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Welcome to Lesson 17 of the Czech Language Course
This lesson introduces the Czech preposition s (or se), meaning “with,” which requires the instrumental case—the seventh and final case in the Czech declension system. This is one of the most frequently used prepositions in Czech, essential for expressing accompaniment, cooperation, and association.
Course Index:
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What does “s” mean in Czech? The Czech preposition “s” (pronounced [s]) or its variant “se” means “with” and is used to express accompaniment or association. Unlike English, Czech requires the noun following this preposition to change its ending according to the instrumental case. The question words for this case are s kým? (with whom?) and s čím? (with what?).
Key Takeaways -
The preposition s/se always takes the instrumental case (7th case) -
Use se before words beginning with s, z, š, ž, or difficult consonant clusters -
The instrumental case expresses accompaniment, means, and instrument -
Masculine and neuter singular nouns typically add -em -
Feminine nouns ending in -a change to -ou -
This case is also used after prepositions za, před, mezi, pod, and nad
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Czech pronunciation follows consistent rules with stress always on the first syllable. Here are the key sounds for this lesson:
s [s] — as in English “sun” se [sɛ] — “s” + short “e” as in “bed” č [tʃ] — as in English “church” š [ʃ] — as in English “ship” ž [ʒ] — as in English “measure” ř [r̝] — unique Czech sound: a raised alveolar trill (similar to “r” + “zh” combined) ou [oʊ] — diphthong as in English “go” í/ý [iː] — long “ee” sound á [aː] — long “ah” sound é [ɛː] — long “eh” sound ě [jɛ] — “ye” sound after labials (b, p, m, v, f), otherwise softens preceding consonant
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17.1a Jdu s bratrem do města 17.1b Jdu (jdu) I-go s (s) with bratrem (ˈbra.trɛm) brother-INST do (do) to města (ˈmnjɛs.ta) city-GEN
17.2a Piju kávu s mlékem 17.2b Piju (ˈpɪ.ju) I-drink kávu (ˈkaː.vu) coffee-ACC s (s) with mlékem (ˈmlɛː.kɛm) milk-INST
17.3a Mluvím s přítelem 17.3b Mluvím (ˈmlu.viːm) I-speak s (s) with přítelem (ˈpr̝iː.tɛ.lɛm) friend-INST
17.4a Marie jde s Janou 17.4b Marie (ˈma.rɪ.jɛ) Marie jde (jdɛ) goes s (s) with Janou (ˈja.noʊ) Jana-INST
17.5a Sedím s rodiči 17.5b Sedím (ˈsɛ.ɟiːm) I-sit s (s) with rodiči (ˈro.ɟɪ.tʃɪ) parents-INST
17.6a Co děláš se sestrou? 17.6b Co (tso) what děláš (ˈɟɛ.laːʃ) you-do se (sɛ) with sestrou (ˈsɛs.troʊ) sister-INST
17.7a Pracuji s kolegou 17.7b Pracuji (ˈpra.tsu.jɪ) I-work s (s) with kolegou (ˈko.lɛ.ɡoʊ) colleague-INST
17.8a Jím chleba s máslem 17.8b Jím (jiːm) I-eat chleba (ˈxlɛ.ba) bread-ACC s (s) with máslem (ˈmaːs.lɛm) butter-INST
17.9a Chodím se psem každý den 17.9b Chodím (ˈxo.ɟiːm) I-walk se (sɛ) with psem (psɛm) dog-INST každý (ˈkaʒ.diː) every den (dɛn) day
17.10a Bydlím s rodinou 17.10b Bydlím (ˈbɪd.liːm) I-live s (s) with rodinou (ˈro.ɟɪ.noʊ) family-INST
17.11a Setkávám se s přáteli v pátek 17.11b Setkávám (ˈsɛt.kaː.vaːm) I-meet se (sɛ) REFL s (s) with přáteli (ˈpr̝aː.tɛ.lɪ) friends-INST v (v) on pátek (ˈpaː.tɛk) Friday
17.12a David mluví s učitelem 17.12b David (ˈda.vɪt) David mluví (ˈmlu.viː) speaks s (s) with učitelem (ˈu.tʃɪ.tɛ.lɛm) teacher-INST
17.13a Dívám se na film s manželkou 17.13b Dívám (ˈɟiː.vaːm) I-watch se (sɛ) REFL na (na) at film (fɪlm) film s (s) with manželkou (ˈman.ʒɛl.koʊ) wife-INST
17.14a Čtu knihu se zájmem 17.14b Čtu (tʃtu) I-read knihu (ˈkɲɪ.hu) book-ACC se (sɛ) with zájmem (ˈzaːj.mɛm) interest-INST
17.15a Pojedu na dovolenou s dětmi 17.15b Pojedu (ˈpo.jɛ.du) I-will-go na (na) to dovolenou (ˈdo.vo.lɛ.noʊ) holiday-ACC s (s) with dětmi (ˈɟɛc.mɪ) children-INST
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17.1 Jdu s bratrem do města → “I’m going with my brother to the city”
