The Accusative Case (4. pád) in Czech
Accusative Case (4. pád – Akuzativ)
Answers Koho? (Whom?) and Co? (What?), marking direct objects of transitive verbs and directional movement with prepositions like na, v, pro, do.
The *Accusative Case (4. pád – Akuzativ) is one of the most frequently used oblique cases in Czech. It answers the question pair Koho? (Whom?) and Co? (What?*).
Two Core Functions: 1. Direct Object of Transitive Verbs: Receives the immediate action of verbs such as mít (to have), vidět (to see), číst (to read), koupit (to buy), znát (to know): - Mám novou práci. (I have a new job). - Hledám pana Nováka. (I am looking for Mr. Novák). 2. Directional Motion with Prepositions: Governed by prepositions expressing movement towards a destination (na, v/ve, o, pro, přes, za): - Jedu na univerzitu. (I am going to the university — Accusative destination vs. Locative location na univerzitě). - Dárek pro maminku. (A gift for mom).
Endings Breakdown: - Feminine (-a → -u, -e → -i): kniha → knihu, žena → ženu, káva → kávu; růže → růži, restaurace → restauraci. Hard adjectives take -ou (dobrou kávu). - Masculine Animate (-a / -e): student → studenta, lékař → lékaře, pes → psa. Hard adjectives take -ého (dobrého studenta). - Masculine Inanimate (= Nominative): stůl → stůl, hrad → hrad. Adjectives take -ý (nový stůl). - Neuter (= Nominative): město → město, auto → auto. Adjectives take -é (nové auto).
Examples
Každé ráno piju horkou černou kávu a čtu denní tisk.
Every morning I drink hot black coffee and read the daily press.
Hledáme nového zkušeného programátora do našeho týmu.
We are looking for a new experienced programmer for our team.
Koupil jsem krásný dárek pro svou mladší sestru k narozeninám.
I bought a beautiful gift for my younger sister for her birthday.
Zítra odpoledne jedeme na důležitou mezinárodní konferenci.
Tomorrow afternoon we are going to an important international conference.
Related terms
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