Moje maminka říká, že vejce s cibulí jsou dobrá snídaně.

Breakdown of Moje maminka říká, že vejce s cibulí jsou dobrá snídaně.

být
to be
dobrý
good
můj
my
s
with
že
that
maminka
the mom
snídaně
the breakfast
říkat
to say
vejce
the egg
cibule
the onion

Questions & Answers about Moje maminka říká, že vejce s cibulí jsou dobrá snídaně.

What nuance does maminka have? Is it just mother?
Maminka is a diminutive form. It is warmer and more affectionate than matka (mother). In many contexts it corresponds to mom/mum rather than the more formal mother. It does not have to sound childish; adults also use it naturally.
Why is it moje maminka? Could I also say má maminka?

Yes, both moje maminka and má maminka are possible.

  • moje maminka is very common and natural in everyday Czech.
  • má maminka can sound a bit more literary, emphatic, or contrastive in some contexts.

So in this sentence, moje is just a normal way to say my.

What form is říká?

Říká is the 3rd person singular present form of říkat.

So:

  • já říkám = I say / I am saying
  • ty říkáš = you say
  • on/ona říká = he/she says

It is singular because the subject moje maminka is singular.

Why is říká used instead of řekne?

Because říkat is the imperfective verb, and it is the normal choice for a general present meaning like says.

  • říká = says / is saying / keeps saying
  • řekne = will say (perfective, usually future in meaning)

So Moje maminka říká... means My mom says..., while Moje maminka řekne... would usually mean My mom will say...

Why is there a comma before že?

Because že introduces a subordinate clause, and in Czech subordinate clauses are normally separated by a comma.

So the structure is:

  • main clause: Moje maminka říká
  • subordinate clause: že vejce s cibulí jsou dobrá snídaně

That is why the comma is required.

What does že do here? Is it like English that?

Yes. Že is the conjunction that.

So:

  • Moje maminka říká, že... = My mom says that...

In English, that is often omitted, but in Czech že is usually kept in sentences like this.

Why does vejce go with jsou? Isn’t vejce singular?

This is a very common Czech learner question.

The word vejce can look the same in the nominative singular and nominative plural. So by itself, vejce can mean either egg or eggs, depending on context.

Here, the verb jsou tells you it is plural:

  • vejce ... jsou = eggs are
  • vejce ... je = egg is

So in this sentence, vejce is understood as eggs.

Why is it s cibulí and not s cibule?

Because the preposition s meaning with normally takes the instrumental case.

The basic form is:

  • cibule = onion

But after s, it becomes:

  • s cibulí = with onion

If you wanted plural with onions, that would be:

  • s cibulemi
Why is it jsou dobrá snídaně? Why is dobrá singular and feminine if vejce is plural?

Because dobrá agrees with snídaně, not with vejce.

Here is the structure:

  • subject: vejce s cibulí = eggs with onion
  • verb: jsou = are
  • predicate noun phrase: dobrá snídaně = a good breakfast

Inside dobrá snídaně:

  • snídaně is a feminine singular noun
  • so the adjective must also be feminine singular: dobrá

So:

  • jsou is plural because the subject is plural
  • dobrá is feminine singular because it describes snídaně
Why is there no word for a in a good breakfast?

Because Czech has no articles. There is no direct equivalent of English a/an/the in normal Czech grammar.

So:

  • dobrá snídaně can mean a good breakfast
  • in another context it could also mean the good breakfast, depending on what is being talked about

Here, the natural English translation is a good breakfast, but Czech does not need a separate word for a.

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