17.2 Piju kávu s mlékem → “I’m drinking coffee with milk”
17.3 Mluvím s přítelem → “I’m talking with a friend”
17.4 Marie jde s Janou → “Marie is going with Jana”
17.5 Sedím s rodiči → “I’m sitting with my parents”
17.6 Co děláš se sestrou? → “What are you doing with your sister?”
17.7 Pracuji s kolegou → “I work with a colleague”
17.8 Jím chleba s máslem → “I’m eating bread with butter”
17.9 Chodím se psem každý den → “I walk with the dog every day”
17.10 Bydlím s rodinou → “I live with my family”
17.11 Setkávám se s přáteli v pátek → “I meet with friends on Friday”
17.12 David mluví s učitelem → “David is speaking with the teacher”
17.13 Dívám se na film s manželkou → “I’m watching a film with my wife”
17.14 Čtu knihu se zájmem → “I’m reading the book with interest”
17.15 Pojedu na dovolenou s dětmi → “I’ll go on vacation with the children”
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17.1 Jdu s bratrem do města
17.2 Piju kávu s mlékem
17.3 Mluvím s přítelem
17.4 Marie jde s Janou
17.5 Sedím s rodiči
17.6 Co děláš se sestrou?
17.7 Pracuji s kolegou
17.8 Jím chleba s máslem
17.9 Chodím se psem každý den
17.10 Bydlím s rodinou
17.11 Setkávám se s přáteli v pátek
17.12 David mluví s učitelem
17.13 Dívám se na film s manželkou
17.14 Čtu knihu se zájmem
17.15 Pojedu na dovolenou s dětmi
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These are the grammar rules for “s/se” (with) in Czech:
The Instrumental Case (7. pád)
The preposition s/se always requires the instrumental case, the seventh case in the Czech system. Czech children learn this case with the question s kým? (with whom?) for animate nouns and s čím? (with what?) for inanimate nouns.
When to Use “s” vs. “se”
The basic form is s. Use the variant se before words beginning with: s, z, š, ž (sibilants), or before difficult consonant clusters that would create awkward pronunciation. Examples: se sestrou (with sister), se psem (with dog), se zájmem (with interest).
Instrumental Case Singular Endings
Masculine animate nouns (men, animals): The ending is -em. Examples: bratr → s bratrem (with brother), přítel → s přítelem (with friend), učitel → s učitelem (with teacher), kolega → s kolegou (with colleague, note: -a ending nouns take -ou).
Masculine inanimate nouns (things): The ending is -em. Examples: stůl → se stolem (with table), dům → s domem (with house).
Feminine nouns ending in -a: The ending is -ou. Examples: sestra → se sestrou (with sister), Jana → s Janou (with Jana), rodina → s rodinou (with family), manželka → s manželkou (with wife).
Feminine nouns ending in a consonant: The ending is -í. Example: kost → s kostí (with bone).
Neuter nouns ending in -o: The ending is -em. Examples: město → s městem (with city), mléko → s mlékem (with milk), máslo → s máslem (with butter).
Neuter nouns ending in -í: The ending is -ím. Example: náměstí → s náměstím (with square).
Instrumental Case Plural Endings
Masculine animate: -y or -i. Example: přátelé → s přáteli (with friends). Feminine: -ami or -emi. Example: sestry → se sestrami (with sisters). Neuter: -y or -ami. Example: města → s městy (with cities). Irregular: děti → s dětmi (with children), rodiče → s rodiči (with parents).
Common Mistakes for English Speakers
Forgetting to decline: English speakers often forget to change the noun ending. “S bratr” is incorrect; it must be “s bratrem.”
Using the wrong variant: Remember to use “se” before sibilants and clusters. “S sestra” is difficult to pronounce; use “se sestrou.”
Confusing instrumental with other cases: The instrumental has distinct endings (-em, -ou, -í) that differ from accusative or genitive.
Gender agreement: Adjectives must also be in the instrumental case and agree in gender. Example: s dobrým přítelem (with a good friend, masculine), s dobrou kamarádkou (with a good friend, feminine).
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Usage in Modern Czech
The preposition s/se is one of the most common words in Czech, appearing in everyday conversation, formal writing, and all registers of language. Its frequency rank makes it essential for basic communication.
Beyond Accompaniment
While the primary meaning is “with” (accompaniment), the instrumental case after s/se can also express: the manner in which something is done (s radostí — with joy), the instrument used (psát s perem — to write with a pen), and emotional states accompanying actions (s úsměvem — with a smile).
