Verbs and the cases they take

A2 — Slovesa

Which case each common verb governs: ptát se + gen., pomáhat + dat., čekat na + acc., bát se + gen.

I can use the correct case or preposition+case after the most frequent Czech verbs.

Examples

Zeptej se průvodčího, kdy přijedeme do Tábora. — Ask the conductor when we arrive in Tábor.
Děkujeme vám za pomoc a těšíme se na příští setkání. — Thank you for your help — we look forward to the next meeting.
Babička se stará o zahradu a bojí se mrazu. — Grandma looks after the garden and is afraid of frost.

VerbsA2

Verbs and the cases they take

Which case each common verb governs: ptát se + gen., pomáhat + dat., čekat na + acc., bát se + gen.

Learning Goal

I can use the correct case or preposition+case after the most frequent Czech verbs.

Exam Skills:CCE A2 · WritingCCE A2 · Speaking

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Zeptej se průvodčího, kdy přijedeme do Tábora.

Ask the conductor when we arrive in Tábor.

Děkujeme vám za pomoc a těšíme se na příští setkání.

Thank you for your help — we look forward to the next meeting.

Babička se stará o zahradu a bojí se mrazu.

Grandma looks after the garden and is afraid of frost.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

An English verb takes a direct object or a preposition: help someone, wait for someone. A Czech verb takes a case, sometimes with a preposition, and the choice often differs from English. Learn each verb with its question word: pomáhat komu, čekat na koho.

The verbs that trip English speakers

English	Czech	Case	Example
help someone	pomáhat komu	dative	Pomáhám babičce.
call someone	volat komu	dative	Zavolej mámě.
thank someone for	děkovat komu za co	dative + za acc.	Děkuju vám za pomoc.
believe, understand someone	věřit, rozumět komu	dative	Nerozumím mu.
ask someone	zeptat se koho	genitive	Zeptej se průvodčího.
be afraid of	bát se koho, čeho	genitive	Bojím se zubaře.
wait for	čekat na koho, co	na + acc.	Čekám na tramvaj.
look forward to	těšit se na	na + acc.	Těšíme se na Vánoce.
look at, watch	dívat se na	na + acc.	Díváme se na hokej.
listen to	poslouchat koho, co	acc., no preposition	Poslouchám rádio.
look after	starat se o	o + acc.	Starám se o zahradu.
talk about	mluvit o	o + loc.	Mluvíme o filmu.

Look at the two o lines. Starat se o, zajímat se o (be interested in) and prosit o (ask for) take the accusative: Starám se o babičku. Mluvit o and myslet si o take the locative: Mluvíme o babičce. Same preposition, different case, so learn the pair.

Mismatches worth a second look

Ask a question vs ask about. Zeptat se + genitive is the person you ask; ptát se na + accusative is what or whom you ask about: Babička se na tebe ptala.
Listen with no "to". *Poslouchám na rádio → Poslouchám rádio.
Play. A game is a plain object, hrát hokej, hrát karty; an instrument takes na: hrát na kytaru, na klavír.
Miss someone turns round: Chybíš mi, literally "you are missing to me". The person missed is the subject.
Meet. Potkat + accusative is to run into someone (Potkal jsem Petra); setkat se s + instrumental is a planned meeting.

How to learn them

A good Czech dictionary prints the government after the verb: pomáhat komu; čekat na koho, co. Copy it into your vocabulary list as part of the word, and practise in phrases rather than single verbs: bojím se zubaře, těším se na léto, děkuju za pozvání.

Apply this grammar in A2 course exercises

Practice Exercises

*čekám tramvaj → čekám na tramvaj
*děkuju vás → děkuju vám
*bojím se zubaři → bojím se zubaře (genitive)

Common Error Patterns

Wrong case after a verb

Learn verb + case as one chunk: čekat na, bát se koho

Missing governed preposition

čekat NA, prosit O, starat se O

Zeptej se průvodčího, kdy přijedeme do Tábora.

Ask the conductor when we arrive in Tábor.

zeptat se + genitive: průvodčího.

Děkujeme vám za pomoc a těšíme se na příští setkání.

Thank you for your help — we look forward to the next meeting.

děkovat + dative; těšit se na + accusative.

Babička se stará o zahradu a bojí se mrazu.

Grandma looks after the garden and is afraid of frost.

starat se o + accusative; bát se + genitive.

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Frequently asked questions

When do you use Verbs and the cases they take?: An English verb takes a direct object or a preposition: help someone, wait for someone. A Czech verb takes a case , sometimes with a preposition, and the choice often differs from English. Learn each verb with its question word: pomáhat komu , čekat na koho .
How do you form Verbs and the cases they take?: Look at the two o lines. Starat se o , zajímat se o (be interested in) and prosit o (ask for) take the accusative: Starám se o babičku. Mluvit o and myslet si o take the locative: Mluvíme o babičce. Same preposition, different case, so learn the pair. A good Czech dictionary prints the government after the verb: pomáhat komu ; čekat na koho, co . Copy it into your vocabulary list as part of the word, and practise in phrases rather than single verbs: bojím se zubaře, těším se na léto, děkuju za pozvání .
What are common mistakes with Verbs and the cases they take?: *čekám tramvaj → čekám na tramvaj *děkuju vás → děkuju vám *bojím se zubaři → bojím se zubaře (genitive)

English

Czech

Case

Example

help someone

pomáhat komu

dative

Pomáhám babičce.

call someone

volat komu

dative

Zavolej mámě.

thank someone for

děkovat komu za co

dative + za acc.

Děkuju vám za pomoc.

believe, understand someone

věřit, rozumět komu

dative

Nerozumím mu.

ask someone

zeptat se koho

genitive

Zeptej se průvodčího.

be afraid of

bát se koho, čeho

genitive

Bojím se zubaře.

wait for

čekat na koho, co

na + acc.

Čekám na tramvaj.

look forward to

těšit se na

na + acc.

Těšíme se na Vánoce.

look at, watch

dívat se na

na + acc.

Díváme se na hokej.

listen to

poslouchat koho, co

acc., no preposition

Poslouchám rádio.

look after

starat se o

o + acc.

Starám se o zahradu.

talk about

mluvit o

o + loc.

Mluvíme o filmu.

Frequently asked questions

When do you use Verbs and the cases they take?

An English verb takes a direct object or a preposition: help someone, wait for someone. A Czech verb takes a case , sometimes with a preposition, and the choice often differs from English. Learn each verb with its question word: pomáhat komu , čekat na koho .

How do you form Verbs and the cases they take?

Look at the two o lines. Starat se o , zajímat se o (be interested in) and prosit o (ask for) take the accusative: Starám se o babičku. Mluvit o and myslet si o take the locative: Mluvíme o babičce. Same preposition, different case, so learn the pair. A good Czech dictionary prints the government after the verb: pomáhat komu ; čekat na koho, co . Copy it into your vocabulary list as part of the word, and practise in phrases rather than single verbs: bojím se zubaře, těším se na léto, děkuju za pozvání .

What are common mistakes with Verbs and the cases they take?

*čekám tramvaj → čekám na tramvaj *děkuju vás → děkuju vám *bojím se zubaři → bojím se zubaře (genitive)