Language/Czech/Grammar/Present-Tense

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Czech → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Present Tense

Welcome to the exciting world of Czech grammar! Today, we will focus on one of the fundamental aspects of the language: the present tense. Understanding how to use the present tense is essential for expressing actions that are happening now or in the near future. This lesson will help you communicate basic ideas about your daily life, preferences, and activities—key elements for any beginner aiming to achieve conversational proficiency in Czech.

In this lesson, we will explore:

• The structure of the present tense in Czech.

• Regular and irregular verb conjugation.

• Common verbs used in everyday conversation.

• Examples to illustrate usage.

• Exercises to practice what you’ve learned.

Let’s dive into the fascinating details of the present tense!

Understanding the Present Tense

The present tense in Czech is used to describe actions that are currently taking place or are habitual. Unlike English, which uses auxiliary verbs to form continuous tenses, Czech relies on verb conjugations to convey similar meanings.

The verb endings in Czech change based on the subject pronouns, which makes mastering this tense essential for clear communication.

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs in Czech follow a predictable pattern when conjugated. Here’s a general overview of how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense based on their endings.

1. -at verbs (e.g., dělat - to do)

2. -et verbs (e.g., psát - to write)

3. -it verbs (e.g., číst - to read)

Let's break this down further.

Regular Verbs Conjugation

Below is a table summarizing the conjugation of the verb dělat (to do) as an example of a regular -at verb:

Czech	Pronunciation	English
já dělám	jaː ˈɟɛlaːm	I do
ty děláš	tɪ ˈɟɛlaːʃ	You do (singular, informal)
on/ona/ono dělá	ɔn/ˈɔna/ˈɔnɔ ˈɟɛlaː	He/She/It does
my děláme	mɪ ˈɟɛlaːmɛ	We do
vy děláte	vɪ ˈɟɛlaːtɛ	You do (plural/formal)
oni dělají	ˈɔnɪ ˈɟɛlaːjɪ	They do

Now, let’s take a look at the verb psát (to write), which is a regular -et verb:

Czech	Pronunciation	English
já píšu	jaː ˈpiːʃu	I write
ty píšeš	tɪ ˈpiːʃɛʃ	You write (singular, informal)
on/ona/ono píše	ɔn/ˈɔna/ˈɔnɔ ˈpiːʃɛ	He/She/It writes
my píšeme	mɪ ˈpiːʃɛmɛ	We write
vy píšete	vɪ ˈpiːʃɛtɛ	You write (plural/formal)
oni píší	ˈɔnɪ ˈpiːʃiː	They write

Lastly, let’s examine the verb číst (to read), which is a regular -it verb:

Czech	Pronunciation	English
já čtu	jaː ˈtʃtu	I read
ty čteš	tɪ ˈtʃtɛʃ	You read (singular, informal)
on/ona/ono čte	ɔn/ˈɔna/ˈɔnɔ ˈtʃtɛ	He/She/It reads
my čteme	mɪ ˈtʃtɛmɛ	We read
vy čtete	vɪ ˈtʃtɛtɛ	You read (plural/formal)
oni čtou	ˈɔnɪ ˈtʃtoʊ	They read

Irregular Verbs

Now, let’s discuss a few common irregular verbs. Irregular verbs don’t follow the standard conjugation patterns, so they require a bit more memorization. Here are some frequently used irregular verbs:

1. být (to be)

2. mít (to have)

3. jít (to go)

Here’s how to conjugate these irregular verbs in the present tense:

Conjugation of být (to be)

Czech	Pronunciation	English
já jsem	jaː ˈjɛsɛm	I am
ty jsi	tɪ ˈjɪsɪ	You are (singular, informal)
on/ona/ono je	ɔn/ˈɔna/ˈɔnɔ jɛ	He/She/It is
my jsme	mɪ ˈjʊsɛm	We are
vy jste	vɪ ˈjɛstɛ	You are (plural/formal)
oni jsou	ˈɔnɪ ˈjɔʊ	They are

Conjugation of mít (to have)

Czech	Pronunciation	English
já mám	jaː ˈmaːm	I have
ty máš	tɪ ˈmaːʃ	You have (singular, informal)
on/ona/ono má	ɔn/ˈɔna/ˈɔnɔ maː	He/She/It has
my máme	mɪ ˈmaːmɛ	We have
vy máte	vɪ ˈmaːtɛ	You have (plural/formal)
oni mají	ˈɔnɪ ˈmaːjʊ	They have

Conjugation of jít (to go)

Czech	Pronunciation	English
já jdu	jaː ˈjdu	I go
ty jdeš	tɪ ˈjɛʃ	You go (singular, informal)
on/ona/ono jde	ɔn/ˈɔna/ˈɔnɔ jɛ	He/She/It goes
my jdeme	mɪ ˈjɛdɛmɛ	We go
vy jdete	vɪ ˈjɛdɛtɛ	You go (plural/formal)
oni jdou	ˈɔnɪ ˈjdoʊ	They go

Everyday Usage of the Present Tense

Now that we understand the basic structure and conjugation of the present tense in Czech, let’s look at some practical examples of how to use these verbs in everyday conversations.