Other Prepositions with Instrumental
Several other Czech prepositions also take the instrumental case: za (behind), před (in front of), mezi (between), pod (below/under), nad (above). When expressing motion, some of these prepositions take the accusative instead.
Formal vs. Informal Usage
The construction s/se + instrumental remains consistent across formal and informal registers. However, in colloquial speech, some Czechs use non-standard instrumental plural endings like -ama, -ema (s klukama instead of standard s kluky), though this is not recommended for learners.
Idiomatic Expressions
Czech has many fixed expressions using s/se: s pomocí (with help), souhlasím s tebou (I agree with you), co je s tebou? (what’s wrong with you?), spokojený s (satisfied with), s pozdravem (with regards, used in letters).
The Instrumental Without a Preposition
Interestingly, the instrumental case can also be used without a preposition to express means or instrument: psát tužkou (to write with a pencil), jet autem (to go by car). This “bare instrumental” differs from the accompaniment meaning of s/se.
Reminder: This lesson is designed for English speakers learning Czech.
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The following passage is adapted from contemporary Czech usage, demonstrating the preposition s/se in authentic context.
Part F-A: Interlinear Text
Seděl (ˈsɛ.ɟɛl) he-sat jsem (jsɛm) AUX s (s) with otcem (ˈot.tsɛm) father-INST v (v) in zahradě (ˈza.hra.ɟɛ) garden-LOC a (a) and mluvili (ˈmlu.vɪ.lɪ) spoke jsme (jsmɛ) AUX o (o) about životě (ˈʒɪ.vo.cɛ) life-LOC Díval (ˈɟiː.val) watched se (sɛ) REFL na (na) at mě (mɲɛ) me s (s) with láskou (ˈlaːs.koʊ) love-INST v (v) in očích (ˈo.tʃiːx) eyes-LOC
Part F-B: Natural Text with Translation
Seděl jsem s otcem v zahradě a mluvili jsme o životě. Díval se na mě s láskou v očích. → “I sat with my father in the garden and we talked about life. He looked at me with love in his eyes.”
Part F-C: Czech Text Only
Seděl jsem s otcem v zahradě a mluvili jsme o životě. Díval se na mě s láskou v očích.
Part F-D: Grammar Commentary
This passage demonstrates several uses of the instrumental case with s/se. The phrase s otcem (with father) shows the masculine animate instrumental ending -em applied to otec (father). The phrase s láskou (with love) illustrates the feminine instrumental ending -ou on the abstract noun láska (love). Note how the instrumental here expresses not just accompaniment but also manner—describing how the father looked at the speaker. The verb díval se is reflexive (indicated by se), which is separate from the preposition se meaning “with.” Czech distinguishes these clearly through context and position.
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Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
17.16a Ahoj Petře! Mohu si sednout s tebou? 17.16b Ahoj (ˈa.hoj) hello Petře (ˈpɛ.tr̝ɛ) Petr-VOC Mohu (ˈmo.hu) may-I si (sɪ) REFL sednout (ˈsɛd.noʊt) sit-down s (s) with tebou (ˈtɛ.boʊ) you-INST
17.17a Samozřejmě! S kým jsi přišel? 17.17b Samozřejmě (ˈsa.mo.zr̝ɛj.mɲɛ) of-course S (s) with kým (kiːm) whom-INST jsi (jsɪ) you-are přišel (ˈpr̝ɪ.ʃɛl) came
17.18a Přišel jsem s Marií a s jejím bratrem 17.18b Přišel (ˈpr̝ɪ.ʃɛl) came jsem (jsɛm) AUX s (s) with Marií (ˈma.rɪ.jiː) Marie-INST a (a) and s (s) with jejím (ˈjɛ.jiːm) her-INST bratrem (ˈbra.trɛm) brother-INST
17.19a To je skvělé! Dáš si kávu s cukrem? 17.19b To (to) that je (jɛ) is skvělé (ˈskvjɛ.lɛː) great Dáš (daːʃ) will-you-have si (sɪ) REFL kávu (ˈkaː.vu) coffee-ACC s (s) with cukrem (ˈtsu.krɛm) sugar-INST
