Od knihovny jdeš rovně až do centra.

Both can mean from the library in English, but they are not used in exactly the same way.

• od knihovny = from the library / from by the library / starting at the library
• z knihovny = out of the library / from inside the library

In directions, Czech often uses od when the library is just the starting point on the map, not necessarily a building you are walking out of. So Od knihovny jdeš... sounds very natural for giving a route.

If you really mean that someone comes out of the building itself, z knihovny would make more sense.

Because od requires the genitive case.

The basic form is:

• knihovna = library

After od, it changes to the genitive singular:

• od knihovny = from the library

This is a very common Czech pattern:

• od školy
• od domu
• od nádraží

So the ending changes because the preposition controls the case.

For the same reason: do also requires the genitive case.

The basic form is:

• centrum = center

Its genitive singular form is:

• centra

So:

• do centra = to the center / into the center

This is just normal noun declension in Czech.

Here až adds the idea of all the way or as far as.

• do centra = to the center
• až do centra = all the way to the center

So až emphasizes the end point. It tells you that you keep going straight until you reach the center.

Czech often gives directions using the 2nd person singular present tense, not only the imperative.

So:

• Jdi rovně. = Go straight.
• Jdeš rovně. = You go straight.

In English, you go straight may sound like a description, but in Czech it is very common as a way of explaining a route step by step.

Using jdi is also possible, but it sounds more directly like a command. Jdeš can sound more conversational and explanatory.

Yes. Jdeš is the informal singular form, used with ty.

If you want the formal or plural version, you use:

• jdete

So you could also say:

• Od knihovny jdete rovně až do centra.

That can mean either:

• you formal singular, or
• you plural

Usually, yes: jít basically means to go on foot.

So jdeš rovně naturally suggests walking.

However, in casual route explanations, Czech speakers sometimes use route language a bit flexibly. Still, if you want to be clearly about driving, jedeš from jet may be more natural:

• Od knihovny jedeš rovně... = From the library, you drive/go straight...

So jdeš is best understood here as walking directions.

Rovně is an adverb meaning straight, straight ahead, or without turning.

In directions, it is one of the most common words:

• Jdi rovně. = Go straight.
• Půjdeš rovně a pak doleva. = You’ll go straight and then left.

It describes how you move, not where the place is.

Sometimes, but not always with exactly the same feel.

• rovně = straight ahead, without turning
• přímo = directly / straight / right

In route instructions, rovně is usually the clearest and most natural word for don’t turn, keep going straight.

Přímo can overlap with it, but it can also mean directly in a broader sense, so rovně is often the better choice here.

Because Czech word order is flexible, and the speaker often puts the starting point first.

• Od knihovny jdeš rovně až do centra.

This structure is natural because it first answers from where?, then how?, then to where?

You could rearrange parts of the sentence, but the original word order is very natural for directions.

Yes.

Czech present tense can do both, depending on context.

• As an instruction: From the library, you go straight to the center.
• As a description: You’re going straight from the library to the center.

If this appears in directions, a map explanation, or a travel conversation, it will normally be understood as an instruction.

Because Czech has no articles like a or the.

So:

• knihovna can mean a library or the library
• centrum can mean a center or the center

The exact meaning depends on context. In this sentence, the context makes it clear which library and which center are meant.

Very often, yes.

In directions, centrum commonly means the town/city center, not just any abstract center point.

So in everyday use, do centra often means:

• to the center of town
• downtown
• into the central area

The exact meaning still depends on context, but that is the most likely interpretation.

No.

• do centra = to the center, all the way into it
• k centru = toward the center

So do centra focuses on reaching the destination, while k centru only gives the direction.

In this sentence, až do centra clearly means you continue until you actually get there.