Accusative Case (Akuzativ)
Question: Koho? Co? (Whom? What?)
The Accusative is the most common case after Nominative. It marks the Direct Object.
The accusative has one fundamental meaning: it identifies the TARGET of an action — what the verb acts upon:
- Direct Object: what is affected: Vidím psa (I see the dog)
- Motion toward (Kam?): destination: Jdu na poštu (I'm going to the post office)
- Duration/Goal: what is aimed at: Za hodinu (in an hour)
The key insight: Accusative answers "whom/what is affected or aimed at?"
At a Glance (Singular)
Which Ending? Follow the Flowchart
Memory Aids (Mnemonics)
Use these tricks to remember the patterns you just saw in the cheatsheets above.
The "Animate = Genitive" Rule
For masculine animate nouns, the accusative singular equals the genitive:
- Think: "I see whom?" — just like "of whom?" (genitive question)
- Vidím pána = Vidím pána (same as "pána" in genitive)
Memory: "Animate things that can run away need an extra ending to catch them!"
The "Lazy Accusative" Rule
For most nouns, accusative is identical to nominative:
- Masculine inanimate: hrad → hrad (no change)
- Neuter: město → město (no change)
- Feminine píseň/kost types: píseň → píseň (no change)
Memory: "Things that can't move don't need new endings!"
Only Feminine -a Changes
The only "hard" rule to memorize:
- -a → -u for žena type: žena → ženu, kniha → knihu
Memory: "A becomes U in accUsative" (A→U)
Plural Shortcut
Only masculine animate changes in plural:
- Hard: -y (pány, studenty)
- Soft: -e (muže, učitele)
Everything else = Nominative Plural. That's it!
Kam? vs Kde? — The Critical Distinction
One of the biggest challenges in Czech is knowing when to use Accusative (motion) vs Locative (static location). The same prepositions can take either case!
The Core Question
| Question | Case | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Kam? (Where to?) | Accusative | Motion toward a destination |
| Kde? (Where?) | Locative | Static location |
Prepositions That Switch Case
These prepositions take different cases depending on motion vs location:
| Preposition | + Accusative (Kam?) | + Locative (Kde?) |
|---|---|---|
| na | Jdu na poštu (going to) | Jsem na poště (at/on) |
| v/ve | Jdu do města (into)* | Jsem ve městě (in) |
| pod | Dám to pod stůl (under-motion) | Je to pod stolem (under-static)** |
| nad | Pověsím to nad postel (above-motion) | Visí to nad postelí (above-static)** |
| před | Stoupnu si před dům (in front-motion) | Stojím před domem (in front-static)** |
| za | Jdu za dům (behind-motion) | Je to za domem (behind-static)** |
| mezi | Sednu si mezi ně (between-motion) | Sedím mezi nimi (between-static)** |
* Note: "do + genitive" is used for motion INTO enclosed spaces, while "na + accusative" is for surfaces/events
** pod, nad, před, za, mezi take Instrumental for static location
Visual Memory Aid
Kam? (Where TO?) → ACCUSATIVE → Arrow pointing →
Kde? (Where AT?) → LOCATIVE → Dot sitting •
Common Pairs to Memorize
| Motion (Kam? + Acc) | Static (Kde? + Loc) |
|---|---|
| Jdu na poštu | Jsem na poště |
| Jedu na Moravu | Jsem na Moravě |
| Jdu na koncert | Jsem na koncertě |
| Jedu do Prahy | Jsem v Praze |
| Jdu do školy | Jsem ve škole |
❌ Jdu v kině (I'm going in the cinema) — wrong case! ✅ Jdu do kina (I'm going to the cinema) — motion = different preposition + genitive
❌ Jsem na poštu (I am to the post office) — wrong case! ✅ Jsem na poště (I am at the post office) — static = locative
Special Notes on Preposition Choice
NA + Accusative (motion to surfaces/events)
- Jdu na náměstí (to the square)
- Jdu na oběd (to lunch)
- Jedu na dovolenou (on vacation)
DO + Genitive (motion into enclosed spaces)
- Jdu do obchodu (into the store)
- Jdu do restaurace (into the restaurant)
- Jedu do Německa (to Germany)
Usage
1. Direct Object
The most common use — what the verb acts upon.
- Mám nové auto. (I have a new car.)
- Vidím psa. (I see a dog.)
- Čtu knihu. (I am reading a book.)
- Znám toho člověka. (I know that person.)
2. Motion Towards (Kam?)
Used with prepositions na, pod, nad, před, za, mezi when implying motion.
- Jdu na poštu. (I am going to the post office.)
- Dám to pod stůl. (I will put it under the table.)
- Pověsil obraz nad postel. (He hung the picture above the bed.)
3. Prepositions (Always Accusative)
These prepositions always take accusative, regardless of motion:
- Pro (for): Dárek pro maminku.
- Přes (across/over): Přes most. / Přes celou noc. (all night)
- Skrz (through): Skrz les.
- O (by amount): O rok starší. (older by a year)
- Mimo (outside of): Mimo město.
