The Genitive Case (2. pád - Genitiv)
Welcome to the complete guide to the Czech Genitive case! This is the "of" case - essential for possession, quantities, and many common prepositions.
Why Master the Genitive?
The Genitive is everywhere in Czech:
- Possession - "the brother's book", "the end of the film"
- Quantities - "five students", "a lot of money"
- Many prepositions - z (from), do (to), bez (without), u (at)
- Negation - "I have no time"
After Nominative and Accusative, Genitive is the most frequently used case!
What You'll Learn
📚 Theory
- Singular Endings - The patterns for each gender
- Plural Endings - Complex but learnable
- Prepositions - z, do, od, bez, u, vedle, kolem...
- Common Uses - Possession, quantities, partitive
- Adjectives - Adjective agreement in genitive
- Pronouns - mě, tě, ho/něj, jí/ní...
💪 Exercises
- Possession - Practice "of" constructions
- Fill in the Blank - Complete sentences
- Transform - Nominative → Genitive
📋 Cheatsheets
- Quick Reference - All endings at a glance
- Visual Cheatsheets - Printable reference cards
Quick Facts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Czech name | Genitiv (2. pád) |
| Questions | Koho? Čeho? (Of whom? Of what?) |
| Key feature | Possession, quantities, "from/to" |
| Main uses | Possession, amounts, prepositions, negation |
| Difficulty | ⭐⭐⭐ (Harder - plural endings are complex) |
The Core Concept
Think: "OF" or "FROM"
The Genitive answers "Of whom?" or "Of what?":
- kniha bratra (the book of brother = brother's book)
- konec filmu (the end of the film)
- pět studentů (five of students = five students)
- z Prahy (from Prague)
Key Prepositions
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| z/ze | from, out of | Jsem z Prahy. |
| do | to, into | Jdu do školy. |
| od | from (person/time) | dopis od bratra |
| bez | without | káva bez cukru |
| u | at, near | u doktora |
| vedle | next to | vedle banky |
| kolem | around | kolem domu |
| místo | instead of | místo kávy |
| během | during | během léta |
| kvůli | because of | kvůli tobě |
Singular Endings at a Glance
| Type | Nominative | Genitive | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc. Animate | student | studenta | kniha studenta |
| Masc. Inanimate | hrad | hradu | okno hradu |
| Feminine -a | žena | ženy | dům ženy |
| Feminine -e | růže | růže | vůně růže |
| Neuter -o | město | města | centrum města |
| Neuter -e | moře | moře | barva moře |
The Tricky Part: Plurals
Genitive Plural = Most Complex
The genitive plural has the most varied endings in Czech. Each gender pattern behaves differently:
| Type | Example | Gen. Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | student | studentů |
| Feminine -a | žena | žen (zero ending!) |
| Feminine -e | růže | růží |
| Neuter -o | město | měst (zero ending!) |
Don't worry - we'll break it down step by step!
Common Expressions
| Czech | English |
|---|---|
| Kolik je hodin? | What time is it? (lit: how many of hours) |
| pět minut | five minutes |
| hodně štěstí | lots of luck |
| trochu času | a little time |
| sklenice vody | a glass of water |
| kousek chleba | a piece of bread |
Start Learning
Ready to master the Genitive? Start with the basics:
Part of the iLearnCzech family. See also: Full Grammar Reference