The present

Formation

• The present is formed from the present stem and a personal ending. Each pattern is named after its já (“I”) and ty (“you”) endings.
• In the verbs in -ovat, -ova- is replaced by -uj-: pracovat → pracuju.
• In the -u, -eš pattern, the present stem is learnt with the verb, as čtu with číst.
• In the -ím pattern, the third person plural is the same as the singular. Some verbs also have a plural in -ejí or -ějí: bydlí or bydlejí, rozumí or rozumějí.

Use

• The present is used for what is happening now and for what happens usually: Co děláš? (“What are you doing?” or “What do you do?”)
• The subject pronoun is usually left out, as with být, since the ending shows the person.
• A language is named with an adverb: Mluvím česky (“I speak Czech”). The adverb is explained in Naming women and saying how: -ka, -ová and adverbs in -sky and -ě.
• With a word of time, the present is also used for a plan. This use is explained in Talking about the future: the compound future (will), budu pracovat, půjdu, pojedu.

In writing

• In writing, -i and -í are also used for -u and -ou in the -uju pattern: pracuji, pracují.
• After a soft consonant such as š or j, -i and -í are also written in the -u pattern. The written forms píši, píší and piji, pijí stand for píšu, píšou and piju, pijou.

Formation

• Mít (“to have”) takes the endings of dělat: mám, máš, má, máme, máte, mají.
• Jít (“to go on foot”) and jet (“to go in a vehicle”) have the stems jd- and jed-. They take the endings of čtu: jdu, jdeš, jde, jdeme, jdete, jdou; jedu, jedeš, jede, jedeme, jedete, jedou.
• Chtít (“to want”), jíst (“to eat”) and vědět (“to know”) are irregular. Their third person plural has a stem of its own:

• The negative is formed with ne-, as for every verb: nemám, nejdu, nechci, nevím.

Use

• Mít is used where English has “have” or “have got”, and in Jak se máš? (“How are you?”)
• Jít is used of a person on foot and jet of a journey by car, bus or train. For a journey to another town, jet is usually used.
• The verbs chodit and jezdit are used for a habit or a repeated journey. They are explained in One journey or a habit: jít or chodit, jet or jezdit.
• Chtít is followed by an object or an infinitive, and vědět by a clause. Both are explained in Wanting, being able, having to and knowing: modal verbs, chci, můžu, musím, smím; umím, znám, vím.

Formation

• Some verbs are used with the reflexive pronoun se, a few with si.
• The pronoun is the same for every person, and the verb is conjugated as without it.
• In writing, jmenuji se is also used for jmenuju se.

Use

• Many of these verbs have no reflexive in English: učit se is “to learn” and jmenovat se “to be called”.
• Without se, the meaning changes: učit is “to teach”.

Word order

• Se and si are short words placed second in the clause, after the first word or phrase: Jmenuju se Pavel. (“My name is Pavel.”)
• When another word comes first, se follows it: Dnes se učím. (“Today I'm learning.”)
• For se with jsem, see Word order in the past: jsem, se and si in second place, díval jsem se.

Formation

• A verb is made negative by joining ne- to it, in one word: nemám, nečtu, nepracuju. The negative of je is není.
• Nic (“nothing”), nikdo (“nobody”), nikdy (“never”) and žádný (“no, not any”) are used with a negative verb: Nic nevím. (“I know nothing.”) Nikdo tam není. (“Nobody is there.”) Nikdy nepiju kávu. (“I never drink coffee.”) Nemám žádný čas. (“I have no time.”)
• Several of these words can stand in one sentence: Nikdo nic neví. (“Nobody knows anything.”)
• Žádný agrees with its noun like an adjective: žádné auto, žádnou vodu. This agreement is explained in Describing things: adjectives, jaký, který and tenhle in the nominative singular. The form žádnou is explained in Describing the object: adjectives, ten, jeden and possessives in the accusative.

Use

• Nic and nikdo also stand alone as short answers: Kdo je tam? — Nikdo. (“Who's there? — Nobody.”) Co děláš? — Nic. (“What are you doing? — Nothing.”)
• Nikdy usually comes before the verb: Tomáš nikdy nevaří. (“Tomáš never cooks.”)