4. Time Expressions with Za
- Za (in [future time]): Za hodinu. (In an hour.)
- Za (during [past]): Za komunismu. (During communism.) — Note: this is Genitive!
Detailed Reference Tables
Singular Endings
| Gender | Model | Ending | Example (Nom → Acc) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc Animate | pán | -a | pán → pána (= Genitive) |
| muž | -e | muž → muže (= Genitive) | |
| předseda | -u | předseda → předsedu | |
| soudce | -e | soudce → soudce | |
| Masc Inanimate | all | = Nom | hrad → hrad, stroj → stroj |
| Feminine | žena | -u | žena → ženu |
| růže | -i | růže → růži | |
| píseň | = Nom | píseň → píseň | |
| kost | = Nom | kost → kost | |
| Neuter | all | = Nom | město → město, moře → moře |
For Masculine Inanimate and Neuter, Accusative = Nominative (no change). For Masculine Animate, Accusative = Genitive. For Feminine žena type, -a → -u.
Plural Endings
Good news: Accusative Plural is even simpler than singular!
At a Glance (Plural)
Endings by Gender
| Gender | Nom Pl | Acc Pl | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc Animate | páni | pány | Different! |
| muži | muže | Different! | |
| Masc Inanimate | hrady | hrady | = Nom Pl |
| stroje | stroje | = Nom Pl | |
| Feminine | ženy | ženy | = Nom Pl |
| růže | růže | = Nom Pl | |
| Neuter | města | města | = Nom Pl |
Only Masculine Animate has different Accusative Plural endings:
- Hard stems: -y (pány, studenty)
- Soft stems: -e (muže, učitele)
Everything else: just use Nominative Plural!
Examples
Masculine Animate (changes):
- Vidím studenty. (I see [the] students.)
- Znám ty muže. (I know those men.)
- Volím kandidáty. (I vote for candidates.)
Everything else (= Nominative Plural):
- Vidím hrady. (I see [the] castles.)
- Čtu knihy. (I read books.)
- Mám rád města. (I like cities.)
Verbs That Require Accusative
Most transitive verbs in Czech take the accusative. Here are the most important ones:
Common Transitive Verbs
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| mít | to have | Mám čas. (I have time.) |
| vidět | to see | Vidím hory. (I see mountains.) |
| slyšet | to hear | Slyším hudbu. (I hear music.) |
| znát | to know (sb) | Znám tu paní. (I know that lady.) |
| milovat | to love | Miluju tě. (I love you.) |
| hledat | to look for | Hledám klíče. (I'm looking for keys.) |
| potřebovat | to need | Potřebuji pomoc. (I need help.) |
| chtít | to want | Chci kávu. (I want coffee.) |
| číst | to read | Čtu noviny. (I read the newspaper.) |
| psát | to write | Píšu dopis. (I'm writing a letter.) |
| kupovat | to buy | Kupuji dárek. (I'm buying a gift.) |
| prodávat | to sell | Prodávám auto. (I'm selling a car.) |
Verbs with Pro + Accusative
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| dělat pro | to do for | Dělám to pro tebe. (I do it for you.) |
| pracovat pro | to work for | Pracuju pro firmu. (I work for a company.) |
| kupovat pro | to buy for | Kupuju to pro maminku. (I'm buying it for mom.) |
Verbs with Na + Accusative (motion)
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| jít na | to go to | Jdu na pivo. (I'm going for a beer.) |
| těšit se na | to look forward to | Těším se na víkend. (I look forward to the weekend.) |
| čekat na | to wait for | Čekám na autobus. (I'm waiting for the bus.) |
| dívat se na | to look at | Dívám se na film. (I'm watching a movie.) |
| myslet na | to think of | Myslím na tebe. (I'm thinking of you.) |
| vzpomínat na | to remember | Vzpomínám na dětství. (I remember my childhood.) |
| zvykat si na | to get used to | Zvykám si na to. (I'm getting used to it.) |
Common Errors and How to Avoid Them
1. Forgetting Animate vs Inanimate
❌ Vidím pes. → ✅ Vidím psa. (animate = genitive ending) ❌ Vidím hrada. → ✅ Vidím hrad. (inanimate = no change)
2. Using Locative for Motion
❌ Jdu na poště. → ✅ Jdu na poštu. (motion = accusative) ❌ Jedu do Prahy. → ✅ Jedu do Prahy. (correct! do + genitive for enclosed)
3. Wrong Preposition + Case Combo
❌ Jdu v kino. → ✅ Jdu do kina. (into enclosed = do + genitive) ❌ Jdu do pošta. → ✅ Jdu na poštu. (to institution = na + accusative)
4. Mixing Up Plural Animate
❌ Vidím studenti. → ✅ Vidím studenty. (acc pl ≠ nom pl for animate) ❌ Znám ti muži. → ✅ Znám ty muže. (soft stem = -e in acc pl)
5. Forgetting Žena Type Change
❌ Vidím žena. → ✅ Vidím ženu. (-a → -u) ❌ Čtu kniha. → ✅ Čtu knihu. (-a → -u)