Mastering the Locative Case

In this article we'll talk about locative case, also known as the 6th case (šestý pád).

You use locative case to indicate a location, where something happens or takes place.

You also use the locative case to talk "about" someone or something. That's why the standard questions used to refer to this case in Czech are "About whom? About what?" (O kom? O čem?)

Locative Case ExamplesBack to top

Locative case is called "lokál" in Czech. You use locative case when you talk about where something is happening, or the location of something.

Here are a few common situations where you'll encounter locative case:

Location of an Action

When describing where an action is taking place:

• Pijeme pivo v hospodě: We are drinking beer in the pub
• Tančíme na ulici: We are dancing in the street

Destination

When indicating the location:

• Auto je uvízlé v bahně: The car is stuck in the mud
• V Austrálii jsou obrovští pavouci: There are huge spiders in Australia

Topic

When talking about something or someone:

• Ten koníček: hobby (masculine inanimate gender, nominative case)
• Mluví o koníčku: He/she is talking about a hobby
• Ta funkce: feature (feminine gender, nominative case)
• Slyšeli o nové funkci: They heard about a new feature

Locative case always follows a preposition.

And when you use static verbs (to be, to live, to stay, to wait, etc.) you use these prepositions: v (in) or na (on).

With these prepositions you must use locative case. You change the ending of the noun that describes the location.

For example:

Here are a few more examples:

• To náměstí: The square (neuter gender, nominative case)
• Čeká na náměstí: He/she is waiting on the square
• kavárna: cafe (feminine gender, nominative case)
• Povídáme si v kavárně: We are chatting in a cafe

It does not make sense to say "Povídáme si kavárně" – it doesn't mean anything like this, it's just bad grammar.

Při is the only preposition that will always take the locative case.

The prepositions that are sometimes used with locative case (and sometimes another case) are:

• o (about)
• na (on)
• v (in)
• po (after)

Locative Case Noun EndingsBack to top

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

Forget the tables! Just practice using locative case here! Once you memorize the patterns you won't even have to think about it.

But if you do need it, here's a table of the locative noun endings:

Czech wouldn't be Czech if there weren't exceptions to the rule. For feminine and neuter words, there are some exceptions.

Locative Case Adjective EndingsBack to top

Here are the locative endings for Czech adjectives:

Locative Case PronounsBack to top

Here are the locative forms of the Czech pronouns:

Talking about something, or saying where it is — that's Locative.

SummaryBack to top

Locative case in Czech shows where an action occurs, or where something is located. It also lets us talk about things. By learning the locative case, you'll be better equipped to navigate the intricacies of Czech language.

Next time you're describing where you're going or what you're doing, remember to use the locative case! It will add that extra bit of precision to your Czech sentences.

Happy Learning!