Forming questions in Czech: yes/no questions by intonation, question words kdo/co/kde/kdy/jak/proč/kolik
Can form yes/no questions using intonation and information questions using kdo, co, kde, kdy, jak, proč, kolik
Mira estos ejemplos. ¿Puedes identificar el patrón gramatical?
Mluvíš česky?
Do you speak Czech?
Kde bydlíte?
Where do you live?
Kolik to stojí?
How much does it cost?
Presta atención a las partes resaltadas. ¿Qué tienen en común?
Making a question in Czech is easier than in English. There is no "do", nothing changes places, and the question words sit at the front just as "who" and "where" do.
Take the statement and let the intonation rise at the end. That is all.
| Statement | Question |
|---|---|
| Máš čas. - You have time. | Máš čas? - Do you have time? |
| Mluvíte anglicky. - You speak English. | Mluvíte anglicky? - Do you speak English? |
| Je to daleko. - It's far. | Je to daleko? - Is it far? |
English speakers often hunt for a Czech "do" or try to swap words around. There is nothing to find: Máš čas? is the whole question. And where English needs a tag that changes every time ("isn't it?", "don't you?", "aren't they?"), Czech uses one word for all: Jsi z Brna, že? or ..., ne?
| Czech | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| kdo | who | Kdo je to? |
| co | what | Co děláš? |
| kde | where (location) | Kde bydlíš? |
| kam | where (to) | Kam jdeš? |
| odkud | where from | Odkud jste? |
| kdy | when | Kdy jede vlak? |
| jak | how | Jak se máš? |
| proč | why | Proč se učíš česky? |
| kolik | how much, how many | Kolik to stojí? |
Two places where one English word becomes two Czech ones. First, "where": kde asks about a place, kam about a direction. "Where are you going?" is Kam jdeš?, and *Kde jdeš? is a giveaway. Second, "what/which": jaký asks what something is like (Jaký je ten film?), který picks one from a set (Která tramvaj jede na Hrad? - Dvaadvacítka.).
After a question word, light words like se and jsi still go second: Jak se jmenuješ?, Kde jsi byl? And when you did not catch something, the polite Czech "Sorry?" is a single word: Prosím?
Aplica esta gramática en los ejercicios del curso A1
Ejercicios de prácticaMluvíš česky?
Do you speak Czech?
Yes/no question: same word order as the statement (Mluvíš česky.), only intonation rises. No inversion, no auxiliary 'do'.
Kde bydlíte?
Where do you live?
Question word kde (where) at the start, verb bydlíte follows. Vy-form (formal). No auxiliary verb needed.
Kolik to stojí?
How much does it cost?
Kolik (how much/many) is essential for shopping. The verb stojí (costs) follows directly — no inversion or auxiliary.
Practicar en el curso
Aplica esta gramática en los ejercicios del curso A1