Here are 20 example sentences that show how to use present tense verbs in context:

Czech	Pronunciation	English
Já jím jablko.	jaː ˈjiːm ˈjabɫko	I am eating an apple.
Ty mluvíš anglicky?	tɪ ˈmluːviːʃ ˈaŋɡlɪtski	Do you speak English?
On hraje fotbal.	ɔn ˈɦraːjɛ ˈfɔtbaɫ	He is playing football.
Ona čte knihu.	ɔna ˈtʃtɛ ˈkniɦu	She is reading a book.
My bydlíme v Praze.	mɪ ˈbɪdliːmɛ v ˈpraːzɛ	We live in Prague.
Vy pracujete v kanceláři.	vɪ ˈpraːt͡suːjɛtɛ v ˈkantsɛlaːrɪ	You work in an office.
Oni hrají na kytaru.	ˈɔnɪ ˈɦrajiː na kɪˈtaːru	They are playing the guitar.
Já dělám domácí úkol.	jaː ˈdɛlaːm doˈmaːtsiː ˈuːkoɫ	I am doing homework.
Ty jíš těstoviny?	tɪ ˈjiːʃ ˈtɕɛstovɪnɪ	Do you eat pasta?
On miluje zvířata.	ɔn ˈmɪluːjɛ ˈzvɪːrata	He loves animals.
Ona nakupuje v obchodě.	ɔna ˈnakuːpʊjɛ v ˈobxɔdʲɛ	She is shopping at the store.
My se učíme česky.	mɪ sɛ ˈuːt͡ʃɪːmɛ ˈtʃɛski	We are learning Czech.
Vy pijete kávu?	vɪ ˈpɪjɛtɛ ˈkaːvu	Do you drink coffee?
Oni cestují do zahraničí.	ˈɔnɪ ˈt͡sɛstujɪ ˈdoː ˈzaxraɪ̯niːʧɪ	They are traveling abroad.
Já poslouchám hudbu.	jaː ˈposlʊxaːm ˈɦudbu	I am listening to music.
Ty cvičíš každý den.	tɪ ˈtsvɪt͡ʃiːʃ ˈkaʒdɪ ˈdɛn	You exercise every day.
On vaří večeři.	ɔn ˈvaːrɪ ˈvɛt͡ʃɛrɪ	He cooks dinner.
Ona fotí přírodu.	ɔna ˈfoɾiː ˈpʃɪːroʊdu	She takes pictures of nature.
My máme rádi zmrzlinu.	mɪ ˈmaːmɛ ˈraːdɪ ˈzmrzlinu	We like ice cream.
Vy hrajete šachy?	vɪ ˈɦraɪ̯tɛ ˈʃaxɪ	Do you play chess?
Oni uklízejí v bytě.	ˈɔnɪ ˈuːklɪzeːjɪ v ˈbɪtʲɛ	They are cleaning the apartment.

Exercises for Practice

Now it’s time to put your knowledge to the test! Here are 10 exercises for you to practice your understanding of the present tense.

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.

1. Já _____ (jít) do školy.

2. Ty _____ (být) můj přítel.

3. Ona _____ (mít) novou knihu.

4. My _____ (dělat) domácí úkoly.

5. Oni _____ (hrát) fotbal každý víkend.

Answers:

1. Já jdu do školy.

2. Ty jsi můj přítel.

3. Ona má novou knihu.

4. My děláme domácí úkoly.

5. Oni hrají fotbal každý víkend.

Exercise 2: Translate into Czech

Translate the following sentences into Czech.

1. I love music.

2. You (plural) are eating pasta.

3. He reads a book.

4. She speaks Czech.

5. We are studying.

Answers:

1. Já miluji hudbu.

2. Vy jíte těstoviny.

3. On čte knihu.

4. Ona mluví česky.

5. My se učíme.

Exercise 3: Conjugate the verb

Conjugate the verb hrát (to play) in the present tense.

