Purpose Clauses with 'aby' — Czech Grammar

To say what something is for, Czech uses . Like it has the conditional auxiliary built into it and therefore changes for person, and like it is followed by an participle rather than a present tense.

Potřebuji průkaz, abych mohl řídit.
I need a licence so that I can drive.

The Person Is in the Conjunction

Because the ending of already names the subject of the clause, the pronoun is left out and the participle only has to agree in gender and number. Two sentences differing in one letter can therefore be about two different people.

Učím se, abych složila zkoušku.
I'm studying so that I pass the exam.
Otevírá dveře, abys mohl vejít.
She opens the door so that you can come in.

After Verbs of Wanting and Asking

Where English uses an object and an infinitive - I want you to come - Czech cannot. It puts the second subject into an clause instead, and this is the ordinary way to report a wish, a request or an instruction aimed at somebody else.

Chci, abys přišel.
I want you to come.
Řekni jí, aby zavolala.
Tell her to call.

When Both Subjects Are the Same

If the wanting and the doing belong to the same person, no clause is needed and a plain infinitive does the work. Compare the pair below: the first has one subject, the second two.

Chci přijít.
I want to come.
Chci, aby přišel.
I want him to come.

Negative Purpose

To say what something is meant to prevent, negate the participle inside the clause. The attaches to the verb, never to .

Píšu si to, abych nezapomněl.
I'm writing it down so I don't forget.

After Expressions of Necessity

Impersonal phrases saying that something is needed or important take an clause as well, and the person concerned appears only in the ending of the conjunction.

Je důležité, abys odpočíval.
It's important that you rest.

Purpose Without a Clause

A purpose with no second subject can also be expressed by the preposition with a noun, which is shorter and very common.

Pojďme do baru na drink.
Let's go to a bar for a drink.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Czech course

7 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 111. A few of them, with the words “Purpose Clauses with 'aby'” is about in bold:

Ráda bych, abys byl šetrnější.
I wish you were more frugal.
Lesson 328

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