Verbs: Aspect is the 50th skill (assuming read left to right) of the Czech language tree. This skill introduces the property of aspect inherent in Czech verbs and also some common adverbs.
Grammar Notes[]
None provided by developers.
Czech verbs typically come in pairs, with a perfective and an imperfective form for the action. They specify the aspect of the verb: whether is a one time/completed action, or whether it is an action which is continuing, unfinished or repeated. The two aspects are:
- Perfective: this is the event-oriented aspect, looking at a one-time, finished action that took place within a certain time frame (e.g. vypít - an event of drinking something). The focus is on the action as an event. As can be seen, such a verb cannot be used in the present tense as that describes an ongoing action that is not finished. A perfective verb is used either in the past tense when talking about a one-off past event, or used in the present tense form to describe a one-off event that will start and end some time in the future.
- Imperfective: this is the process-oriented aspect, looking at an unfinished or repeated action the duration of which is not specified. The focus is on the action as an ongoing process (e.g. pít - the process of taking a drink). In the past tense this is often used to "set the scene" for some specific events or for something that happened without a known or definite ending. In the present tense it is used for habitual or regular actions, much like the simple present tense in English.
Lessons[]
Lesson 1[]
- jakmile = as soon as
- otevřela ústa = she opened her mouth (perfective)
- otevíral = he was opening (imperfective)
- otevírala = she was opening (imperfective)
- když jsme otevírali = when we were opening (imperfective)
- stěžovat = to complain (imperfective)
- viděl = I saw (imperfective)
- viděla = she saw (imperfective)
- podíval se na = he took a look at (perfective)
- podívala = she took a look (perfective)
- nepodívaly = they did not look (perfective)
- učím = I have been learning (imperfective)
- naučila = she learnt (perfective)
- naučili jsme = we learnt (perfective)
- nenaučil = I have not learnt (perfective)
- kupoval = he had been buying, was buying (imperfective)
- kupovala = she had been buying, was buying (imperfective)
- kupovali = we were buying (imperfective)
- zavíral = I was closing (imperfective)
- vypadal = it seemed, it appeared (imperfective)
- přišel o prst = he lost his finger (perfective)
- .
- jakmile = as soon as
- Podíval se na své ruce. = He took a look at his hands.
- Rychle se na něho podívala. = She quickly looked at him.
- Ani jednou se na mě nepodívaly. = Not once did they look at me.
- Kde ses naučila tak dobře řídit? = Where did you learn to drive so well?
- Přišel o prst, když otevíral láhev nožem. = He lost a finger when he was opening a bottle with his knife.
- Stalo se to, když Kateřina zavírala dveře. = It happened when Kateřina was closing the door.
- Jakmile otevřela ústa, začala si stěžovat. = As soon as she opened her mouth she began to complain.
- Jakmile zavřela oči, její manžel vypadal líp. = As soon as she closed her eyes, her husband looked better.
- Když jsem kufr zavíral, to tělo v něm nebylo. = When I was closing the suitcase, the body was not in it.
- Naučili jsme se osmdesát nových českých slov. = we have learnt eighty new Czech words.
- Když jsem ten dům kupovali, vypadal mnohem větší. = When we were buying the house, it looked much bigger.
- Učím se česky už dlouho, ale ještě jsem se příliš nenaučil. = I have been studying Czech for a long time, but I have not learned too much yet.
- Když jsem tam kupovala kabát pro manžela, viděla jsem tyhle krásné svetry. = When I was buying a coat for my husband there, I saw these beautiful sweaters.
- Když jsme otevírali svůj první obchod byi jsme chudí. = When we were opening our first shop, we were poor.
- Když jsem zavíral okno, viděl jsem vás na ulici. = When I was closing the window, I saw you on the street.
- Kolik let od ní kupoval sýr a mléko? = How many years had he been buying cheese and milk from her?
- Když moje sestřenice otevírala dveře, viděla na nich krev. = When my cousin was opening the door, she saw blood on it.
