Indefinite and Negative Pronouns

01

The Pairs

Read each row as question word, indefinite, negative. The stem never changes; only the syllable in front of it does.

• kdo, někdo, nikdo (who, someone, nobody)
• co, něco, nic (what, something, nothing)
• kdy, někdy, nikdy (when, sometimes, never)
• kde, někde, nikde (where, somewhere, nowhere)

• Někdy nefunguje všechno.

  Sometimes not everything works.

• Nikdy tam nechodím.

  I never go there.

02

They Still Decline

The prefix rides on the front and the question word underneath keeps its own endings. Něco declines like co, nikdo like kdo.

• Bojím se něčeho jiného.

  I'm afraid of something else.

• Nikoho tam neznám.

  I don't know anybody there.

03

An Adjective After Them

An adjective describing něco or nic goes into the genitive and takes a neuter ending, which is unlike anything English does.

• Hledám něco jiného.

  I'm looking for something else.

• Pojďme na něco italského.

  Let's go for something Italian.

04

None and Any: žádný

Žádný is an adjective and agrees with its noun. It is the word for no in front of a noun, and it needs the verb to be negative as well.

• Nemám žádný oblíbený film.

  I have no favourite film.

• Nemám žádné kamarády.

  I don't have any friends.

05

Some Without a Question Word

Nějaký and některý are adjectives and agree with a noun. The first means some or other, the second picks particular ones out.

• Znáš nějakou dobrou restauraci?

  Do you know a good restaurant?

• Někteří tomu nevěří.

  Some people don't believe it.

06

Every and All

Každý means every and takes a singular noun; všechen means all and is usually plural. Both decline as adjectives.

• Tento problém zná každý.

  Everybody knows this problem.

• Umí všechno.

  He can do everything.

• Každé odpoledne hraju basketbal.

  I play basketball every afternoon.

• Všichni milují plavání.

  Everybody loves swimming.