Vocative Case (Vokativ)
Question: Oslovujeme, voláme! (We address, we call!)
The Vocative is used exclusively for addressing people (or things, poetically). It is NOT optional in Czech; using the Nominative to address someone sounds rude or uneducated.
The vocative has one unique function: directly addressing a person or thing:
- Ahoj, Petře! (Hi, Peter!)
- Pane profesore, mám otázku. (Professor, I have a question.)
- Bože můj! (My God!)
The key insight: Vocative marks who you're talking TO, not about.
Unlike other cases, the vocative:
- Has no question word
- Is never governed by a verb or preposition
- Is always set off by commas in writing
At a Glance (Singular)
Which Ending? Follow the Flowchart
Use this flowchart to find the right vocative ending:
Memory Aids (Mnemonics)
Use these tricks to remember the patterns you just saw in the cheatsheets above.
The Three Masculine Endings
| Ending | When | Memory Aid |
|---|---|---|
| -e | Hard consonants (Petr, Pavel) | Everyday hard names |
| -i | Soft consonants (Tomáš, Lukáš) | Soft → Soft i |
| -u | Names ending in -k (Marek, Patrik) | Keep it U |
Memory: "Hard gets E, Soft gets I, K gets U"
The Feminine Split
| Nom ending | Voc ending | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -a | -o | Jana → Jano, maminko, paní doktorko |
| -e | -e | Marie → Marie, růže → růže |
| consonant | -i | paní → paní (often no change) |
Memory: "A woman (-a) gets called with O!"
Titles Keep Their Pattern
| Title | Nominative | Vocative |
|---|---|---|
| Mr. | pan | pane |
| Mrs. | paní | paní (no change!) |
| doctor (m) | doktor | doktore |
| doctor (f) | doktorka | doktorko |
| professor (m) | profesor | profesore |
| professor (f) | profesorka | profesorko |
Neuter = No Change
Neuter nouns don't change in the vocative. Simple!
- město → město! (City! — though rarely used)
- dítě → dítě! (Child!)
Formal vs Informal Address
Understanding when to use vocative forms is as important as knowing the endings.
Formal Situations
Use title + surname in vocative:
| Context | Czech | English |
|---|---|---|
| Business meeting | Dobrý den, pane Nováku. | Hello, Mr. Novák. |
| Doctor's office | Pane doktore, bolí mě záda. | Doctor, my back hurts. |
| University | Paní profesorko, mám otázku. | Professor, I have a question. |
| Customer service | Slečno/Paní, prosím... | Miss/Ma'am, please... |
Informal Situations
Use first name in vocative:
| Context | Czech | English |
|---|---|---|
| Friends | Ahoj, Petře! | Hi, Peter! |
| Family | Maminko, kde jsi? | Mom, where are you? |
| Children | Honzíku, pojď sem! | Johnny, come here! |
| Romantic | Miláčku, miluji tě. | Darling, I love you. |
The T-V Distinction
Czech has a formal/informal distinction like French (tu/vous) or German (du/Sie):
| Form | When | Pronoun | Verb form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ty (informal) | Friends, family, children | ty | 2nd person singular |
| Vy (formal) | Strangers, superiors, elderly | vy | 2nd person plural |
Using the wrong form can be offensive:
- Too informal → disrespectful, rude
- Too formal → cold, distant (but safer!)
When in doubt, use Vy until invited to use Ty.
