Movement is the 69th skill (assuming read left to right) of the Czech language tree. This skill introduces the special category of verbs of movement, also sometimes called verbs of motion.
Grammar Notes[]
Verbs of motion[]
In Czech verbs of motion exist as pairs:
- determinate verb: used for a single, one-directional, goal/destination oriented movement
- indeterminate verb: used for repeated, habitual general movements
This is like the difference between perfective vs imperfective verbs but not quite the same.
Czech does not have one generic verb "go" like in English. It has four common verbs, which translate as "go":
- jít - determinate, to make a trip on foot to somewhere
- chodit - indeterminate, to go, to go on foot
- jet - determinate, to by vehicle somewhere
- jezdit - indeterminate, to ride a vehicle
They can mean go or come depending on context.
Conjugations[]
Conjugation table of jít (determinate to go)| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Person | jdu | jdeme |
| 2nd Person | jdeš | jdete |
| 3rd Person | jde | jdou |
In colloquial usage the j- can be silent in the same way "Já jsem" is heard as "Já sem". The the j is not silent when negated.
The past tense forms of jít are šel (m), šla (f), šlo (n), šli/šly/šla (pl): Ony šly domů. (They went home.)
The future tense is created with the prefix pů-: Půjdu domů. (I will go home.)
Conjugation table of jet (determinate to go, ride, by vehicle)| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Person | jedu | jedeme |
| 2nd Person | jedeš | jedete |
| 3rd Person | jede | jedou |
The past tense forms of jet are jel (m), jela (f), jelo (n), jeli/jely/jela (pl). Kam jeli? (Where did they go?)
The future tense is created with the prefix po-: Pojedu domů. (I will go home.)
Prefixes[]
The prefixes od (from) and při (to) can be attached to the verbs to form an aspectual pair (i.e. a pair of perfective and imperfective verbs. In each of these cases, the second is imperfective.
- jít/chodit + od = odejít/odcházet (go away, leave)
- jet/jezdit + od = odjet/odjíždět (ride, go away, leave)
- jít/chodit + při = přijít/přicházet (arrive, come on foot)
- jet/jezdit + při = přijet/přijíždět (arrive, come by vehicle)
Lessons[]
Lesson 1[]
Present tense patterns
- Odkud jdeš = where are you coming from
- Proč tento vlak jede tak pomalu = why does the train go so slowly
- Obvykle sem jezdím autem = I usually come here by car
- Někdo sem jde = someone is coming here
- Právě tam jdu = I am going there now
- Právě tam jedu vlakem = I am going there by train now
- Jdeš pěšky = do you go by foot
- Obvykle tam chodím pěšky = I usually go there on foot
- Do práce jezdíme metrem = we go to work by subway
- Obvykle do školy chodím pěšky = I usually go to school on foot
Lesson 2[]
Past tense and negation patterns
- Jezdili jsme do... = We went to...
- Chtěly jsme spolu jet do... = We wanted to go together to...
- ...bys na motorce jezdit neměl = ...you should not ride a motorcycle
- Proč ... nešel do školy? = Why did (someone) not come to school?
- Šli na záchod = They went to the toilet
- Kam chceš jít... = Where do you want to go
- Chtěl, abych jela na... = He wanted me to go to...
- Měl bych do (someplace) jet s... = I should go to (someplace) with...
- (someone) se učí chodit = (someone) is learning to walk
- ...jsme ještě do Německa nejeli = ...we have not gone to Germany yet
- Chodili jste tam dlouho? = Have you walked here for long?
- Potom jsme šli na... = Afterwards we went to...
- Vloni jsme jely do... = Last year we went to...
- ...jezdila jsem do Prahy každý týden = I went to Prague every week
- ...aby sem už nechodili = ...so that they don't come anymore
Lesson 3[]
Patterns in the imperative mood. Note that general advice use indeterminate forms while specific advice meant for one occasion use the determinate forms.
- Sama tam nechoď! = Don't go there alone
- Choď sem častěji = Come here more often
- Jezděme tam častěji = Let's go there more often
- Nikam nejezdi = Don't go anywhere
- Nikam nechoďte = Don't go anywhere
- Bez mapy tam nechoďme = Let's not go there without a map
- Jezdi pomaleji... = Drive more slowly...
- Choďme častěji do.... = Let's go more often to....
