muzeum vlevo, ale i náměstí vpravo.

Když jsme na mostě, vidíme nejen muzeum vlevo, ale i náměstí vpravo.
When we are on the bridge, we see not only the museum on the left but also the square on the right.
FromLesson 14inHardcore Czech

Questions & Answers about Když jsme na mostě, vidíme nejen muzeum vlevo, ale i náměstí vpravo.

What does když mean here?
Here když introduces a time clause. It means when, and in some contexts it can also feel like whenever. So Když jsme na mostě sets up the situation first, and the rest of the sentence tells you what happens in that situation.
Why is there a comma after mostě?
Because Když jsme na mostě is a subordinate clause, and in Czech subordinate clauses are separated by commas from the main clause. Since the time clause comes first, the comma appears right before the main clause: vidíme...
Why is it jsme and not my jsme?
Jsme is the 1st person plural present form of být (to be): we are. Czech usually does not need the subject pronoun because the verb form already shows the person and number. So jsme by itself already means we are. You could say my jsme, but that would add emphasis, something like we are.
Why do we say na mostě?

Czech uses na with some locations where English uses on, and a bridge is one of them. Since this sentence describes being in a location, na takes the locative case. That is why most changes to mostě.

So:

  • most = bridge
  • na mostě = on the bridge
What form is vidíme?
Vidíme is the 1st person plural present tense of vidět (to see). It means we see. In English, depending on context, this might also be translated naturally as we can see, even though Czech does not use a separate verb here.
Why is there no word for the before muzeum or náměstí?
Because Czech does not have articles like the or a/an. Whether something is definite or indefinite is usually understood from context. So muzeum can mean museum or the museum, depending on the situation.
Why do muzeum and náměstí stay the same? Shouldn’t they change case?
They are direct objects of vidíme, so they are indeed in the accusative case. But both muzeum and náměstí are neuter singular nouns whose nominative and accusative forms are the same. So the case changes grammatically, but the visible form does not.
How does nejen ... ale i ... work?

This is a very common pair meaning not only ... but also ...

In this sentence:

  • nejen muzeum vlevo = not only the museum on the left
  • ale i náměstí vpravo = but also the square on the right

It is a fixed pattern used to connect two parallel parts of a sentence.

Could I say ale také instead of ale i?
Yes. Nejen ... ale i ... and nejen ... ale také ... are both common and natural. They both mean not only ... but also .... The version with ale i is a little shorter, but there is no major difference in meaning here.
What are vlevo and vpravo exactly?

They are adverbs, not adjectives. They mean on the left and on the right.

So:

  • muzeum vlevo = the museum on the left
  • náměstí vpravo = the square on the right

English often uses a prepositional phrase here, but Czech can use these simple adverbs very naturally.

Why are vlevo and vpravo placed after the nouns?

That word order is very natural in Czech when these adverbs describe the position of a noun: muzeum vlevo, náměstí vpravo. It works a bit like adding location information after the thing being identified.

You can move them in Czech for emphasis, but the version in the sentence is the most straightforward and natural here.

Does když jsme na mostě mean one specific time, or can it mean a repeated situation?

It can be either, depending on context. With the present tense, když often means something like when or whenever. So this could describe:

  • a general repeated situation: whenever we are on the bridge
  • or a more immediate present situation: when we are on the bridge

The sentence itself does not force only one interpretation.

How is jsme pronounced?
In careful pronunciation, jsme is roughly y-smeh, because Czech j sounds like English y. In everyday speech, many speakers pronounce it more lightly, sometimes close to sme. For a learner, recognizing both is useful, but producing a careful jsme is perfectly fine.
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