The Accusative Case (4. pád - Akuzativ)
Welcome to the complete guide to the Czech Accusative case! This is the most frequently used case after the nominative - you need it for almost every sentence with a direct object.
Why Master the Accusative First?
The Accusative is essential for basic Czech:
- Direct objects - "I see the dog", "I have a book"
- Most common case - Used constantly in everyday speech
- Motion toward - "I'm going to school"
- Relatively easy - Fewer changes than other cases
Master the Accusative, and you can build most basic Czech sentences!
What You'll Learn
📚 Theory
- Singular Endings - The key pattern: animate vs inanimate
- Plural Endings - How plurals work in accusative
- Prepositions - na, do, pro, přes, za, o, v
- Adjectives - Adjective agreement in accusative
- Pronouns - mě, tě, ho, ji, nás, vás, je
💪 Exercises
- Direct Objects - Practice with verbs
- Fill in the Blank - Complete sentences
- Transform - Nominative → Accusative
📋 Cheatsheets
- Quick Reference - All endings at a glance
- Visual Cheatsheets - Printable reference cards
Quick Facts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Czech name | Akuzativ (4. pád) |
| Questions | Koho? Co? (Whom? What?) |
| Key feature | Used for direct objects |
| Main uses | Direct object, motion toward, time duration |
| Difficulty | ⭐⭐ (Medium - one tricky pattern) |
The Core Concept
Think: DIRECT OBJECT
The Accusative answers "Whom?" or "What?" after a verb:
- Vidím psa. (I see a dog.)
- Mám knihu. (I have a book.)
- Znám Prahu. (I know Prague.)
- Chci kávu. (I want coffee.)
The Big Secret
One Pattern to Rule Them All
Masculine animate nouns are the only ones that really change in accusative singular!
| Type | Nominative | Accusative | Change? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc. Animate | student | studenta | ✅ Yes |
| Masc. Inanimate | stůl | stůl | ❌ No |
| Feminine | žena | ženu | ✅ Yes |
| Neuter | město | město | ❌ No |
Learn the masculine animate pattern, and you're 80% there!
Common Verbs That Need Accusative
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| mít | to have | Mám auto. |
| vidět | to see | Vidím muže. |
| znát | to know | Znám tu ženu. |
| chtít | to want | Chci kávu. |
| milovat | to love | Miluju Prahu. |
| potřebovat | to need | Potřebuji pomoc. |
| kupovat | to buy | Kupuji knihu. |
| číst | to read | Čtu noviny. |
| psát | to write | Píšu dopis. |
| jíst | to eat | Jím jablko. |
| pít | to drink | Piju vodu. |
Start Learning
Ready to master the Accusative? Start with the basics:
Part of the iLearnCzech family. See also: Full Grammar Reference