Na hodinky se dívám teď a vím, že do školy půjdu až později.

I am looking at my watch now and I know that I will go to school only later.

Breakdown of Na hodinky se dívám teď a vím, že do školy půjdu až později.

• já: I
• a: and
• jít: to go
• do: to

Questions & Answers about Na hodinky se dívám teď a vím, že do školy půjdu až později.

Why is it na hodinky? I would expect something like hodinky by itself, or maybe a different preposition.

With dívat se (to look), Czech normally uses the pattern dívat se na + accusative.

So:

• dívám se na hodinky = I’m looking at the watch
• literally, it is more like I look myself on/at the watch, but in real Czech this is just the standard construction

You usually cannot drop na here.
Compare:

• Dívám se na film. = I’m watching a film.
• Dívám se na tebe. = I’m looking at you.

So na hodinky is simply the correct object after dívat se.

Why is there se in dívám se? Does it mean myself?

Here se is part of the verb dívat se. It does not literally mean myself in normal translation.

Many Czech verbs are reflexive in a way that does not match English. So you learn them as whole items:

• dívat se = to look
• bát se = to be afraid
• smát se = to laugh

So dívám se is just I am looking / I look.

If you leave out se, the verb changes or sounds wrong in this meaning.