Accusative Prepositions
Several prepositions take the Accusative case, especially those expressing motion toward a destination.
Overview
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| na | onto, to, for | Jdu na poštu. |
| do | into, to | Jdu do školy. |
| pro | for (someone) | To je pro tebe. |
| přes | across, over, through | Jdu přes most. |
| za | behind, for (exchange) | Jdu za dům. / Děkuji za pomoc. |
| o | about, by (amount) | Je o rok starší. |
| v/ve | into (motion) | Věřím v Boha. |
| mimo | outside of, except | Mimo město. |
| mezi | between (motion) | Šel mezi stromy. |
| nad | above (motion) | Letí nad město. |
| pod | under (motion) | Dej to pod stůl. |
| před | in front of (motion) | Jdi před dům. |
Na + Accusative (Motion Toward)
Na with accusative expresses motion toward a surface or destination.
Na + Accusative vs Na + Locative
- Na + Accusative = going TO (motion)
- Na + Locative = being AT (location)
| Motion (Accusative) | Location (Locative) |
|---|---|
| Jdu na poštu. (I'm going to the post office.) | Jsem na poště. (I'm at the post office.) |
| Jdu na koncert. (I'm going to the concert.) | Jsem na koncertě. (I'm at the concert.) |
Common "Na" Destinations
| Czech | English |
|---|---|
| Jdu na poštu. | I'm going to the post office. |
| Jdu na nádraží. | I'm going to the station. |
| Jdu na letiště. | I'm going to the airport. |
| Jdu na univerzitu. | I'm going to the university. |
| Jdu na koncert. | I'm going to the concert. |
| Jdu na oběd. | I'm going to lunch. |
| Jdu na procházku. | I'm going for a walk. |
| Jedu na dovolenou. | I'm going on vacation. |
| Dívám se na televizi. | I'm watching TV. |
| Čekám na autobus. | I'm waiting for the bus. |
Do + Genitive (Not Accusative!)
Important!
Do (into, to) takes the Genitive, not Accusative!
- Jdu do školy. (to school - genitive)
- Jdu do města. (to the city - genitive)
- Jdu do obchodu. (to the shop - genitive)
This is a common confusion point. When expressing motion "into" an enclosed space, use do + Genitive.
Pro + Accusative (For Someone)
Pro means "for" (intended for someone/something).
| Czech | English |
|---|---|
| To je pro tebe. | That's for you. |
| Koupil jsem dárek pro mámu. | I bought a gift for mom. |
| Pro koho je ta kniha? | Who is that book for? |
| Pracuji pro firmu. | I work for a company. |
| Hlasoval pro návrh. | He voted for the proposal. |
Přes + Accusative (Across, Through)
Přes expresses movement across, over, or through something.
| Czech | English |
|---|---|
| Jdu přes most. | I'm going across the bridge. |
| Jel přes celou Evropu. | He drove through all of Europe. |
| Díval se přes okno. | He looked through the window. |
| Přes den pracuji. | During the day I work. |
| Přes víkend jedu pryč. | Over the weekend I'm going away. |
Za + Accusative
Za has multiple meanings with accusative:
1. Motion Behind
| Czech | English |
|---|---|
| Jdi za dům. | Go behind the house. |
| Slunce zašlo za hory. | The sun went behind the mountains. |
2. In Exchange For / Thanks For
| Czech | English |
|---|---|
| Děkuji za pomoc. | Thank you for the help. |
| Děkuji za dárek. | Thank you for the gift. |
| Zaplatil za oběd. | He paid for lunch. |
| Koupil to za 100 korun. | He bought it for 100 crowns. |
3. In (time duration)
| Czech | English |
|---|---|
| Za hodinu. | In an hour. |
| Za týden. | In a week. |
| Za chvíli. | In a moment. |
O + Accusative (By an Amount)
O with accusative expresses a difference or comparison.
| Czech | English |
|---|---|
| Je o rok starší. | He's a year older. |
| Je o dva roky mladší. | She's two years younger. |
| O kolik to stojí víc? | How much more does it cost? |
| O centimetr delší. | A centimeter longer. |
O + Accusative vs O + Locative
- O + Accusative = by (an amount): Je o rok starší.
- O + Locative = about (topic): Mluvíme o filmu.
Motion Prepositions (Dual Case)
These prepositions take Accusative for motion and Locative/Instrumental for location:
| Preposition | + Accusative (motion) | + Loc./Instr. (location) |
|---|---|---|
| na | Jdu na stůl. (onto) | Je na stole. (on) |
| v/ve | Věřím v Boha. (into/belief) | Jsem v Praze. (in) |
| nad | Letí nad město. (above-motion) | Letí nad městem. (above) |
| pod | Dej to pod stůl. (under-motion) | Je pod stolem. (under) |
| před | Jdi před dům. (in front-motion) | Stojí před domem. (in front) |
| za | Jdi za dům. (behind-motion) | Je za domem. (behind) |
| mezi | Jdi mezi stromy. (between-motion) | Je mezi stromy. (between) |
Time Expressions with Accusative
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| každý den | every day |
| každou noc | every night |
| celý den | the whole day |
| celou noc | the whole night |
| příští týden | next week |
| minulou sobotu | last Saturday |
| za hodinu | in an hour |
| přes noc | overnight |
Common Phrases
| Czech | English |
|---|---|
| Čekám na tebe. | I'm waiting for you. |
| Dívám se na film. | I'm watching a movie. |
| Těším se na víkend. | I'm looking forward to the weekend. |
| Děkuji za všechno. | Thank you for everything. |
| Jdu na pivo. | I'm going for a beer. |
| Jdu pro chleba. | I'm going to get bread. |
| Za jak dlouho? | In how long? |
| Pro všechny případy. | Just in case. |
Practice
Choose the correct preposition:
- Jdu ___ školu. (to school) - na/do
- Děkuji ___ pomoc. (for help) - za/pro
- To je ___ tebe. (for you) - za/pro
- Jdu ___ most. (across the bridge) - přes/nad
- Je o rok ___. (older by) - starší
- Čekám ___ autobus. (for the bus) - na/pro
- ___ hodinu budu doma. (in an hour) - Za/O
- Jdu ___ koncert. (to the concert) - na/do
Check Answers
- Jdu do školy. (do + genitive for enclosed spaces)
- Děkuji za pomoc. (za = thanks for)
- To je pro tebe. (pro = intended for)
- Jdu přes most. (přes = across)
- Je o rok starší. (o + accusative for comparison)
- Čekám na autobus. (na = waiting for)
- Za hodinu budu doma. (za = in time)
- Jdu na koncert. (na for events)
Next Steps
- Singular Endings - Review noun forms
- Adjectives - Adjective agreement with prepositions
- Exercises - Practice preposition usage