Lesson 2[]
- prodával = he sold (singular masc. subject, imperfective)
- prodávala = she sold (singular fem. subject, imperfective)
- prodali = we sold (plural masc. subject, perfective)
- neprodala = she did not sell (singular fem. subject, perfective)
- vystupoval = he alighted e.g from a bus (singular masc. subject, imperfective)
- vystupovala = she alighted (singular fem, subject, imperfective)
- vystupovali = they alighted (plural masc. subject, imperfective)
- vystoupil = he alighted (singular masc. subject, perfective)
- vystoupila = she alighted (singular fem. subject, perfective)
- vystoupili = they alighted (plural masc. subject, perfective)
- překládal = he translated (singular masc. subject, imperfective)
- překládala = she translated (singular fem. subject, imperfective)
- přeložil = he translated (singular masc. subject, perfective)
- nepřeložili = they did not translate (plural masc. subject, perfective)
- nepřeložila = she did not translate (singular fem. subject, perfective)
- .
- prodat = to sell
- přeložit = to translate
- Už jste ten dům prodali? = Have you sold that house yet?
- Já bych tu knihu přeložil líp. = I would translate that book better.
- Překládal jsi ten dopis dlouho? = Were you translating that letter for a long time?
- Tu větu asi překládal nějaký cizinec. = Some foreigner probably translated that sentence.
- Každý týden prodávala svou krev. = She sold her blood every week.
- Ne, ten byt jsem ještě neprodala. = No, I have not sold the apartment yet.
- Kolik let prodával František auta? = For how many years did František sell cars?
- Jak dlouho vystupoval z té tramvaje? = How long was he getting off that streetcar?
- Co se stalo, kydž vystoupila z vlaku? = What happened once she got off the train?
- Co se stalo, kydž vystupovala z vlaku? = What happened while she was getting off the train?
- Překládala jsem ten dopis celý vikend. = I was translating that letter all weekend.
- Ten vysoký turista už z tramvaje vystoupil. = That tall tourist already got off the tram.
- Tuhle větu jste opravdu nepřeložili příliš dobře. = You really did not translate this sentence too well.
- Jakmile jsme vystoupili z autobusu, začali jsme hledat hotel. = As soon as we got off the bus, we began to look for the hotel.
- Ti turisté vystupovali z vlaku pět nebo šest minut. = The tourists were exiting the train for five or six minutes.
- Proč jsi ještě nepřeložila ten dopis od Františka? = Why haven't you translated the letter from František yet?
- Tehdy jsem prodával v metru trika. = I was selling t-shirts in the subway back then.
- Jakmile jsme koupili dům, Žofie chtěla dítě. = As soon as we bought a house, Žofie wanted a child.
- To auto jsme včera prodali. = We sold that car yesterday.
Lesson 3[]
- nadále = still, keeps on
- naposledy = for the last time
- pomalu = slowly
- pravidelně = regularly
- čekal = he waited, he was waiting (singular masc. subject, imperfective)
- navštěvoval = he visited (singular masc. subject, imperfective)
- navštěvovali = we visited (plural masc. subject, imperfective)
- navštěvovala = she visited (singular fem. subject, imperfective)
- navštívil = he visited (singular masc. subject, perfective)
- Navštívili = they visited (plural masc. subject, perfective)
- navštívily = they visited (plural fem. subject, perfective)
- zapomínal = he forgot (singuar masc. subject, imperfective)
- zapomínala = she forgot (singular fem. subject, imperfective)
- dostával = he got (singular masc. subject, imperfective)
- dostávali = we got (plural masc. subject, imperfective)
- .
- navštívit = to visit
- Navštěvoval ji často? = Did he visit her often?
- František nadále čekal. = František kept on waiting.
- Navštívili nás jen jednou. = They visited us only once.
- Navštívil jsem je třikrát. = I have visited them three times.
- Dědeček stále něco zapomínal. = Grandpa was always forgetting something.
- Navštěvovali jsme je vždy večer. = We would always visit them in the evening.
- Pomalu jsem zapomínala česká slova. = I was slowly forgetting Czech words.
- Často jsme od rodičů dostávali knihy. = We would often get books from our parents.
- Proč jste mne ani jednou nenavštívili ? = Why haven't you visited me even once?