Answers:

• já hraji

• ty hraješ

• on/ona/ono hraje

• my hrajeme

• vy hrajete

• oni hrají

Exercise 4: Circle the correct verb form

Choose the correct verb form for each sentence:

1. (On/Ony) _____ (jít) do parku.

2. (Já/Ty) _____ (mít) rád zmrzlinu.

3. (Oni/My) _____ (být) šťastní.

4. (Ty/My) _____ (dělat) cvičení každý den.

5. (Ona/Vy) _____ (číst) noviny.

Answers:

1. On jde do parku.

2. Já mám rád zmrzlinu.

3. Oni jsou šťastní.

4. Ty děláš cvičení každý den.

5. Ona čte noviny.

Exercise 5: Create your own sentences

Write five sentences in Czech using the present tense about your daily activities.

Example Answers:

1. Já jím snídani.

2. Ty píšeš e-mail.

3. On pracuje v kanceláři.

4. Ona studuje na univerzitě.

5. My chodíme na procházky.

Exercise 6: Matching

Match the sentence parts:

1. Já (a) _____ fotbal.

2. Ty (b) _____ rádi zmrzlinu.

3. On (c) _____ do školy.

4. My (d) _____ čtu knihu.

5. Oni (e) _____ hrají.

Answers:

1. Já (c) jdu do školy.

2. Ty (b) máš rádi zmrzlinu.

3. On (e) hrají fotbal.

4. My (d) čtu knihu.

5. Oni (a) hrají.

Exercise 7: Change the subject

Change the subject of the following sentences from singular to plural:

1. Ona čte knihu.

2. Ty píšeš dopis.

3. On hraje na kytaru.

4. Já jím jablko.

5. My pracujeme v kanceláři.

Answers:

1. Ony čtou knihy.

2. Vy píšete dopisy.

3. Oni hrají na kytary.

4. My jíme jablka.

5. My pracujeme v kancelářích.

Exercise 8: Identify the tense

Identify whether the following sentences are in the present, past, or future tense:

1. Já jdu do práce.

2. Ty jsi šťastný.

3. Oni budou cestovat.

4. Ona vařila večeři.

5. My hrajeme šachy.

Answers:

1. Present

2. Past

3. Future

4. Past

5. Present

Exercise 9: Fill in the blanks with the correct form

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb být (to be):

1. My _____ studenti.

2. On _____ doktor.

3. Ty _____ velmi šťastný.

4. Já _____ doma.

5. Oni _____ v parku.

Answers:

1. My jsme studenti.

2. On je doktor.

3. Ty jsi velmi šťastný.

4. Já jsem doma.

5. Oni jsou v parku.

Exercise 10: Describe your daily routine

Write a short paragraph describing your daily routine using the present tense verbs you learned.

Example Answer:

Každé ráno vstávám, snídám a jdu do školy. Po škole se učím a dělám úkoly. Večer se setkávám s přáteli a hrajeme fotbal.

Congratulations on completing this lesson on the present tense! With practice, you’ll become more comfortable using these structures in conversation. Keep practicing, and don't hesitate to revisit any sections that need more attention.

Table of Contents - Czech Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Alphabet and Pronunciation

• Consonants
• Vowels
• Accents and Special Characters

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Introduction to Nouns
• Personal Pronouns
• Demonstrative Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Verbs

• Introduction to Verbs
• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Introduction to Adjectives
• Introduction to Adverbs
• Comparative and Superlative Forms

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Greetings and Farewells
• Asking for and Giving Information
• Small Talk and Expressing Likes and Dislikes

  ---

At the Restaurant

• Ordering Food
• Asking for the Bill and Tipping
• Dining Etiquette

  ---

Daily Life

• Shopping
• Transportation
• Health and Medical Emergencies

  ---

History and Traditions

• History and Czech Lands
• Festivals and Celebrations
• Czech Cuisine

  ---

Art and Heritage

• Czech Literature
• Architecture and Landmark
• Czech Film and Music

Sources

• Czech Tenses: Expressing the Past, Present, and Future
• Czech conjugation - Wikipedia
• Czech Republic, Czechoslovakia, Czech language - Verb tenses
• Czech language - Wikipedia

Other Lessons

• Past Tense
• Adjectives
• Vowels
• Possessive Pronouns
• Conditional Mood
• Verbs
• Verb to speak in Czech
• Personal Pronouns
• Negation
• Possessive Case in Czech

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