Pas je starý, je však stále platný.

to be

Breakdown of Pas je starý, je však stále platný.

• starý: old
• stále: still
• pas: the passport

Questions & Answers about Pas je starý, je však stále platný.

Why does pas mean passport here? I thought it could also mean belt or even strip.

Yes, pas can have more than one meaning in Czech, just like some English words do.

In this sentence, pas means passport. That is clear from the adjective platný (valid), because documents like passports, tickets, and IDs are commonly described as platný / neplatný (valid / invalid).

So although pas can mean other things in other contexts, here the surrounding words make passport the natural interpretation.

What gender is pas, and how do we know?

Pas is masculine inanimate.

You can tell from the adjective forms:

• starý
• platný

These are masculine singular nominative forms. If the noun were feminine, you would expect:

• stará
• platná

If it were neuter:

• staré
• platné

So the sentence structure shows that pas is masculine singular.

Why is je used twice?