Calling and joining · Czech grammar A1

Calling someone: the vocative, Petře, pane Nováku, paní učitelko#

A name or a title used to call or address someone takes a form of its own, the vocative.

Jano, kde jsou klíče?Jana, where are the keys?
Děkuju, pane Svobodo, a na shledanou.Thank you, Mr Svoboda, and goodbye.
Tomáši, máš čas?Tomáš, have you got time?
Děkuju, pane doktore.Thank you, doctor.
Marku, jdeš taky?Marek, are you coming too?

Formation

The vocative singular is formed from the nominative, with an ending that depends on the end of the noun.
In Pavel the e drops: Pavle.
Paní and a woman's surname in -ová do not change: paní Nováková.

The noun ends in	Vocative	Examples
-a	-o	Eva → Evo, Jana → Jano, Svoboda → Svobodo, učitelka → učitelko, slečna → slečno
a hard consonant	-e	Martin → Martine, Jakub → Jakube, pan → pane, doktor → doktore
-r after a consonant	-ře	Petr → Petře
-k, -ek	-u	Novák → Nováku, Marek → Marku
a soft consonant	-i	Tomáš → Tomáši, Ondřej → Ondřeji, učitel → učiteli
-e, -í	no change	Lucie, Jiří

Use

The vocative is used to call or address someone, and is set off by a comma: Jano, kde jsi? (“Jana, where are you?”)
A man is addressed politely with pane (“Mr”). The surname or the title after it is in the vocative: pane Nováku, pane doktore.
A woman is addressed politely with paní (“Mrs, Ms”). Her surname after it is in the nominative, a title in the vocative: paní Nováková, paní učitelko.
The choice between ty and vy is explained in Speaking to a friend or a stranger: ty and vy.

Difference from English

In English, a name or a title used to call someone does not change (“Petr!”, “Doctor!”). In Czech, it takes the vocative: Petře! (“Petr!”), pane doktore! (“Doctor!”)

Common mistakes

~~Petr, kde jsi?~~ → Petře, kde jsi?A name used to call someone is in the vocative.
~~pane Novák~~ → pane NovákuThe surname after pane is in the vocative too.
~~paní Nováku~~ → paní NovákováA woman's surname in -ová does not change.
~~Pavele!~~ → Pavle!The e of Pavel drops.

Remember

Use the vocative when you call someone: Petře!, Jano!
Address a man with pane and the vocative of his surname: pane Nováku.
Leave a woman's surname in -ová as it is: paní Nováková.

You now know how to call someone by name or title with the vocative.

Practise

“Calling and joining: the vocative, a, ale, protože, že, když”, Calling someone by name: Petře, Evo, Tomáši, Lucie “Calling and joining: the vocative, a, ale, protože, že, když”, Addressing people politely: pane Nováku, paní učitelko

Create an account: you will go straight to these exercises.

Joining words and clauses: a, i, ale, nebo#

Words and clauses are joined with a (“and”), i (“too”), ale (“but”) and nebo (“or”).

Mám psa a kočku.I have a dog and a cat.
I Lucie mluví česky.Lucie speaks Czech too.
Chci jít ven, ale prší.I want to go out, but it's raining.
Večer čtu nebo poslouchám hudbu.In the evening I read or listen to music.

Formation

Words or clauses are joined with a (“and”), with no comma before it.
I (“also, too”) adds one more person or thing and is placed before the word it stresses; i … i means “both … and”.
Two clauses that contrast are joined with ale (“but”), with a comma before it.
A choice is offered with nebo (“or”), with no comma between two words.

Use

Two subjects joined by a take a plural verb: Jana a Tomáš bydlí tady. (“Jana and Tomáš live here.”)
Two subjects joined by nebo take a singular verb when one of them is meant: Tomáš nebo Jana má klíč. (“Tomáš or Jana has the key.”)
Také (“also”) has the same meaning as i.
In a strict either-or question, a comma often stands before nebo: Máš bratra, nebo sestru? (“Have you got a brother or a sister?”)

Difference from English

In English, too usually comes at the end of the sentence. In Czech, i comes before the word it stresses: I Lucie mluví česky. (“Lucie speaks Czech too.”)

Common mistakes

~~Mám čas a nemám peníze.~~ → Mám čas, ale nemám peníze.A contrast is expressed with ale, after a comma.
~~Bydlím v Brně ale pracuju v Praze.~~ → Bydlím v Brně, ale pracuju v Praze.A comma always stands before ale, even where English puts none before but.

Remember

Put a comma before ale: Mám čas, ale nemám peníze. (“I have time, but I have no money.”)
Put i before the word it stresses: I Lucie mluví česky. (“Lucie speaks Czech too.”)
Two subjects joined by a take a plural verb: Jana a Tomáš bydlí tady. (“Jana and Tomáš live here.”)

You now know how to join words and clauses with a, i, ale and nebo.

Practise

“Calling and joining: the vocative, a, ale, protože, že, když”, Joining words and sentences: a, i, ale, nebo

Create an account: you will go straight to these exercises.

