Purpose Clauses (Účelové věty)
Purpose clauses express why someone does something ("in order to", "so that"). They are introduced by aby.
1. Same Subject (Infinitive)
If the subject of the main clause and the purpose clause is the same, Czechs often use aby + Past Tense (l-participle), but strictly speaking, you can sometimes use just the infinitive if it's a motion verb.
However, the standard "Aby" construction is:
- Jdu do obchodu, abych koupil chleba. (I go to the shop [so that I would] buy bread.)
- Aby conjugates exactly like Kdyby!
Conjugation of Aby
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| Já | abych |
| Ty | abys |
| On | aby |
| My | abychom |
| Vy | abyste |
| Oni | aby |
2. Different Subjects
If I want YOU to do something.
- Chci, abys to udělal. (I want you to do it. - Lit: "I want so that you did it.")
- Řekl jsem mu, aby odešel. (I told him to leave.)
Note: This is how Czech expresses "I want you to..." (Chci, abys...). You cannot say "Chci tě dělat".