Language/Czech/Grammar/Present-Tense

Czech Grammar → Verbs → Present Tense

Hello, and welcome to the Czech Grammar lesson about present tense verbs. In this lesson, you will learn how to use the present tense to talk about things happening now or in the near future.

Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Locative Case in Czech & Dative Case in Czech.

Introduction to Present Tense

The present tense is used to describe actions that are happening right now or that will happen in the near future. In Czech, the present tense has different conjugation forms depending on the gender and number of the subject.

Here is an example of the present tense for the verb "to speak":

Czech	Pronunciation	English
mluvím	[ˈmluviːm]	I am speaking
mluvíš	[ˈmluviːʃ]	You are speaking (singular)
mluví	[ˈmluviː]	He/she/it is speaking
mluvíme	[ˈmluviːmɛ]	We are speaking
mluvíte	[ˈmluviːtɛ]	You are speaking (plural)
mluví	[ˈmluviː]	They are speaking

As you can see, the endings of the verb change depending on the subject.

Using Present Tense

Present tense is used to describe actions and situations that are happening at the present moment, ongoing actions or actions that will occur in the near future. Here are some examples:

• "Já jím" (I am eating)
• "Ty čteš knihu" (You are reading a book)
• "Ona hraje tenis" (She is playing tennis)
• "My píšeme dopis" (We are writing a letter)
• "Vy vaříte večeři" (You are cooking dinner)
• "Oni poslouchají hudbu" (They are listening to music)

Remember that the present tense can be used to describe ongoing and habitual actions, as well. For example:

• "Já běhám každé ráno" (I run every morning)
• "Ty často pracuješ v kanceláři" (You often work in the office)
• "My rádi hraje na kytaru" (We like to play guitar)

Regular Verbs

The majority of Czech verbs follow the regular pattern of conjugation. To conjugate them, you simply remove the ending "t" or "ti" from the infinitive form of the verb and add the appropriate ending for the subject. Here are the endings for regular verbs in present tense:

Pronoun	Verb ending
já (I)	-u
ty (you) singular	t or íš
on/ona/ono (he/she/it)	-í
my (we)	-íme
vy (you) plural	-íte
oni/ony/ona (they)	-í

Irregular Verbs

There are some verbs in Czech that don't follow the regular pattern. They have specific conjugation forms that you should memorize, like "jít" (to go), "být" (to be) or "dělat" (to do).

Here are some examples:

Czech	Pronunciation	English
jdu	[jtʊ]	I go
jdeš	[jdɛʃ]	You go (singular)
jde	[jdɛ]	He/she/it goes
jdeme	[jdemɛ]	We go
jdete	[jdɛtɛ]	You go (plural)
jdou	[jdoʊ]	They go

Czech	Pronunciation	English
jsem	[jɛsm]	I am
jsi	[jɪ]	You are (singular)
je	[jɛ]	He/she/it is
jsme	[jismɛ]	We are
jste	[jstɛ]	You are (plural)
jsou	[jsou]	They are

Czech	Pronunciation	English
dělám	[dɛlaːm]	I do
děláš	[dɛlaːʃ]	You do (singular)
dělá	[dɛlaː]	He/she/it does
děláme	[dɛlaːmɛ]	We do
děláte	[dɛlaːtɛ]	You do (plural)
dělají	[dɛlaːjiː]	They do

Exercises

Here are some practical exercises for you to practice the present tense.

1. Translate the following sentences into Czech:

• I am watching TV.
• She is studying at the library.
• We are walking in the park.
• They are playing football.

2. Conjugate the verb "líst" (to read) in present tense for all persons.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have learned how to use the present tense to describe actions and situations happening now or in the near future in Czech. Keep practicing and using the present tense until it becomes second-nature to you.

Sources

• Czech Tenses: Expressing the Past, Present, and Future
• Czech conjugation - Wikipedia
• Czech Republic, Czechoslovakia, Czech language - Verb tenses
• Czech language - Wikipedia

Finished this lesson? Check out these related lessons: Nominative Case in Czech & Personal Pronouns.

Table of Contents - Czech Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Alphabet and Pronunciation

• Consonants
• Vowels
• Accents and Special Characters

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Introduction to Nouns
• Personal Pronouns
• Demonstrative Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Verbs

• Introduction to Verbs
• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Introduction to Adjectives
• Introduction to Adverbs
• Comparative and Superlative Forms

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Greetings and Farewells
• Asking for and Giving Information
• Small Talk and Expressing Likes and Dislikes

  ---

At the Restaurant

• Ordering Food
• Asking for the Bill and Tipping
• Dining Etiquette

  ---

Daily Life

• Shopping
• Transportation
• Health and Medical Emergencies

  ---

History and Traditions

• History and Czech Lands
• Festivals and Celebrations
• Czech Cuisine

  ---

Art and Heritage

• Czech Literature
• Architecture and Landmark
• Czech Film and Music

Other Lessons

• Past Tense
• Adjectives
• Vowels
• Possessive Pronouns
• Conditional Mood
• Verbs
• Verb to speak in Czech
• Personal Pronouns
• Negation
• Possessive Case in Czech