- Včera jsme ho navštívily naposledy. = Yesterday we visited him for the last time.
- Kdy jsi naposledy něco dostala od Matěje? = When did you last get anything from Matěj?
- Pravidelně jsem od něho dostávala drahé šperky. = I would regularly get expensive jewelry from him.
- Ona jej navštěvovala pravidelně od ledna do května. = She was regularly visiting him from January until May.
- Jak pravidelně dostával ty dopisy? = How regularly was he getting the letters?
- Seděl tam nadále? = Did he keep on sitting there?
- Naposledy jsme od nich dostali dopis v červnu. = The last time we got a letter from them was in June.
- Nadále zapomínal kde vystoupit z tramvaje. = He kept on forgetting where to get off the streetcar.
Lesson 4[]
- prohrávat = to lose (infinitive, imperfective)
- prohrát = to lose (infinitive, perfective)
- prohrával = he lost (singular masc. subject, imperfective)
- prohrál = he lost (singlular masc. subject, perfective)
- prohráli = they lost (plural, masc. subject, perfective)
- vyhrávali = they won (plural, masc. subject, imperfective)
- vyhráli = they won (plural, masc. subject, perfective)
- hrál = he played (singular, masc. subject, imperfective)
- hráli = they played (plural, masc, subject, imperfective)
- also some negated forms of the above, with the prefix ne-
- .
- vyhrát = to win
- prohrát = to lose
- Rád vyhrával. = He liked to win.
- Zase prohráli? = Did they lose again?
- Stále prohrával. = He was always losing.
- Včera jsem prohrál. = I lost yesterday.
- Včera nehrál dobře. = He did not play well yesterday.
- Ty chceš vždy vyhrát. = You always want to win.
- Ještě jsme noprohráli. = We have not lost yet.
- Na jaké nástroje hráli? = What instruments did they play?
- S ní bys neměla prohrát. = You should not lose to her.
- Tehdy jsme vyhrávali často. = We were winning frequently back then.
- Nechci stále jen prohrávat. = I do not want just to lose all the time.
- V páté minutě už jsme prohrávali. = We were already trailing in the fifth minute.
- Celé odpoledne si hrál s počítačem. = He played with the computer all afternoon.
- Co jsem vyhrál? = What did I win?
- Chtěl zase vyhrávat ale prohrál. = He wanted to win again, but he lost.
- Vyhráli jsme nad nimi dvakrát. = We have defeated them twice.
Lesson 5[]
- myl = he washed (singular, masc. subject, imperfective)
- myješ = you wash (singular, 2nd person, imperfective)
- nemyje = he does not wash (singular, 3rd person, imperfective)
- nemyl = he did not wash (singular, masc. subject, imperfective)
- umyl = he washed (singular, masc. subject, perfective)
- neumyl = he washed (singular, masc. subject, perfective)
- prála = to wash, to do laundry (singular, fem. subject, imperfective)
- vyprat = to wash, to do laundry (infinitive, perfective)
- vyprala = she did laundry (singular, fem. subject, perfective)
- .
- nádobí = dishes
- Celé ráno prala. = She was doing laundry all morning.
- Ten svetr musíš vyprat. = You have to wash that sweater.
- Nikdy nemyje svoje auto. = He never washes his car.
- Nikdy jsi neumyl ani talíř. = You have never even washed a plate.
- Ty košile jsem vyprala včera. = I washed those shirts yesterday.
- Co jsi v té pračce vyprala? = What did you wash in that washing machine?
- Myl každou sobotu všechna okna. = He washed all the windows every Saturday.
- Myl někdy nádobí? = Has he ever washed the dishes?
- Jak často myješ nádobí? = How often do you wash the dishes?
- Můj první manžel nádobí nemyl nikdy. = My first husband never washed the dishes.
- Kdo umyl všechno nádobí ? = Who did all the dishes?
- Prala holýma rukama? = Was she doing laundry with her bare hands?
- Žofie nadále prala ve stejné pračce. = Žofie kept on doing laundry in the same washer.
- Ty to okno už myješ čtyřicet minut. = You have been cleaning that window for forty minutes.
References[]