Instrumental case (7th case) noun endings: expressing 'with' and means
Can express means of transport, tools, company, and professions using instrumental case
Spójrz na te przykłady. Czy widzisz wzór gramatyczny?
Jedu do práce autobusem.
I go to work by bus.
Píšu dopis tužkou.
I'm writing a letter with a pencil.
Moje sestra je lékařkou.
My sister is a doctor.
Zwróć uwagę na podkreślone części. Co mają wspólnego?
The 7th case (instrumental) answers kým? čím? - with whom? with what? by what means? English uses with or by for these jobs; Czech uses an ending, and sometimes the ending alone, with no preposition at all.
| Type | Ending | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine (people and things) | -em | kamarád → kamarádem, vlak → vlakem, čaj → čajem |
| Feminine in -a | -ou | Anna → Annou, karta → kartou |
| Feminine in -e, in a consonant | -í | lžíce → lžící, tramvaj → tramvají |
| Neuter in -o, -e | -em | metro → metrem, auto → autem, moře → mořem |
| Neuter in -í | -ím | náměstí → náměstím |
This is one of the friendliest cases: masculine and neuter almost always end in -em, feminine in -ou or -í.
English uses with for a companion and for a tool: "I went with Anna", "I eat with a spoon". Czech separates them:
The mistake English speakers make is to add s to the tool: *Platím s kartou, *Jedu s autobusem. To a Czech ear the bus is now your travelling companion. "By bus, by train, by metro" are simply autobusem, vlakem, metrem. Walking has its own word: pěšky.
The bare instrumental also names the route: Jdeme parkem - We're walking through the park. Jděte touto ulicí - Go along this street.
After stát se (to become) the instrumental is required: Stal se lékařem - he became a doctor. After být both are possible: everyday speech says Je učitel (he is a teacher), and the instrumental Je učitelem sounds more formal, or stresses the role he holds. For a child's dream, Czechs say Chci být kosmonautem, or just Chci být kosmonaut.
Zastosuj tę gramatykę w ćwiczeniach kursu A1
Ćwiczenia praktyczneJedu do práce autobusem.
I go to work by bus.
Instrumental for means of transport: autobus → autobusem. No preposition needed.
Píšu dopis tužkou.
I'm writing a letter with a pencil.
Instrumental for tool/instrument: tužka → tužkou (F žena-type, -ou ending).
Moje sestra je lékařkou.
My sister is a doctor.
Být + instrumental for professions: lékařka → lékařkou.
Ćwicz w kursie
Zastosuj tę gramatykę w ćwiczeniach kursu A1