Czech Case: Accusative

In this article, we'll explore what Czech accusative case is, when to use it, and how to form it, with practical examples and a handy table of endings.

In Czech, the accusative case plays an important role in showing the direct object of a sentence.

Read on to find out more about the accusative case in Czech, and how to use it!

Practice what you learn in this article for free:

What is Accusative Case?

Simply put, accusative case shows who or what is receiving the action of the verb.

It is also used after certain prepositions for time and direction.

Let's break it down. First, we need to know what a direct object is. A "direct object" is a noun or pronoun which receives the action of the verb directly.
The subject in a sentence performs the action towards the direct object (accusative).

Here's an example:
The cat drinks water - Kočka pije vodu
Kočka (nominative subject) pije (action) vodu (direct object in accusative)

The prepositions that are only used with accusative case are:

• za: behind
• bez: without
• do: to, into, other meanings, depending on context
• k: towards, to
• přes: across, through
• skrz: through
• mezi: between

How to Use Accusative Case

Here are some examples of when and how to use accusative case:

pes - dog (dictionary form, male animate gender)
Chlap vidí psa - The man sees a dog
Here, psa is in the accusative case because it's the direct object of the verb vidí (sees).

hračka - toy (dictionary form, female gender)
Děti mají hračku - The children have a toy
In this sentence, hračku is in the accusative case because it answers the question, "What do the children have?" - a toy.

mléko - milk (dictionary form, neuter gender)
Dívka pije mléko - The girl drinks milk
Here, mléko is in the accusative case (even if it doesn't change its ending) because it's the direct object of the verb pije (drinks).

Here are some more examples with accusative and prepositions.
Be careful, accusative takes other prepositions, not only the ones we listed above!

• Jdu do obchodu - I am going to the store
• Vidím auto na parkovišti - I see a car in the parking lot
• Letím do Prahy - I am flying to Prague
• Šel jsem přes most - I went across the bridge
• Vylezli jsme na horu - We climbed up the mountain

In Czech, the accusative case typically corresponds with the direct object of a transitive verb.
A transitive verb is one that requires a direct object to complete its meaning.
When the verb's action is directed towards an object, that object is usually in the accusative case.

For example:

lékař - doctor (dictionary form, male animate gender)
Vidím lékaře - I see a doctor
"lékaře" is the direct object of the verb "vidím" and therefore it is in the accusative case.

However, it's important to note that accusative case can also be required after certain prepositions, as demonstrated in the previous examples.

In these cases, the preposition is what requires use of accusative case, regardless of the meaning.

So, while accusative case is most commonly associated with direct objects of transitive verbs, it can also be used after prepositions in certain contexts.

How to Form Accusative Case

As you've seen, "forming the accusative case" means changing the endings of nouns, adjectives, and pronouns.

We always advise you to forget the tables, and just practice using the case! Once you get used to it you won't even have to think about it.

You can practice the accusative case here!

But if you still want it, here's a simplified table of accusative noun endings:

Noun ending (nominative)	Noun ending (accusative)	Example
Masculine animate (hard ending)	-a	student - studenta
Masculine animate (soft ending)	-e/-ě	muž - muže učitel - učitele
Masculine inanimate	no change	strom - strom nůž - nůž
Feminine (ends with -a)	-u	kočka - kočku pošta - poštu
Feminine (ends with -e)	-i	sukně - sukni brokolice - brokolici
Feminine (consonant ending)	no change	věc - věc
Neuter	no change	auto - auto nebe - nebe

In conclusion, understanding the accusative case is crucial for constructing sentences correctly in Czech.

By paying attention to the noun endings and what they mean, you can effectively convey who or what is the direct object of the action.

You will need to use accusative case a lot, but it's also pretty simple. Good luck and happy learning!!

Practice what you learned in this article for free: