Pes běží přes ulici.

The dog is running across the street.

Breakdown of Pes běží přes ulici.

• pes: the dog
• ulice: the street
• běžet: to run
• přes: across; over

Questions & Answers about Pes běží přes ulici.

Why is there no word for the or a in this sentence?

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

So Pes běží přes ulici. can mean:

• The dog is running across the street
• A dog is running across the street

Which one is meant depends on context.

What form is pes here?

Pes is the nominative singular form, which is the form typically used for the subject of the sentence.

• pes = dog
• It is a masculine animate noun.

Because pes is the subject, it stays in the nominative.

What does běží mean exactly?

Běží is the 3rd person singular present form of the verb běžet (to run).

So běží means:

• runs
• is running

In Czech, the present tense often covers both the simple present and the present continuous, depending on context.

Why does běží mean both and ?