Language/Czech/Grammar/Ablative-Case-in-Czech

The Ablative Case in Czech

Introduction

In Czech, the Ablative case is used to show the origin, starting point, or source of an action. It is often translated into English as "from." The Ablative case is formed using specific suffixes that are added to nouns, adjectives, and pronouns. In this lesson, we will go over the basics of how to form and use the Ablative case in Czech.

Ablative Case = from  (point of origin in the space or time)

Forming the Ablative Case

The Ablative case is formed by adding the appropriate suffix to the end of the word. The specific suffix depends on the gender of the noun, adjective, or pronoun.

For masculine nouns, the suffix "-em" is added.

For feminine nouns, the suffix "-í" is added.

For neuter nouns, the suffix "-m" is added.

For adjectives, the suffix depends on the gender of the noun it is describing.

For pronouns, the Ablative form is different for each pronoun.

Examples

Masculine noun: "stůl" (table) - Ablative: "stol-em"

Feminine noun: "škola" (school) - Ablative: "škol-í"

Neuter noun: "auto" (car) - Ablative: "aut-em"

Adjective: "dobrý" (good) - Ablative: "dobr-ým" (for masculine), "dobr-ou" (for feminine), "dobr-ým" (for neuter)

Pronoun: "já" (I) - Ablative: "mnou"

Using the Ablative Case

The Ablative case is used to show the origin, starting point, or source of an action. For example, to say "I came from school," you would use the Ablative case: "Přišel jsem ze školy." In this sentence, the noun "škola" is in the Ablative form, indicating that it is the source of the action.

Another way the Ablative case is used is to show the time when something started. For example, to say "I'm going to be here since Monday," you would use the Ablative case: "Budu tu od pondělí." In this sentence, the noun "pondělí" is in the Ablative form, indicating the starting point of the action.

Examples

I'm coming from work: "Jdu z práce."

I'm leaving from the city: "Odcházím z města."

I'm reading a book from the library: "Čtu knihu z knihovny."

Masculine

CASTLE	HRAD
Singular	Plural
ONI PŘIŠLI Z HRADU	LIDÉ PŘIŠLI Z HRADŮ
THEY CAME FROM THE CASTLE	THE PEOPLE CAME FROM THE CASTLES

Feminine

SCHOOL	ŠKOLA
Singular	Plural
MLADIK PŘIŠEL Z ŠKOLY	DÍVKY PŘIŠLY Z ŠKOL
THE BOY CAME FROM THE SCHOOL	THE GIRLS CAME FROM THE SCHOOLS

Neuter

CITY	MĚSTO
Singular	Plural
UČITEL PŘISEL Z MĚSTA	AUTA PŘIŠLI Z MĚST
THE TEACHER CAME FROM THE CITY	THE CARS CAME FROM THE CITIES

Conclusion

The Ablative case is an important aspect of Czech grammar, allowing speakers to express the origin, starting point, or source of an action. By learning the rules for forming the Ablative case and practicing using it in context, you will soon become confident in your ability to communicate effectively in Czech.

Other Lessons

• Modal Verb (Must) in Czech
• Questions
• Genitive Case in Czech
• Negation
• Verbs
• Prepositions
• Inclusive Case in Czech
• Comaratives and Superlatives
• How to use the Modal Verb (Can)
• Adjectives