Policie zná tento případ.

to know

Breakdown of Policie zná tento případ.

• tento: this
• policie: the police
• případ: case; instance

Questions & Answers about Policie zná tento případ.

Why is there no word for the in this sentence?

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).

Why is policie followed by a singular verb? In English, the police is plural.

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.

What form is zná, and what is the infinitive?

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.