Náš vlak má zpoždění.

• náš = our
• vlak = train
• má = has
• zpoždění = delay

So the sentence is literally Our train has a delay, which is the normal Czech way to express Our train is delayed.

Because náš has to agree with vlak.

• vlak is a masculine inanimate singular noun.
• The possessive pronoun náš changes its form depending on gender, number, and case.

Here, the correct nominative singular masculine form is náš.

Compare:

• náš vlak = our train
• naše auto = our car
• naše stanice = our station
• naši přátelé = our friends

Because Czech commonly expresses this idea with the phrase mít zpoždění = to have a delay.

So:

• Vlak má zpoždění = The train is delayed / The train has a delay

This is a very natural, standard expression in Czech, especially in travel situations, announcements, and timetables.

English prefers is delayed, but Czech often prefers has a delay.

Má is the 3rd person singular present tense of mít = to have.

Conjugation of mít in the present:

• já mám = I have
• ty máš = you have
• on/ona/ono má = he/she/it has
• my máme = we have
• vy máte = you have
• oni/ony mají = they have

Since vlak is singular, you use má.

It is in the accusative singular, because it is the direct object of má.

• mít co? = to have what?
• má zpoždění = has a delay

A useful detail: zpoždění is a neuter noun, and in the singular its nominative and accusative forms look the same.

So although the form is unchanged, its function here is accusative.

Yes, vlak is a masculine inanimate noun.

You can often tell from:

• the dictionary form ending in a consonant
• the way other words agree with it

Here náš shows masculine singular agreement.

Because vlak is inanimate, that matters later in declension. For example, masculine animate and inanimate nouns behave differently in some cases, especially accusative.

Roughly: zpozh-dyeh-nyee

A few important sounds:

• ž sounds like the s in measure
• ě often softens the previous consonant; here dě sounds roughly like dye
• í is a long ee sound

So zpoždění is approximately: zpozh-DYE-nyee

Also:

• náš sounds roughly like naash
• vlak is like vlahk
• má is like maa

In Czech, the accent mark usually shows that the vowel is longer, not that the word is stressed differently.

So:

• a vs á
• i vs í

Examples here:

• náš has a long á
• má has a long á
• zpoždění has a long í

Czech stress is usually on the first syllable of the word, regardless of these marks.

Yes. Czech word order is more flexible than English because case endings and verb forms carry more grammatical information.

The neutral order here is:

• Náš vlak má zpoždění.

But other orders are possible for emphasis, for example:

• Vlak má zpoždění. = The train is delayed.
• Zpoždění má náš vlak. = It is our train that has the delay.

Even when the order changes, the basic meaning can stay the same, but the emphasis changes.

Yes, if our is not important or is already understood.

• Vlak má zpoždění. = The train is delayed.

Adding náš specifically emphasizes that it is our train.

In real conversation, Czech often leaves out words that are obvious from context.

Yes. A common alternative is:

• Náš vlak je opožděný. = Our train is delayed.

But má zpoždění is especially common in standard travel language and public announcements.

So both are possible, but:

• má zpoždění sounds very typical for transport contexts
• je opožděný is also understandable and correct

No. Zpoždění is a general noun meaning delay.

You can use it with many things:

• Let má zpoždění. = The flight is delayed.
• Autobus má zpoždění. = The bus is delayed.
• Máme zpoždění. = We are delayed / We’re running late.

So it is a very useful everyday word.

Because Czech has no articles like English a/an/the.

So:

• má zpoždění can correspond to has a delay or sometimes just has delay in a literal gloss

Whether English needs a or the depends on translation, but Czech does not mark that with a separate word.