Až se vrátíme od řeky domů, pověsím ponožky vedle pračky a dám vařit vodu na čaj.

Až here means when / once in the sense of after the moment that something happens.

So:

• Až se vrátíme od řeky domů = When we get back home from the river
• It points to a future moment, after which the main action will happen.

A useful nuance:

• když can mean when in a more general sense
• až often emphasizes not until that point / once that happens

So až fits well here because the speaker means: first we return home, then I’ll do the next things.

This is about Czech clitic placement.

The word se is a clitic, which means it usually stands in the second position in its clause, not necessarily directly next to the verb.

In the clause:

• Až se vrátíme od řeky domů

the first element is až, so se comes right after it.

That is why až se vrátíme is natural.

Compare:

• Vrátíme se domů. = We’ll return home.
• Až se vrátíme domů... = When we return home...

So the position of se changes because the clause starts differently.

Czech works differently from English here.

After conjunctions like až referring to the future, Czech normally uses a true future form, or a present form of a perfective verb with future meaning.

Here:

• vrátíme se is from the perfective verb vrátit se
• with a perfective verb, the present-tense form often expresses future meaning

So:

• Až se vrátíme... literally looks like a present form
• but it means when we get back / when we have returned

This is completely normal Czech. English prefers present tense after when, but Czech does not follow that rule.

Here se is not really translating as ourselves in the normal English sense.

Vrátit means to return something / to bring back.
Vrátit se means to return / to come back.

Examples:

• Vrátím knihu. = I’ll return the book.
• Vrátím se domů. = I’ll return home / I’ll come back home.

So in vrátit se, the se is part of the verb’s meaning. It makes the verb intransitive and gives the sense come back / return.

Both od and z can relate to movement away from a place, but they are used differently.

• od + genitive = from near / from by / away from
• z + genitive = out of / from inside / from off a place in a stronger source sense

So:

• od řeky = from the river / from by the river
• it suggests you were at the river, near it, by it

That is more natural than z řeky, because z řeky would more literally sound like out of the river.

Also note the case:

• řeka → genitive singular řeky
• because od requires the genitive

Domů is a very common adverb meaning homeward / home when there is motion toward home.

So:

• Vrátíme se domů. = We’ll return home.

Compare:

• doma = at home (location)
• domů = home (direction)

Examples:

• Jsme doma. = We are at home.
• Jdeme domů. = We’re going home.

As for do domu: that means into the house/building, not necessarily home in the personal sense. So domů is the normal choice here.

Czech often drops subject pronouns when the verb ending already makes the subject clear.

In this sentence:

• vrátíme = we return / we will return
• pověsím = I will hang
• dám = I will put / I will set

So Czech does not need to say:

• my se vrátíme
• já pověsím
• já dám

unless the speaker wants emphasis or contrast.

This is very normal and natural in Czech.

Pověsím is the 1st person singular future meaning I will hang up from the verb pověsit.

This verb is perfective, so its present-tense form has future meaning:

• pověsím = I’ll hang up

It is used for hanging something on a hook, line, hanger, etc.

Here:

• pověsím ponožky vedle pračky = I’ll hang the socks next to the washing machine

This sounds like hanging them up to dry, or at least placing them hanging somewhere nearby.

Here ponožky is accusative plural, because it is the direct object of pověsím.

• pověsit co? = to hang what?
• ponožky = socks

For this noun, the accusative plural happens to look the same as the nominative plural:

• nominative plural: ponožky
• accusative plural: ponožky

That is very common in Czech.

The singular is:

• ponožka = sock

Because vedle requires the genitive case.

• vedle = next to / beside
• after it, the following noun goes into the genitive

So:

• pračka → pračky

Therefore:

• vedle pračky = next to the washing machine

This is just a case rule you have to learn with the preposition.

This is a very natural Czech construction.

Literally, dám vařit vodu is something like:

• I’ll put water to boil
• I’ll set water boiling
• more naturally in English: I’ll put the water on for tea

The pattern is:

• dát + infinitive

and it often means to set something going / to put something somewhere so that an action starts happening.

So:

• dám vařit vodu does not mean that I personally boil it by direct action
• it means I’ll start the process, for example by putting a pot or kettle on

This is more idiomatic here than a simple literal equivalent.

Not as naturally in this context.

Uvařit vodu literally means to boil the water or to cook/prepare the water, but with water it is less idiomatic for the simple act of setting it to boil.

Dám vařit vodu suggests:

• I’ll put the water on
• I’ll start boiling it

That is exactly what people often mean in everyday speech.

So dám vařit vodu na čaj is a very natural household-type expression.

Na čaj here expresses purpose: for tea / for making tea.

In Czech, na + accusative is often used to mean:

• for
• intended for
• to be used for

So:

• voda na čaj = water for tea
• meaning water intended to make tea

Pro čaj would sound less natural here. Pro is more like for someone/something in the sense of intended recipient or beneficiary, not the usual choice for this kind of purpose expression.

Because the sentence begins with a subordinate clause:

• Až se vrátíme od řeky domů, ...

Then comes the main clause:

• pověsím ponožky vedle pračky a dám vařit vodu na čaj.

Czech uses a comma to separate that introductory subordinate clause from the main clause. This is standard punctuation.

Yes, Czech word order is flexible, but the original order is very natural.

The structure is:

1. Až se vrátíme od řeky domů
2. pověsím ponožky vedle pračky
3. a dám vařit vodu na čaj

This order sounds neutral and clear: first the time condition, then the two actions.

Czech word order often depends on information structure, emphasis, and clitic rules rather than a fixed English-style pattern. So some rearrangement is possible, but not all versions sound equally natural.

For example, you could emphasize place or object differently, but the given sentence is a normal neutral choice.

It is natural.

It sounds like a normal everyday sentence: When we get back home from the river, I’ll hang up the socks next to the washing machine and put water on for tea.

The details are quite specific, but grammatically and stylistically it is fully natural Czech:

• až for a future point
• se vrátíme with correct clitic order
• od řeky for coming back from the riverside
• domů for motion home
• dám vařit vodu as an everyday idiomatic expression