Verbs: Present Tense — Czech Grammar

A Czech verb changes its ending to show who is acting. The ending alone identifies the subject, so the pronouns (I) and (you) are normally left out; you add them only to draw a contrast or to insist on who it was.

Obědváme.
We are having lunch.

One Czech form covers both English presents. There is no separate continuous form, so a single verb answers for I read and I am reading alike, and only the context tells them apart.

Čtu knihu.
I read a book. / I am reading a book.

The Three Patterns

Every regular verb follows one of three patterns, and the third-person singular form tells you which: it ends in -á, in -í or in -e. Learn that one form for a new verb and the other five follow from it.

The -á pattern

Endings: . These verbs keep the vowel a right through the paradigm and change their stem in no other way, which makes this the easiest group and the one most new verbs join.

Dělám snídani.
I am making breakfast.
Co děláš?
What are you doing?
Rodiče čekají venku.
The parents are waiting outside.

The -í pattern

Endings: . The third-person singular and plural are identical here, so is both he speaks and they speak, and the subject has to come from elsewhere in the sentence.

Mluvím česky.
I speak Czech.
Vidíš to?
Do you see it?
Sestra bydlí v Praze.
My sister lives in Prague.
Sousedé bydlí vedle.
The neighbours live next door.

Part of this group takes or in the third person plural instead, and there the singular and plural do stay apart.

Děti tomu rozumějí.
The children understand it.

The -e pattern

Endings: . Infinitives of every shape end up here, so this is the group to look up rather than guess, and its stem often differs from the infinitive altogether.

Čtu dopis.
I am reading a letter.
Co píšeš?
What are you writing?
Nesou tašky.
They are carrying the bags.

Verbs in -ovat

Infinitives ending in drop that syllable and build the whole present tense on , then take the endings of the -e pattern. The group is large and it takes in most verbs borrowed into Czech.

Pracuji v bance.
I work in a bank.
Studuješ?
Are you studying?

Two of its forms come in a literary and an everyday version: beside , and beside . Both are correct, the shorter pair is what you hear, and you will meet each.

Sleduju film.
I am watching a film.

Irregular Verbs

A few everyday verbs cannot be read off their infinitive at all, and are worth learning as whole paradigms.

být (to be)

Jsem doma.
I am at home.

mít (to have)

Máš čas?
Do you have time?

jíst (to eat)

Jedí oběd.
They are eating lunch.

chtít (to want)

Chci kávu.
I want a coffee.

vědět (to know)

Nevím.
I don't know.

Speaking Politely

Addressing one person you do not know well, Czech uses with the second person plural of the verb, exactly as if you were speaking to several people. Reserve and the singular for family, friends, children and colleagues who have offered it.

Kde pracujete?
Where do you work?
Kde pracuješ?
Where do you work? (to a friend)

Present or Future?

Czech verbs come in pairs. An imperfective verb presents an action as running, a perfective verb presents it as finished, and only an imperfective one can say what is happening now. Give a perfective verb the very endings above and it does not mean the present at all: it means the future.

Kupuji chleba.
I am buying bread.
Koupím chleba.
I will buy bread.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Czech course

400 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 1. A few of them, with the words “Verbs: Present Tense” is about in bold:

Tohle je moje kamarádka Anna. Studuje.
This is my friend, Anna. She is a student.
Lesson 2
On taky spí. Ona ne.
He is also sleeping. She isn't.
Lesson 16
Mám je rád a ony mě mají rády.
I love them and they love me.
Lesson 32

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