Štěně je velmi malé.

Because malé has to agree with štěně in gender, number, and case.

• štěně is neuter
• it is singular
• here it is in the nominative

So the adjective malý (small) changes to the neuter singular nominative form malé.

Compare:

• malý pes = a small dog (masculine)
• malá kočka = a small cat (feminine)
• malé štěně = a small puppy (neuter)

Even after je (is), Czech still uses the adjective form that matches the noun:
Štěně je malé.

In Czech, every noun has a grammatical gender, and štěně happens to be neuter.

This is very common with names of young animals:

• štěně = puppy
• kotě = kitten
• tele = calf

So even though a real puppy can be biologically male or female, the Czech noun štěně is grammatically neuter. That is why the adjective is also neuter: malé.

Je is the 3rd person singular present-tense form of být (to be).

So:

• já jsem = I am
• ty jsi = you are
• on / ona / ono je = he / she / it is

In Štěně je velmi malé, je means is.

Velmi means very. It is an adverb, and it modifies the adjective malé.

So:

• malé = small
• velmi malé = very small

In Czech, adverbs like velmi usually come before the adjective they modify, just like in English:

• velmi dobrý = very good
• velmi rychlý = very fast
• velmi malé = very small

A rough English-friendly guide is something like shtyen-yeh, but not exactly.

A few important sounds:

• š = like sh in shoe
• ť = a softened t
• ě often softens the consonant before it
• ň = like ny in canyon

So štěně is pronounced approximately sh-tye-nye.

The word contains sounds English does not match perfectly, so it is best to hear a native speaker if possible. The key thing is that both ť and ň are soft consonants.

ě is a special Czech letter. It usually does not simply mean a plain ye sound by itself. Its main job is often to soften the consonant before it.

In štěně:

• t + ě becomes a soft ťe
• n + ě becomes a soft ně

So the spelling helps show the soft pronunciation. This is why štěně can look difficult at first: ě affects the consonants before it.

The neutral, standard word order is:

Štěně je velmi malé.

Czech word order is more flexible than English, but changing it usually changes the focus or emphasis, not the basic meaning.

For example:

• Štěně je velmi malé. = neutral statement
• Velmi malé je štěně. = unusual, more literary or emphatic
• Je štěně velmi malé? = Is the puppy very small?

So yes, Czech allows more flexibility, but for learners, the original order is the safest and most natural.

No, not in a normal present-tense sentence like this.

In Czech, the present form of to be is usually expressed:

• Štěně je malé. = The puppy is small.

Leaving out je would sound wrong in standard Czech.

It is in the nominative singular.

That is because štěně is the subject of the sentence:

• Štěně = the thing being described
• je velmi malé = is very small

In simple X is Y sentences, the subject is normally in the nominative.

The dictionary form is malý.

Czech adjectives are usually listed in the masculine singular nominative form, so:

• dictionary form: malý
• feminine: malá
• neuter: malé

So in the sentence, malé is just the form of malý that matches the neuter noun štěně.

To make it negative, change je to není:

• Štěně není velmi malé. = The puppy is not very small.

To make it a yes/no question, Czech often just changes intonation in speech, or puts the verb first:

• Je štěně velmi malé? = Is the puppy very small?

You may also hear the same word order with question intonation:

• Štěně je velmi malé?

But for learners, Je štěně velmi malé? is the clearest question pattern.

The plural is štěňata.

So:

• štěně = puppy
• štěňata = puppies

And the adjective would also change:

• Štěňata jsou velmi malá. = The puppies are very small.

Notice both changes:

• je → jsou
• malé → malá because štěňata is plural neuter

No. Velmi is correct and fairly neutral, but Czech also uses other intensifiers.

For example:

• Štěně je velmi malé. = The puppy is very small.
• Štěně je moc malé. = The puppy is very/too small.
• Štěně je opravdu malé. = The puppy is really small.

A useful note: moc can sometimes sound a bit more conversational, and depending on context it can edge toward too. Velmi is a safe, standard choice.