Common Name Patterns
Male Names
| Name | Vocative | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Petr | Petre | hard -e |
| Pavel | Pavle | hard -e (with fleeting vowel) |
| Jan | Jane | hard -e |
| Tomáš | Tomáši | soft -i |
| Lukáš | Lukáši | soft -i |
| Marek | Marku | -k → -u |
| Patrik | Patriku | -k → -u |
| Honza | Honzo | -a → -o (like feminine) |
| Jirka | Jirko | -a → -o |
Female Names
| Name | Vocative | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Jana | Jano | -a → -o |
| Petra | Petro | -a → -o |
| Lucie | Lucie | -e → -e (no change) |
| Marie | Marie | -e → -e (no change) |
| Hana | Hano | -a → -o |
| Eva | Evo | -a → -o |
Foreign Names
Foreign names often keep their original form or adapt minimally:
| Name | Vocative | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Michael | Michaele or Michael! | May or may not decline |
| David | Davide | Usually declines |
| Kevin | Kevine | Declines normally |
| Sophie | Sophie! | Often undeclined |
| Emma | Emmo | Declines like Czech -a names |
Palatalization in Vocative
Before the vocative -e, certain consonants change:
| Before | After | Example |
|---|---|---|
| k → č | kluk → kluče! | (boy!) — archaic |
| h → ž | Bůh → Bože! | (God!) |
| ch → š | hoch → hoše! | (lad!) — archaic |
| r → ř | Petr → Petře! | (Peter!) |
| c → č | otec → otče! | (father!) |
Many palatalization changes are now optional or archaic:
- člověče! (traditional) vs člověk! (colloquial)
- hochu! (modern) vs hoše! (old-fashioned)
Detailed Reference Tables
Singular Endings
| Gender | Model | Ending | Example (Nom → Voc) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc Animate | pán | -e | pán → pane, Petr → Petre |
| (soft ending) | -i | Tomáš → Tomáši | |
| (ending in -k, -h, -ch) | -u | Marek → Marku | |
| muž | -i | muž → muži | |
| předseda | -o | předseda → předsedo, kolega → kolego | |
| soudce | -e | soudce → soudce | |
| Feminine | žena | -o | žena → ženo, Jana → Jano |
| růže | -e | růže → růže, Marie → Marie | |
| píseň | -i | píseň → písni | |
| kost | -i | kost → kosti | |
| Neuter | all | = Nom | město → město!, dítě → dítě! |
Common Irregularities
| Nominative | Vocative | English |
|---|---|---|
| syn | synu! | son |
| Bůh | Bože! | God |
| člověk | člověče! | man/human |
| kůň | koni! | horse |
| přítel | příteli! | friend |
| bratr | bratře! | brother |
| tchán | tchán! (no change) | father-in-law |
Usage
1. Addressing People Directly
- Ahoj Petře! (Hi Peter!)
- Dobrý den, pane Nováku. (Good day, Mr. Novák.)
- Promiňte, slečno. (Excuse me, Miss.)
2. Formal Address with Titles
- Pane řediteli, máte chvilku? (Director, do you have a moment?)
- Paní doktorko, je to vážné? (Doctor, is it serious?)
- Vážený pane předsedo... (Dear Chairman...)
3. Terms of Endearment
- Miláčku, pojď sem. (Darling, come here.)
- Zlatíčko, neboj se. (Sweetie, don't worry.)
- Lásko moje! (My love!)
4. Exclamations and Oaths
- Bože můj! (My God!)
- Proboha! (For God's sake!)
- Panebože! (Lord God!)
Plural
Vocative Plural = Nominative Plural for all genders.
No special endings to learn!
Examples
- Ahoj, kluci! (Hi, boys!) — same as nominative plural
- Děkuji, dámy! (Thank you, ladies!) — same as nominative plural
- Vážení kolegové! (Dear colleagues!) — same as nominative plural
- Milé děti! (Dear children!) — same as nominative plural
- Přátelé, máte pravdu! (Friends, you're right!) — same as nominative plural
Common Errors and How to Avoid Them
1. Using Nominative to Address Someone
❌ Ahoj, Petr! → ✅ Ahoj, Petře! ❌ Pane Novák, prosím... → ✅ Pane Nováku, prosím...
This is a very common mistake for foreigners, but sounds quite rude to native speakers!
2. Wrong Ending for -k Names
❌ Marke! → ✅ Marku! (names in -k get -u) ❌ Patrike! → ✅ Patriku!
3. Forgetting Palatalization
❌ Petre! without the ř: should sound like Petrře ❌ Boge! → ✅ Bože! (h → ž)
4. Over-Declining Foreign Names
❌ Michaele! (if the person doesn't decline their name) → depends on the person Some foreign names decline, some don't — when in doubt, ask or use the undeclined form.
5. Using Vocative in Wrong Context
❌ Mluvím s Petre. → ✅ Mluvím s Petrem. (talking ABOUT = instrumental) ❌ Vidím Janao. → ✅ Vidím Janu. (seeing = accusative)
The vocative is ONLY for direct address, not when talking about someone!
Cultural Notes
Always Use Vocative!
In Czech culture, using the nominative to address someone is considered:
- Rude — like not using "please" in English
- Uneducated — marks you as a non-native speaker
- Dismissive — as if the person doesn't deserve proper address
Even children learn vocative forms early and use them naturally.
Title + Name Combinations
In formal contexts, use both title and name in vocative:
- Pane inženýre Nováku... (Mr. Engineer Novák...)
- Paní doktorko Svobodová... (Dr. Svobodová...)
When Czechs Drop Vocative
In very casual, rapid speech among close friends, the nominative is sometimes used:
- Hele, Petr, co děláš? (Hey, Petr, what's up?)
But this is colloquial and should be avoided by learners until fully fluent.