Dual is the 72nd skill (assuming read left to right) of the Czech language tree. This skill introduces the special "dual" declension for certain body parts which typically occur in pairs.
Grammar Notes[]
Certain parts of the body which typically occur in pairs have their own "dual" declension paradigm in the plural:
- ruce - hands
- nohy - legs
- kolena - knees
- ramena - shoulders
- oči - eyes
- uši - ears
This paradigm is used when talking about the above body parts in the plural, even if there are more than two of them e.g. if there is a man with three eyes. Adjectives which modidy these dual nouns follow the same declension pattern.
Uniquely, the two words which describe dualness, dva (two) and oba (both) also follow this dual declension pattern.
When talking about animals, the above body parts continue to use the same dual endings, even though there would be more than two e.g. when talking about an animal with four legs. The adjectives and numbers tři and čtyři bound to dual nouns acquire dual endings as well: zvíře se čtyřma velkýma nohama - an animal with four large legs
This declination is called dual because it is the remnant of the Old Czech grammatical paradigm used for two objects instead of the plural.
When the words for the body parts are used in a derived (metaphorical) sense, like nohy stolu - the legs of a table, they use the regular plural paradigm not the dual one.
This table shows a comparison of the dual and the regular plural endings (using legs as an example). As can be seen, the biggest difference is in the instrumental ("with", "by means of") case.| Case | Dual | Regular Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nom. | nohy | nohy |
| gen. | nohou/noh | noh |
| dat. | nohám | nohám |
| acc. | nohy | nohy |
| loc. | nohou/nohách | nohách |
| inst. | nohama | nohami |
Lessons[]
Lesson 1[]
- s třema rukama = with three hands
- špinavýma nohama = with dirty feet
- s černýma ušima = with black ears
- čtyřma očima na jedné hlavě = with four eyes in one head
- špinavýma ušima = with dirty ears
- krásnýma modrýma očima = with beautiful blue eyes
- vyrábím vlastníma rukama = I make with my own hands
- vlastníma ušima = with our own eyes
- s dlouhýma nohama = with long legs
- zelenýma očima = with green eyes
- psa s třema nohama = a dog with three legs
Lesson 2[]
- před mýma očima = before my eyes
- těmahle rukama = these hands
- před našima očima before our eyes
- pod našima nohama = under our feet
- těma velkýma ušima = those big ears
- těma špinavýma rukama = with those dirty hands
- s jejíma nohama = with her legs
- mezi vašima nohama = between your legs
- s oběma svými manželkami = with both their parents
- s oběma psy = with both dogs
- s oběma svými manželkami = with both his wives
Lesson 3[]
- do kolena = on the knee
- ta židle se třemi nohami = the chair with three legs (regular declension)
- Které koleno vás bolí? = Which knee hurts?
- ramenem = with a shoulder
- mezi koleny = between the knees
- s tím kolenem = with this knee
- s rameny = with (both) shoulders
- měl široká ramena = he has broad shoulders
- stůl s šesti nohami = a table with six legs (regular declension)
- problémy s oběma koleny = problems with both knees
- levé rameno = left shoulder
- velká ústa se dvěma jazyky = big mouth with two tongues
- ten pták se dvěma hlavami? = the bird with two heads
- mezi těmi dvěma = between two fingers
Lesson 4[]
- kolik ramenou = how many shoulders
- bolest v kolenou = pain in the knees
- mám bolesti nohou = I have pain in my legs
- nejsme na kolenou = we are not on our knees
- kůže na jejích rukou = skin on her hands/arms
- kolik nohou = how many legs
- v jejích rukou = in her hands
- na jednom z ramenou = on one of the shoulders
References[]