Publikum čeká.

It is singular.

Publikum is a collective noun: it refers to a group of people, but grammatically it behaves like a singular noun. That is very similar to English the audience.

So in this sentence:

• Publikum čeká. = The audience is waiting.

Even though many people are involved, Czech treats publikum as one whole group.

Because the subject publikum is grammatically singular.

• publikum = singular neuter noun
• čeká = 3rd person singular present tense

So the agreement is:

• Publikum čeká. = The audience waits / is waiting.

If the subject were a normal plural noun, then you would use čekají:

• Lidé čekají. = The people are waiting.

The basic dictionary form is čekat.

Here is the pattern:

• čekat = to wait
• čeká = he/she/it waits, is waiting

In this sentence, čeká means is waiting or waits, depending on context. Czech present tense often covers both simple present and present continuous meanings that English distinguishes.

It is in the nominative, because it is the subject of the sentence.

You can identify it as the thing doing the action:

• Publikum = the audience
• čeká = waits / is waiting

So publikum is the subject, and subjects are normally in the nominative case.

Because Czech does not have articles like English the and a/an.

So a sentence like:

• Publikum čeká.

can mean:

• The audience is waiting.
• An audience is waiting.
• Audience is waiting. (depending on context, though this wording is less natural in English)

Usually the context tells you which English article fits best.

A helpful approximate pronunciation is:

• Publikum ≈ POOB-lee-koom
• čeká ≈ CHE-kaa

A few details:

• č sounds like ch in check
• e is like e in bed
• á is a long a, so it is held a bit longer than short a

Stress in Czech normally falls on the first syllable of each word:

• PU-blikum
• ČE-ká

Yes, you can. Czech word order is more flexible than English.

Both are grammatically possible:

• Publikum čeká.
• Čeká publikum.

But they do not sound exactly the same in emphasis.

• Publikum čeká. is the most neutral: The audience is waiting.
• Čeká publikum. puts more focus on the verb or sounds more context-driven, like The audience is waiting in contrast to something else.

For a beginner, the normal neutral order subject + verb is the safest choice.

Usually yes. If you say what someone is waiting for, Czech commonly uses na + accusative.

Examples:

• Publikum čeká na herce. = The audience is waiting for the actor.
• Čekám na autobus. = I am waiting for the bus.

So in your short sentence Publikum čeká., no object is given; it simply means The audience is waiting.

It is neuter.

A useful clue is the ending -um, which is common in some neuter nouns borrowed from Latin or other languages.

Because it is neuter singular, it takes the singular verb form:

• Publikum čeká.

You do not need the gender to understand this sentence, but it helps explain the grammar.

Yes, it is a normal word and means audience.

Another word you may also see is obecenstvo, which can also mean audience. In many contexts, publikum is very common and natural, especially in modern usage.

So Publikum čeká. is a perfectly normal Czech sentence.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Czech present tense often covers both:

• Publikum čeká. = The audience waits.
• Publikum čeká. = The audience is waiting.

In real translation, English usually prefers is waiting here, because that sounds more natural for a current situation.