The Czech Accusative: Dám si kávu, Explained
You've been using this case since your first café order. Whatever the action lands on — what you want, see, buy, drink — takes the accusative. Today it gets its name and its rules.
The Direct-Object Case
Dám si kávu. Vidím Prahu. Mám psa. The doer stays in the dictionary form (nominative); the done-to changes. The questions: koho? (whom) for the living, co? (what) for things.
The Endings
| Gender | Change | Example |
|---|---|---|
| feminine -a | -a → -u | káva → kávu, Praha → Prahu |
| masculine animate | add -a | Petr → Petra, pes → psa |
| masculine thing | no change | mám čaj, vidím hrad |
| neuter | no change | dám si pivo |
Kupuju vodu a chleba.
I'm buying water and bread.
Note: voda → vodu (feminine changes); chleba stays (masculine thing).
Alive or Not?
Masculine nouns split by pulse: living things add -a (vidím Petra, mám psa — with the e dropping out of pes), things stay unchanged (mám čaj, vidím hrad). Czech grammar cares whether your noun breathes.
chtít — to Want
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| já | chci |
| ty | chceš |
| on/ona | chce |
| my | chceme |
| vy | chcete |
| oni | chtějí |
Chci kávu. Chceš pivo?
I want a coffee. Do you want a beer?
Note: chci + accusative — the wanting machine. (The politer chtěl bych waits in Chapter 5.)
Him, Her, It
ho — him/it, ji — her: Znáš Petra? — Znám ho. Znáš Janu? — Znám ji. Two tiny words that keep you from repeating names all day.
Common Mistakes
- Dám si káva. The direct object changes: kávu. The café taught you; the grammar just explains.
- Mám pes. A dog is alive — animate masculines add -a: mám psa.
- Changing pivo. Neuters never change in the accusative: dám si pivo, vidím město.
What You Can Do Now
You can want, see, buy and order anything with the right ending, ask koho? co?, and replace names with ho and ji — the first case is officially yours.