Prosím tě, přines mi z pokoje polici a polož ji opatrně vedle okna.

Questions & Answers about Prosím tě, přines mi z pokoje polici a polož ji opatrně vedle okna.

What does Prosím tě mean here?

Here it is an informal way to say please or look / listen to one person.

Literally, prosím is something like I ask you, but in everyday Czech it often works as a polite softener before a request.

Because it uses (you, singular informal), it is used with someone you address as ty.
A more formal version would be Prosím vás.

Why is there if English would just say please?

Because Czech prosím is not a word-for-word match for English please. It comes from the verb prosit (to ask / to request) plus the pronoun (you, accusative).

So the structure is historically closer to I’m asking you than to a standalone please.

In this sentence, though, you should learn it as a fixed everyday expression.

What form is přines?

Přines is the 2nd person singular imperative of přinést.

So it means bring! when speaking to one person informally.

  • infinitive: přinést = to bring
  • imperative: přines! = bring!

Because the speaker is giving a direct instruction, the imperative is used.

Why is it mi and not or mně?

Mi is the short unstressed dative form meaning to me / for me.

In this sentence, přines mi means bring me or more literally bring to me.

Very roughly:

  • mi = short, unstressed to me
  • mně = longer, stressed to me
  • = usually me in the accusative

After an imperative verb, Czech often uses these short pronoun forms:

  • Přines mi to. = Bring it to me.
  • Dej mu knihu. = Give him the book.
Why is it z pokoje?

Because the preposition z (from / out of) requires the genitive case.

The noun is:

  • pokoj = room (nominative)
  • z pokoje = from the room (genitive)

So this is a normal preposition + case pattern that you need to memorize:

  • z domu = from the house
  • z města = from the city
  • z pokoje = from the room
Why is polici used here?

Because police (shelf) is the direct object of přines, so it is in the accusative singular.

This noun is feminine:

So:

  • police je nová = the shelf is new
  • přines polici = bring the shelf

A useful warning: Czech police does not mean the English police. It means shelf.

Why does the sentence say ji?

Ji is the accusative singular feminine pronoun meaning her / it.

It refers back to polici, and police is a feminine noun in Czech. So Czech uses a feminine pronoun:

  • policeji

That is why the second part says:

  • polož ji = put/place it

In standard written Czech, ji is the normal form here.

Why is it polož?

Polož is the imperative of položit (to put down / place).

So the sentence has two commands:

  • přines = bring
  • polož = place / put down

Both are singular informal imperatives, matching the same person being addressed.

Why are přines and polož perfective verbs?

Because the speaker wants two completed, one-time actions:

  1. bring the shelf
  2. place it next to the window

In Czech, perfective verbs are very common in instructions like this when the focus is on completing the action.

So:

  • přinést = bring (successfully, as a complete action)
  • položit = put/place (as a complete action)

If imperfective verbs were used instead, the sentence would sound more like focusing on the process, repetition, or ongoing action.

Why is it vedle okna and not vedle okno?

Because vedle (next to / beside) requires the genitive case.

The noun is:

  • okno = window
  • vedle okna = next to the window

So this is another preposition pattern you need to learn:

  • vedle domu = next to the house
  • vedle školy = next to the school
  • vedle okna = next to the window
Where do the little pronouns like mi and ji go in the sentence?

They are short unstressed pronouns, and Czech usually places them very early in the clause, often right after the verb in commands.

That is why you get:

  • Přines mi...
  • Polož ji...

This placement is very natural in Czech.

So while English says bring me the shelf and place it carefully, Czech likes:

  • verb first in the command
  • then the short pronoun
Can the word order change?

Yes, Czech word order is fairly flexible, but not completely free.

This sentence is natural because it presents the actions clearly and keeps the short pronouns in their usual position:

  • Prosím tě, přines mi z pokoje polici a polož ji opatrně vedle okna.

Some parts, especially opatrně, can move:

  • ...a polož ji vedle okna opatrně.

But that may slightly change the emphasis. The given version sounds very normal and natural for a straightforward instruction.

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