Breakdown of Tento osobní doklad je důležitý.
být
to be
důležitý
important
tento
this
doklad
the official document; proof
Questions & Answers about Tento osobní doklad je důležitý.
What does tento mean, and how is it different from ten?
Tento means this.
A common learner question is why Czech uses tento instead of just ten. In modern Czech:
- tento = this
- tamten = that over there
- ten can sometimes mean the, that, or even this depending on context
So in a clear textbook sentence, tento is often used because it unambiguously means this.
In this sentence, tento osobní doklad = this personal document / this ID document.
Why is it tento osobní doklad and not some other ending?
Because all three words are in the nominative singular masculine form.
Here is the agreement:
- tento = demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular nominative
- osobní = adjective, masculine singular nominative
- doklad = noun, masculine singular nominative
Czech words have to agree in gender, number, and case. Since doklad is the main noun and it is masculine singular nominative, the words describing it must match.
What gender is doklad?