Giving a reason, reporting and saying when: protože, že, když#

A reason is given with protože (“because”), a reported thought with že (“that”), and a time with když (“when, whenever”).

Nejdu ven, protože prší.I'm not going out because it's raining.
Proč nejíš? — Protože nejsem hladový.Why aren't you eating? — Because I'm not hungry.
Myslím, že Petr je v práci.I think Petr is at work.
Vím, že máš dnes narozeniny.I know it's your birthday today.
Když prší, jezdím autobusem.When it rains, I go by bus.
Kdy přijdeš?When will you come?

Formation

Protože, že and když begin a clause with its own verb. When that clause comes after another one, a comma stands before the conjunction: …, protože je pozdě; Myslím, že…
A clause with když often comes first, followed by a comma: Když jsem unavený, spím dlouho. (“When I'm tired, I sleep for a long time.”)
A short word such as jsem or se comes right after the conjunction: Myslím, že jsem tady byl. (“I think I was here.”)

Use

A reason is asked for with proč? (“why?”) and given with protože.
Že is used after verbs of thinking, knowing, seeing and hearing (myslet, vědět, vidět, slyšet), and is never left out.
Když is used to say when or how often something happens.
In a question, “when?” is kdy: Kdy přijdeš? (“When will you come?”)

Common mistakes

~~Myslím Petr je doma.~~ → Myslím, že Petr je doma.English can leave out that; že is never left out.
~~Kdy je teplo, plavu.~~ → Když je teplo, plavu.English when is also the question word; a clause of time begins with když.
~~Protože jsi doma?~~ → Proč jsi doma?The question word is proč; protože begins the answer.

Remember

Never leave out že, and put a comma before it: Myslím, že dnes prší. (“I think it's raining today.”)
Ask with proč? and answer with protože: Proč jsi doma? — Protože prší. (“Why are you at home? — Because it's raining.”)
Use když in a clause and kdy in a question: Kdy přijdeš? (“When will you come?”)

You now know how to give a reason with protože, report a thought with že and say when with když.

Practise

“Calling and joining: the vocative, a, ale, protože, že, když”, Giving a reason: protože, proč “Calling and joining: the vocative, a, ale, protože, že, když”, Saying what you think or know: že “Calling and joining: the vocative, a, ale, protože, že, když”, Saying when: když

Create an account: you will go straight to these exercises.

Already, still, not yet, no longer: už, ještě, ještě ne, už ne#

Už means “already” and ještě “still”; with a negative verb, už means “no longer” and ještě “not yet”.

Jana už je doma.Jana is already home.
Děti jsou ještě ve škole.The children are still at school.
Máš už lístek? — Ještě ne.Have you got a ticket yet? — Not yet.
Už nekouřím.I don't smoke any more.
Ještě jednu kávu, prosím.One more coffee, please.

Formation

Czech	Meaning	Example
už	already	Jana už je doma.
ještě	still	Děti jsou ještě ve škole.
ještě ne + a negative verb	not yet	Ještě nespím.
už ne + a negative verb	no longer, not any more	Už nekouřím.

The ne of ještě ne and už ne is written as one word with the verb: Ještě nespím. (“I'm not asleep yet.”)
Ještě ne (“not yet”) and už ne (“no longer”) also stand alone as short answers.
Ještě also means “another, more”: ještě jeden čaj (“another tea”).

Use

With a negative verb, už and ještě usually come before the verb: Ještě jsem nejedl. (“I haven't eaten yet.”) Už nebydlím v Praze. (“I no longer live in Prague.”)

Difference from English

In English, yet and any more come at the end of the sentence. In Czech, ještě and už come before the negative verb: Ještě nejsem doma. (“I'm not at home yet.”)

Common mistakes

~~Už bydlím v Praze.~~ → Už nebydlím v Praze.For “I no longer live in Prague”, the verb is negative: “no longer” takes a negative verb in Czech.
~~Ne ještě.~~ → Ještě ne.Ne comes after ještě.

Remember

Už means “already”: Už jsem doma. (“I'm already home.”)
With a negative verb, už means “no longer”: Už tady nebydlím. (“I don't live here any more.”)
Answer “not yet” with Ještě ne. (“Not yet.”)

In short

Point	Form	Example
the vocative	-o; -e; -ře; -u; -i; pane, paní	Jano! Petře! pane Nováku
joining	a, i, ale, nebo	Chci jít ven, ale prší.
a reason	proč? — protože	Nejdu ven, protože prší.
reporting	že, after a comma	Myslím, že Petr je v práci.
when	když (a clause), kdy? (a question)	Když prší, jezdím autobusem.
already, still	už, ještě	Jana už je doma.
not yet, no longer	ještě ne, už ne + a negative verb	Už nekouřím.

You now know how to say already, still, not yet and no longer with už and ještě.

Practise

“Calling and joining: the vocative, a, ale, protože, že, když”, Already and not yet: už, ještě

Create an account: you will go straight to these exercises.