- Zítra sem nejezděte = Don't come here tomorrow
- ....jezděte do školy na kole = ride a bicycle to school
- Jeď na růžovém koni = Ride the pink horse
- Nejdi tak pomalu = Don't go so slowly
- Jeďte do Německa = Go to Germany
- Jeďme tam spolu! = Let's go together
- Už jdi = Go!
Lesson 4[]
Future tense patterns with the prefix po-
- Sám tam nepůjdu = I am not going there alone
- Půjdeme tam všichni tři = All three of us are going
- Pojďme do postele = let's go to bed
- Pojeď s námi do Prahy! = Come with us to Prague
- Budeme sem chodit každou středu = We will come here each Wednesday
- Pojď ke mně = Come to me
- Bez tvého bratrance na Slovensko nepojedu Without your cousin I am not going to Slovakia.
- Kdy půjdeš do knihovny? = When are you going to the library
- Budu častěji chodit pěšky = I will walk more often
- Já pojedu do Německa příští týden = I am going to Germany next week
Lesson 5[]
Patterns with the prefix při
- Možná přijede i František = Perhaps even Frantisek will come
- Měla bys přijít sama = You should come alone
- Kateřina přišla pěšky = Katerina came on foot
- Kolik lidí přišlo na zápas? = How many people came to the match?
- Můžu také přijít? = Can I come too?
- Přijeďte nás navštívit v Německu = Come to visit us in Germany
- Až přijde čas, budu plakat = When the time comes, I will cry
- Autobus z Prahy by měl přijet za jedenáct minut = The bus from Prague should arrive in eleven minutes
- Přijeď, budeš-li chtít = Come when you want
- Kdy sem zase přijedeš? = When will you come again
- Přijeli jsme ráno = We come in the morning
- Přišel dopis od Kateřiny = A letter from Katerina arrived
- Přijď ve čtvrtek nebo v pátek = Come on thursday or friday
- Přijďte do mé kanceláře = Come to my office
- Moji rodiče přijedou zítra = My parents are coming tomorrow
- Matěj řekl, že do středy nepřijde = Matey said that he will not come before wednesday
- Její otec nepřijede = Her father is not coming
- Už přijel autobus z Moravy? = Has the bus from Moravia arrived yet?
Lesson 6[]
Patterns with the prefix od-
- Odjeď prvním vlakem zítra ráno = Leave by the first train tomorrow morning
- Odejděte někam jinam = Go somewhere else
- Kdy odešli? = Why did they leave?
- Jestli odejde, nikomu chybět nebude = If he leaves, no one will miss him
- Obě odešly před dvěma hodinami = Both left one hour ago
- Bude lepší, když odejdeš = It will be better if you leave
- Odejděme spolu = Let's go together
- Dnes večer odjedu = I will leave tonight
- Jednou odjedou = One day they will leave
- Poslední vlak už odjel = The last train has left already
- Odešel sám? = Did he leave alone?
- Odjedeme prvním vlakem = We will leave by the first train
- Odjeli Františkovým autem = We left by Frantisek's car
- Tenhle vlak měl odjet před třemi minutami = This train should have left three minutes ago
- Odjeďme, než sem přijde válka = Let's leave before the war comes here
- Když jsi tu nešťastný, odejdi! = If you are unhappy here, leave!
Lesson 7[]
More patterns with prefixes
- Už odjíždíte = Are you leaving already
- Když jsem odcházel do práce, ty jsi spala = When I was leaving for work, you were sleeping
- Chtěl, abych ještě neodjížděla = He wanted me not to leave yet
- Když odjížděl, byla smutná = When he left, she was sad
- Neodjíždějme ještě = Let's not leave yet
- Ty autobusy přijíždějí prázdné = The buses have been arriving empty
- Slyšel jsem ji přicházet domů = I heard her coming home
- Přichází jaro = Spring is coming
- Viděl svoji mladší dceru přijíždět se sousedem = He saw his younger daughter arrive with the neighbour
- Do Evropy přicházejí celé rodiny = Entire families go to Europe
- Viděla jsem je odcházet spolu = I saw them leave together
- Beze mě neodcházej = Don't leave without me
- V kolik hodin budete odjíždět? = At what time will you leave?
- Proč odcházíte z firmy? = Why are you leaving the firm?
- Právě přijížděl vlak = A train is just arriving
References[]