Být · Czech grammar A1

Contents · A1

In this part, you will learn to say who you are and where you are. You will also learn to speak to a friend or a stranger and to ask simple questions.

Saying who and where you are: the present of být, jsem, nejsem#

Each person has its own form of být (“to be”), so the subject pronoun is usually left out.

Jsem z Ostravy, ale bydlím v Praze.I'm from Ostrava, but I live in Prague.
Martin je dnes doma.Martin is at home today.
Jsme v kavárně u nádraží.We're in the café by the station.
Jana a Lucie jsou ve škole.Jana and Lucie are at school.
Petr tady není, je v práci.Petr isn't here, he's at work.

Formation

Být has six present forms: jsem, jsi, je in the singular, jsme, jste, jsou in the plural.
The negative is formed by joining ne- to the verb, in one word: nejsem, nejsi, nejsme, nejste, nejsou.
The negative of je has a form of its own: není.
A negative sentence has a single ne-, on the verb: Eva tady není. (“Eva isn't here.”)

přítomný čas
	být
já	jsem
ty	jsi
on/ona/ono	je
my	jsme
vy	jste
oni/ony	jsou

He, she, it and they

Je is the form for on (“he”), ona (“she”), ono (“it”) and a name or noun subject.
Jsou is the form for oni (“they”), used of men or of a group with at least one man.
Jsou is also the form for ony (“they”), used of women, of children and of masculine and feminine things.
Noun gender is explained in Telling a noun's gender: masculine (animate or inanimate), feminine and neuter, ten, ta, to.

Use

The person is shown by the ending of the verb, so the subject pronoun is usually left out: Jsem doma. (“I am at home.”)
The subject pronoun is used for a contrast: Já jsem z Brna, a ty? (“I am from Brno, and you?”)
Two names joined by a (“and”) take the plural: Petr a Eva jsou doma. (“Petr and Eva are at home.”)
A subject that includes já (“I”) takes jsme: Lucie a já jsme v kavárně. (“Lucie and I are in the café.”)

After být

A noun after být is in its dictionary form (the nominative), with no article: Jsem student. (“I am a student.”)
An adjective after být agrees with the subject: Tomáš je unavený. (“Tomáš is tired.”) for a man, Jana je unavená. (“Jana is tired.”) for a woman.
The forms of the adjective are given in Describing things: adjectives, jaký, který and tenhle in the nominative singular.

Difference from English

English has three forms (am, are, is); Czech has six: “we are” is jsme, “they are” is jsou.
An English statement always has a subject (“am tired” is not a sentence); in Czech, Jsem unavená. (“I am tired.”) is the normal sentence.
English not is a separate word, while Czech ne- is written together with the verb: nejsem, není.

Common mistakes

~~Já je student.~~ → Jsem student.Je is the third person; the first person is jsem, and the pronoun is usually left out.
~~Ne jsem doma.~~ → Nejsem doma.Ne- is written in one word with the verb.
~~Eva nejsou tady.~~ → Eva tady není.Eva is one person, and the negative of je is není.

Remember

Leave out the subject pronoun unless you stress it: Jsem doma. (“I am at home.”)
Write ne- in one word with the verb: Nejsem doma. (“I am not at home.”)
Use není as the negative of je: Eva tady není. (“Eva isn't here.”)

You now know the present forms of být, their negative and when to leave out the subject pronoun.

Practise

“Být: first sentences (jsem, jsi, je, není)”, Saying who you are: já jsem, ty jsi, vy jste “Být: first sentences (jsem, jsi, je, není)”, Saying who someone is: on je, ona je, my jsme, oni jsou “Být: first sentences (jsem, jsi, je, není)”, Saying no with být: nejsem, nejsi, není

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Speaking to a friend or a stranger: ty and vy#

A friend is addressed as ty, and a stranger as vy, with the verb in the second person plural.

Ahoj, Tomáši, kde jsi?Hi Tomáš, where are you?
Dobrý den, jste paní Svobodová?Hello, are you Mrs Svobodová?
Pane Dvořáku, máte auto?Mr Dvořák, have you got a car?
Lucie a Jano, jste doma?Lucie and Jana, are you at home?

Use

Ty, with the second person singular (jsi, máš), is used with family, friends and children, and among young people.
Vy, with the second person plural (jste, máte), is used with strangers, older people, customers and teachers.
Vy is used even when one person is addressed.
Vy is also the only form for several people, friends included: Lucie a Jano, jste doma? (“Lucie and Jana, are you at home?”)

Names and greetings

A person addressed as vy is named with pan (“Mr”) or paní (“Mrs, Ms”) and the surname: Jste pan Dvořák? (“Are you Mr Dvořák?”)
Ahoj (“hi”) is used with ty, and dobrý den (“hello”) with vy.
A name takes another ending when the person is called: pan Novák → pane Nováku.
This calling form is explained in Calling someone: the vocative, Petře, pane Nováku, paní učitelko.

