I can say what I study and where I work — studuju, pracuju; ask with ty and with vy — studuješ? studujete?; say “I don't understand” and ask someone to repeat, speak more slowly, and write a word down.
Studuju, studuješ: verbs in -ovat
Studuju, studuješ: verbs in -ovat
Why: to say what you do: study, work. A verb has its own ending for each person: that is conjugation.
In verbs in -ovat, -ova- becomes -uj- (see the table): pracuju, pracuješ, pracuje, pracujeme, pracujete, pracují.
The já form ends in -u or -i: pracuju (more common in speech) = pracuji (more common in writing). The oni form ends in -í or -ou: pracují = pracujou. Both are correct.
The vy form ends in -te in every verb, the ty form in -š in every verb except být (ty jsi): studuješ / studujete, mluvíš / mluvíte, rozumíš / rozumíte, učíš se / učíte se. For mluvit, rozumět, učit se you know only the já / ty / vy forms for now: mluvím, rozumím, učím se.
The ending shows who does it, so já and ty aren't needed: Studuju v Praze. jmenovat se is an -ovat verb too: Jak se jmenuje? “What's his (her) name?”
One present form means both “I work” and “I'm working”, and a question needs no “do”: Pracuješ?
ne- is joined to the verb: nepracuju, nestuduješ, nerozumím.
Common mistakes:
• × Já pracovat. → Pracuju.
• × Ne rozumím. → Nerozumím.
• × Vy studuješ? → Studujete?
Verbs in -ovat
In the forms, -ova- becomes -uj-; the já and oni forms each have two correct versions.
| Who | studovat | pracovat |
|---|---|---|
| já | studuju (studuji) | pracuju (pracuji) |
| ty | studuješ | pracuješ |
| on, ona | studuje | pracuje |
| my | studujeme | pracujeme |
| vy | studujete | pracujete |
| oni, ony | studují (studujou) | pracují (pracujou) |
Lesson notes
Studuju, studuješ: verbs in -ovat
Why: to say what you do: study, work. A verb has its own ending for each person: that is conjugation.
In verbs in -ovat, -ova- becomes -uj- (see the table): pracuju, pracuješ, pracuje, pracujeme, pracujete, pracují.
The já form ends in -u or -i: pracuju (more common in speech) = pracuji (more common in writing). The oni form ends in -í or -ou: pracují = pracujou. Both are correct.
The vy form ends in -te in every verb, the ty form in -š in every verb except být (ty jsi): studuješ / studujete, mluvíš / mluvíte, rozumíš / rozumíte, učíš se / učíte se. For mluvit, rozumět, učit se you know only the já / ty / vy forms for now: mluvím, rozumím, učím se.
The ending shows who does it, so já and ty aren't needed: Studuju v Praze. jmenovat se is an -ovat verb too: Jak se jmenuje? “What's his (her) name?”
One present form means both “I work” and “I'm working”, and a question needs no “do”: Pracuješ?
ne- is joined to the verb: nepracuju, nestuduješ, nerozumím.
Common mistakes:
• × Já pracovat. → Pracuju.
• × Ne rozumím. → Nerozumím.
• × Vy studuješ? → Studujete?
Česky, čeština, and “I don't understand”
Languages: čeština, ruština, angličtina (lowercase, unlike English). The “how I speak or understand” form ends in -y: česky, rusky, anglicky. English “speak Czech” is mluvit česky.
“What I study”: studuju / učím se češtinu (-a → -u: the object form). With učit se you can also say učím se česky.
If you don't understand, use the phrases in the table. To the teacher: Můžete…? (vy); to a female friend: Můžeš…? (ty). Nevím means “I don't know”.
A long syllable isn't stressed: in rozumím the stress is on ro-, and -mím is just long.
To recognize: překládat (to translate a text), přeložit (to translate, all the way through), tlumočit (to interpret, out loud), tlumočník (interpreter).
Common mistakes:
• × Mluvím česká. → česky
• × Mluvíš čeština? → česky
• × Studuju čeština. → češtinu