Czech Weather & Seasons: prší, je hezky, je mi zima

Half of natural Czech has no subject at all — and the weather is where you learn to love it. Nobody rains; it just rains.

Subjectless Weather

One word can be a full sentence: Prší. That's the forecast.

Cold Out, or Cold You?

Je zima — it's cold (the world's problem). Je MI zima — I'm cold (your problem, dative from last lesson). The same pair works for everyone: Je jí zima — she's cold.

Je zima, ale mně zima není.

It's cold out, but I'm not cold.

Note: The emphatic mně steps in when you want to stress the me.

Sun and Wind

Svítí slunce — the sun is shining. Fouká vítr — the wind is blowing. Ask about it all with Jaké je počasí? — what's the weather like? (počasí is neuter, hence jaké).

The Seasons

jaro, léto, podzim, zima — spring, summer, autumn, winter (yes, zima moonlights as "cold"). The prepositions split the year in half: na jaře, na podzim — but v létě, v zimě.

V létě jezdíme k moři, v zimě na hory.

In summer we go to the sea, in winter to the mountains.

Note: The Czech year in one sentence — with jezdíme, the habit verb.

Common Mistakes

Ono prší. No dummy subject — just prší.
v jaře. Spring and autumn take na: na jaře, na podzim.
Jsem zima. You aren't cold, cold is TO you: je mi zima.

What You Can Do Now

You can give and understand any weather report, complain about being cold correctly, and make season small talk — the national conversational currency — in whole subjectless sentences.