Czech B1 flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Topic-comment word order

Czech places known information at the beginning and new or focused information at the end of the clause. Moving an element to the final position stresses it, so answer questions by putting the requested information last.

Second-position clitics

Short forms such as se, si, mi, ti, mu, mě, tě, ho and the auxiliary jsem, jsi, jsme, jste occupy the second position in a clause, after the first stressed word or phrase, regardless of what that phrase is.

Verb aspect pairs

Most Czech verbs come in imperfective/perfective pairs such as psát/napsat or kupovat/koupit. Perfective verbs view the action as complete and have no present tense; imperfective verbs describe ongoing or repeated action.

Locative vs accusative with na

The preposition na takes the accusative for direction or goal (jdu na poštu) and the locative for location (jsem na poště). The case ending, not the preposition alone, shows whether motion or position is meant.

Conditional auxiliary bych

The conditional is formed with bych, bys, by, bychom, byste, by plus the past participle: šel bych, chtěla by. The auxiliary follows the second-position rule, so it comes after the first stressed element.

Past participle plural agreement

In the plural, the past participle ends in -li for masculine animate subjects (muži šli) and -ly for all other subjects (ženy šly, děti šly, domy stály). Check the subject's gender and animacy before writing.

Reflexive se vs si

Se marks the direct object of a reflexive verb (myt se = wash oneself), while si marks an indirect or benefactive object (koupit si = buy for oneself). The choice changes the verb's meaning and must be memorized with the verb.

Numeral agreement rules

After dva, dvě, tři and čtyři, nouns take the nominative plural (dva studenti, tři knihy). After pět and higher numbers, nouns take the genitive plural (pět studentů, deset knih).

Preposition case government

Each Czech preposition governs a fixed case or a case pair: bez + genitive, k + dative, přes + accusative, s + instrumental, o + locative. Learn the preposition together with its case to avoid errors in cloze tasks.

Formal email frame

A formal Czech email opens with Vážený pane / Vážená paní plus surname or function, uses vykání throughout, and closes with S pozdravem followed by the sender's name. Contractions and slang are avoided.

Vocative in direct address

When addressing someone directly, masculine surnames and names take the vocative: pane Nováku, Petře, doktore. Feminine surnames ending in -ová usually stay unchanged in the vocative: paní Nováková.

Cohesion connectors in writing

Use connectors to link ideas: proto (therefore), však (however), navíc (moreover), na druhou stranu (on the other hand), kromě toho (besides), závěrem (in conclusion). They signal logical relations and raise the coherence score.

Register: vykání vs tykání

Vykání uses the plural verb form and Vy to address strangers, officials and elders; tykání uses the singular and ty with friends, family and peers. Mixing them within one text is a register error.

Picture description frame

Describe a picture in a fixed order: setting (Na obrázku je…), people (vidím muže, který…), action (právě dělá…), and impression (vypadá to, že…). The frame prevents long pauses and keeps the monologue organized.

Opinion structure in speaking

State your view (Myslím, že…), give a reason (protože…), add an example (například…), and concede a point (na druhou stranu…). This four-step pattern fills the required speaking time with coherent content.

Repair strategies for fluency

When a word is missing, use Czech paraphrases: Jak se to řekne…? Myslím tím…, Chci říct…, prostě… . Repairing in Czech maintains fluency; switching to English or falling silent lowers the score.

Relative clauses with který

The relative pronoun který, která, které agrees with its antecedent in gender and number and takes its case from its role in the relative clause: muž, kterého znám; žena, která přišla; kniha, kterou čtu.

Scanning for keywords

In reading tasks, read the question first, underline its key words, and scan the text for synonyms or paraphrases rather than exact matches. The answer usually appears in the same order as the questions.

Distractor with repeated words

A common wrong option copies words from the text but changes the relation or polarity. The correct option usually paraphrases the text, so check meaning, not lexical overlap, before choosing.

Absolute words signal false

Statements containing vždy, nikdy, všichni, žádný or jediný are usually false in true/false reading tasks unless the text states them explicitly. The text more often uses hedges such as často, někdy, většinou.

Pronoun reference tracking

Czech pronouns ten, ta, to, jeho, její and jejich refer back to the nearest compatible noun. Match gender and number to identify the antecedent, especially in longer paragraphs with several possible referents.

Word formation clues

Prefixes and suffixes reveal meaning: ne- negates, bez- means without, pře- means over or re-, -ost forms nouns, -telný means -able, -ář names a person. Use them to infer unknown words in reading texts.

Matching headings strategy

For heading-matching tasks, read the first and last sentence of each paragraph, identify the repeated lexical chain, and match the heading that paraphrases the main idea rather than a single detail.

Prediction before listening

Before the recording plays, read the options and predict the topic and the type of answer needed: a number, a place, a reason or a person. Prediction primes recognition and reduces processing load during listening.

Self-correction in recordings

B1 recordings often correct themselves with vlastně, tedy, ne, počkej or a repeated phrase. The final version is the correct answer, so keep listening after the first number or name is mentioned.

Negation prefixes in listening

Prefixes change meaning completely: nesmíš (must not) vs smíš (may), nemusíš (need not) vs musíš (must). Missing a prefix reverses the statement, so listen for the negative particle and prefix.

Minimal pairs in Czech

Pairs such as bydlet/být, mít/mýt, být/bít and led/let differ by one sound but change meaning. Use collocations and context, not isolated sounds, to decide which word was said.

Answer-introducing markers

Speakers often signal the answer with phrases such as důvod je, proto, hlavně, naopak or podle mě. These markers announce the key information, so focus attention when you hear them.

Gap-fill grammar check

After writing a word in a listening gap-fill, check that it agrees with the surrounding sentence in case, gender, number and verb conjugation. A grammatically impossible form signals a misheard word.

Abandon and rejoin

If you miss one listening item, stop thinking about it and rejoin the recording immediately. The recording continues once; dwelling on a lost item causes further losses on later questions.

Time allocation in reading

Allocate roughly one and a half minutes per reading item. Mark uncertain answers, complete easier items first, and return to difficult ones with remaining time rather than stalling on one question.

Final writing checklist

Before submitting a written task, verify that all required points are covered, subject-verb agreement is correct, formal or informal register is consistent, and connectors link paragraphs. These four checks catch most B1 errors.