How to Make Adjectives Agree with Nouns in Czech

Understanding Adjective Agreement in Czech

In Czech, adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe in gender, number, and case. This means that the ending of an adjective changes depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter, singular or plural, and which grammatical case it is in.

Why is Agreement Important?

Correct adjective agreement is essential for clear and grammatically correct sentences in Czech. Unlike English, where adjectives usually remain the same regardless of the noun, Czech adjectives change their endings to match the noun's characteristics.

Gender Agreement

Czech nouns have three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Adjectives change their endings to match the gender of the noun they describe.

• Masculine nouns: adjectives often end in -ý (e.g., velký meaning 'big').
• Feminine nouns: adjectives often end in -á (e.g., velká).
• Neuter nouns: adjectives often end in -é (e.g., velké).

Examples of Gender Agreement

Number Agreement

Adjectives also change depending on whether the noun is singular or plural.

• Singular adjectives have endings like -ý, -á, -é depending on gender.
• Plural adjectives usually end in -í for all genders in the nominative case.

Examples of Number Agreement

Case Agreement

Czech has seven grammatical cases, and adjectives change their endings to match the case of the noun they describe. This affects the adjective's ending in addition to gender and number.

For example, the nominative case (used for the subject of a sentence) has different adjective endings than the accusative case (used for the direct object). Learning the endings for each case is essential for proper adjective agreement.

Example: Adjective Endings in Nominative and Accusative Cases (Masculine Animate)

• Nominative singular: velký muž (big man)
• Accusative singular: velkého muže (big man - direct object)

Summary of Adjective Agreement Rules

1. Identify the gender of the noun (masculine, feminine, neuter).
2. Determine if the noun is singular or plural.
3. Determine the grammatical case of the noun.
4. Change the adjective ending to match the noun's gender, number, and case.
5. Practice with examples to become familiar with common adjective endings.

Tips for English Speakers Learning Czech Adjective Agreement

Since English adjectives do not change form, it can be challenging to remember all the Czech adjective endings. Here are some tips to help:

• Start by learning adjective endings in the nominative case for all genders and numbers.
• Practice with common adjectives and nouns to see patterns.
• Use charts and tables to memorize endings for different cases.
• Listen to native speakers and read Czech texts to see adjective agreement in context.
• Practice speaking and writing sentences using adjectives with correct agreement.

Common Adjective Endings Chart (Nominative Case)

Here is a simple chart showing typical adjective endings in the nominative case for singular and plural:

• Masculine singular: -ý (e.g., nový - new)
• Feminine singular: -á (e.g., nová)
• Neuter singular: -é (e.g., nové)
• Plural (all genders): -í (e.g., noví)