Ukazovací zájmena

Ten, ta, to do the work of English "this" and "that", and in everyday speech often of "the" as well. Like adjectives, they match the noun's gender and number.

Ten film byl skvělý. Ta polévka je výborná. Ti kluci jsou z Brna. Ty knedlíky jsou domácí. Two forms do double duty, so read them in context: ty is also "you", and ta is both the feminine singular (ta kniha) and the neuter plural (ta auta).

"This" and "that"

English always chooses between near and far. Plain ten does not: it points without saying how far. When distance matters, Czech adds to it: tenhle, tahle, tohle for "this one here", tamten, tamta, tamto for "that one over there". In writing and formal speech you will meet tento, tato, toto instead of tenhle. At the bakery: Dám si tenhle koláč, ne tamten.

The Czech "the"

Czech has no articles, but spoken Czech uses ten where English says "the" for something both speakers already know about: Kde je ten klíč? - "Where's the key?" (the one we were looking for). Leaving it out is fine, but adding it makes you sound natural. Do not put it in front of every noun, though: first mentions go bare, Mám nový telefon.

To je: "this is", for everything

When you introduce or identify something, to stays to whatever follows: To je můj táta. To je moje máma. To je naše auto. In the plural only the verb changes: To jsou moji rodiče. - "These are my parents." Compare the two jobs of to: To auto je nové - "That car is new" (agreeing with auto), and To je nové auto - "This is a new car" (simply pointing).

In other cases these words take endings too. You will meet them in the accusative, where ta becomes tu: Dám si tu svíčkovou.