Difference from English

English has one you; in Czech, the verb changes with ty or vy: Jsi doma? (“Are you at home?”, to a friend), Jste doma? (“Are you at home?”, to a stranger)
English has one your; Czech has tvůj with ty and váš with vy.
English “you were” is byl jsi with ty and byl jste with vy.

Common mistakes

~~Dobrý den, pane Nováku, jak se máš?~~ → Dobrý den, pane Nováku, jak se máte?Mr Novák (pan Novák) is addressed as vy, so the verb is máte.
~~Paní Horáková, jsi tady?~~ → Paní Horáková, jste tady?A stranger takes the second person plural, jste.

Remember

Use ty with a friend and vy with a stranger: Jste pan Dvořák? (“Are you Mr Dvořák?”)
Use the plural verb with vy, even for one person: Pane Nováku, jak se máte? (“Mr Novák, how are you?”)
Greet with ahoj when you use ty: Ahoj, jsi dnes doma? (“Hi, are you at home today?”)

You now know when to use ty and when to use vy, and how to greet each person.

Going further

Tvůj and váš are explained in Saying whose: the possessives můj, tvůj, jeho, její, náš, váš, jejich; čí, svůj.
The past is explained in Talking about the past: the past tense (past simple), byl jsem, dělala jsi, šli jsme.

Practise

“Být: first sentences (jsem, jsi, je, není)”, Saying who you are: já jsem, ty jsi, vy jste

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Asking questions: yes or no, kdo, co, kde and to je#

A yes-or-no question is formed by the voice, with no added word, and a question word is placed first.

Jsi dnes večer doma? — Ano, jsem.Are you at home this evening? — Yes, I am.
Kdo je to? — To je moje sestra Jana.Who's that? — That's my sister Jana.
Co je to? — To je nová taška.What's this? — It's a new bag.
To jsou moje kamarádky, Jana a Lucie.These are my friends, Jana and Lucie.
Kde je nádraží? — Tam.Where's the station? — Over there.

Formation

A question without a question word is formed by the voice, rising at the end, and by the question mark.
The words of a statement can stay unchanged, in a negative question too: Pavel je doma? (“Is Pavel at home?”), Nejsi doma? (“Aren't you at home?”)
The verb is often placed first: Je Pavel doma? (“Is Pavel at home?”)
The short answer is ano (“yes”) or ne (“no”) with the verb: Ano, jsem. Ne, nejsem. (“Yes, I am. No, I'm not.”)

Question words

A question word is placed first: kdo (“who”), co (“what”), kde (“where”).
Kdo takes the third person singular: Kdo je tady? (“Who is here?”)
Kde is answered with tady (“here”), tam (“there”) or doma (“at home”).

To je and to jsou

Kdo je to? (“Who is that?”) is used for a person, and Co je to? or Co to je? (“What is that?”) for a thing.
Both questions are answered with to je for one person or thing, and with to jsou for several.
To in to je never changes for gender or number: To je Jana (“This is Jana”).
The verb agrees with what follows: To jsou Jana a Pavel (“These are Jana and Pavel”).

Difference from English

In English, do is added or the subject and the verb change places; in Czech, nothing is added: Máš čas? (“Do you have time?”)

Common mistakes

~~Jsi student? — Ano, já.~~ → Jsi student? — Ano, jsem.A short answer repeats the verb.
~~To je Petr a Tomáš.~~ → To jsou Petr a Tomáš.With two people, the verb is jsou: English these are is to jsou.
~~Ta je moje kniha.~~ → To je moje kniha.English this is, that is and it is are all to je, whatever the gender of the noun.

Remember

Ask a yes-or-no question with your voice, and add nothing: Jsi doma? (“Are you at home?”)
Answer with ano or ne and the verb: Ano, jsem. (“Yes, I am.”)
Use to jsou for two or more people or things: To jsou Martin a Lucie. (“These are Martin and Lucie.”)

In short: být, ty and vy, questions

Point	Form	Example
být, singular	jsem, jsi, je	Jsem z Ostravy.
být, plural	jsme, jste, jsou	Jsme v kavárně.
the negative	nejsem, nejsi, není, nejsme, nejste, nejsou	Petr tady není.
the subject pronoun	usually left out	Jsem doma.
informal you	ty + second person singular	Kde jsi?
formal you	vy + second person plural, also for one person	Jste paní Svobodová?
a yes-or-no question	the voice; no do	Máš čas?
a person, a thing	Kdo je to?, Co je to? + to je, to jsou	To je slovník.

You now know how to ask a question with or without a question word, and how to answer it.

Going further

The questions kam? (“where to?”) and odkud? (“where from?”) are explained in Where, where to and where from: kde, kam, odkud; do Prahy, na poštu, domů.

Practise

“Být: first sentences (jsem, jsi, je, není)”, Naming people and things: To je…, To jsou…, Kdo je to?, Co je to? “Být: first sentences (jsem, jsi, je, není)”, Asking whether and where: Jsi doma?, Kde je…?

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