Policie zná tento případ.

Czech does not use articles like the or a/an.

So Policie zná tento případ can naturally mean The police know this case. Whether something is definite or indefinite is usually understood from context, word order, or words like tento (this).

In Czech, policie is grammatically a singular feminine noun meaning the police / police force as an institution.

That is why the verb is singular:

• policie zná = the police know

Even though English uses a plural verb with the police, Czech treats policie as singular.

Zná is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb znát.

So:

• znát = to know, to be familiar with
• on/ona/ono zná = he/she/it knows
• policie zná = the police know(s)

Because policie is singular, Czech uses zná, not a plural form.

Yes, but they are used differently.

• znát = to know someone/something, to be familiar with, to know of
• vědět = to know a fact, to know that..., to be aware

Here, případ (case) is a thing the police are familiar with, so znát is the natural choice:

• Policie zná tento případ. = The police know this case.

Compare:

• Policie ví, kdo to udělal. = The police know who did it.
  • Here ví is from vědět, because it introduces factual knowledge.

Případ is in the accusative singular because it is the direct object of the verb zná.

The police know what? → tento případ

For a masculine inanimate noun like případ, the accusative singular looks the same as the nominative singular:

• nominative: případ
• accusative: případ

So the noun itself does not change here, but its determiner does.

Tento means this and agrees with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Since případ is:

• masculine
• singular
• accusative

the correct form is tento.

So:

• tento případ = this case

This is a common pattern in Czech: demonstratives change form depending on the noun they go with.

Yes, often you can, but there is a difference in style and emphasis.

• tento případ is the more explicit, standard this case
• ten případ can also mean that case or, in many contexts, simply that/this case, depending on situation and tone

In learner materials, tento is often introduced as the clearer equivalent of this. In everyday speech, ten is very common and can sometimes cover meanings that English separates into this and that.

The sentence is perfectly natural as it stands, but Czech word order is more flexible than English.

Possible variations include:

• Policie zná tento případ.
  Neutral statement.

• Tento případ policie zná.
  Emphasizes this case.

• Tento případ zná policie.
  Can emphasize the police as the ones who know it.

The basic meaning stays similar, but the focus changes. Czech often uses word order to show what is new, important, or contrasted.

A rough guide:

• zná ≈ znaa
  The á is a long vowel, so hold it slightly longer than a short a.

• případ ≈ PZHEE-paht
  A few notes:

  • ř is the famous Czech sound, somewhat like a mix of r and zh
  • í is long
  • final d is often pronounced more like t at the end of a word

• policie ≈ po-LEE-tsi-ye

A learner does not need perfect pronunciation immediately, but noticing long vowels like á and í is important because vowel length matters in Czech.

Yes. Policie is grammatically feminine singular.

That affects agreement with adjectives and past tense forms, for example:

• státní policie = state police
  (státní agrees with policie)

In the past tense:

• Policie znala tento případ. = The police knew this case.

The form znala is feminine singular, matching policie.

The present tense here can simply state a current fact:

• Policie zná tento případ. = The police know this case.

With znát, the present tense often describes a state rather than an action in progress. It means the police are familiar with the case at present.

So this is not like an English progressive form such as are knowing, which English does not normally use anyway. It is just a straightforward present-tense statement.