17.20a Ne, raději kávu s mlékem bez cukru 17.20b Ne (nɛ) no raději (ˈra.ɟɛ.jɪ) rather kávu (ˈkaː.vu) coffee-ACC s (s) with mlékem (ˈmlɛː.kɛm) milk-INST bez (bɛs) without cukru (ˈtsu.kru) sugar-GEN
17.21a Mluvil jsem se šéfem o novém projektu 17.21b Mluvil (ˈmlu.vɪl) spoke jsem (jsɛm) AUX se (sɛ) with šéfem (ˈʃɛː.fɛm) boss-INST o (o) about novém (ˈno.vɛːm) new-LOC projektu (ˈpro.jɛk.tu) project-LOC
17.22a A jak to dopadlo? Souhlasí s tvým návrhem? 17.22b A (a) and jak (jak) how to (to) it dopadlo (ˈdo.pad.lo) turned-out Souhlasí (ˈsoʊ.hla.siː) agrees s (s) with tvým (tviːm) your-INST návrhem (ˈnaːvr̝.hɛm) proposal-INST
17.23a Ano, bude spolupracovat se mnou 17.23b Ano (ˈa.no) yes bude (ˈbu.dɛ) will spolupracovat (ˈspo.lu.pra.tso.vat) cooperate se (sɛ) with mnou (mnoʊ) me-INST
17.24a Gratuluju! To je dobrá zpráva 17.24b Gratuluju (ˈɡra.tu.lu.ju) congratulations To (to) that je (jɛ) is dobrá (ˈdo.braː) good zpráva (ˈzpraː.va) news
17.25a Musím jet domů se synem na fotbal 17.25b Musím (ˈmu.siːm) I-must jet (jɛt) go domů (ˈdo.muː) home se (sɛ) with synem (ˈsɪ.nɛm) son-INST na (na) to fotbal (ˈfod.bal) football
17.26a Pozdravuj ode mě manželku s dětmi 17.26b Pozdravuj (ˈpo.zdra.vuj) greet ode (ˈo.dɛ) from mě (mɲɛ) me-GEN manželku (ˈman.ʒɛl.ku) wife-ACC s (s) with dětmi (ˈɟɛc.mɪ) children-INST
17.27a Děkuji! Zatím se měj s celou rodinou 17.27b Děkuji (ˈɟɛ.ku.jɪ) thank-you Zatím (ˈza.tiːm) meanwhile se (sɛ) REFL měj (mɲɛj) have s (s) with celou (ˈtsɛ.loʊ) whole-INST rodinou (ˈro.ɟɪ.noʊ) family-INST
17.28a Počkej! Nechceš jít se mnou na oběd zítra? 17.28b Počkej (ˈpotʃ.kɛj) wait Nechceš (ˈnɛ.xtsɛʃ) don’t-you-want jít (jiːt) go se (sɛ) with mnou (mnoʊ) me-INST na (na) for oběd (ˈo.bjɛt) lunch zítra (ˈziː.tra) tomorrow
17.29a Rád! Sejdeme se s ostatními kolegy 17.29b Rád (raːt) gladly Sejdeme (ˈsɛj.dɛ.mɛ) we-will-meet se (sɛ) REFL s (s) with ostatními (ˈo.stat.ɲiː.mɪ) other-INST kolegy (ˈko.lɛ.ɡɪ) colleagues-INST
17.30a Výborně! Tak se uvidíme s celým týmem 17.30b Výborně (ˈviː.bor.ɲɛ) excellent Tak (tak) so se (sɛ) REFL uvidíme (ˈu.vɪ.ɟiː.mɛ) we-will-see s (s) with celým (ˈtsɛ.liːm) whole-INST týmem (ˈtiː.mɛm) team-INST
Part B: Natural Sentences
17.16 Ahoj Petře! Mohu si sednout s tebou? → “Hi Petr! May I sit with you?”
17.17 Samozřejmě! S kým jsi přišel? → “Of course! Who did you come with?”
17.18 Přišel jsem s Marií a s jejím bratrem → “I came with Marie and her brother”
17.19 To je skvělé! Dáš si kávu s cukrem? → “That’s great! Will you have coffee with sugar?”
17.20 Ne, raději kávu s mlékem bez cukru → “No, I’d rather have coffee with milk without sugar”
17.21 Mluvil jsem se šéfem o novém projektu → “I spoke with the boss about the new project”
17.22 A jak to dopadlo? Souhlasí s tvým návrhem? → “And how did it go? Does he agree with your proposal?”
17.23 Ano, bude spolupracovat se mnou → “Yes, he will cooperate with me”
17.24 Gratuluju! To je dobrá zpráva → “Congratulations! That’s good news”
17.25 Musím jet domů se synem na fotbal → “I have to go home with my son to football”
17.26 Pozdravuj ode mě manželku s dětmi → “Say hello to your wife and children from me”
17.27 Děkuji! Zatím se měj s celou rodinou → “Thanks! Take care with your whole family meanwhile”
17.28 Počkej! Nechceš jít se mnou na oběd zítra? → “Wait! Don’t you want to go to lunch with me tomorrow?”
17.29 Rád! Sejdeme se s ostatními kolegy → “Gladly! We’ll meet with the other colleagues”
17.30 Výborně! Tak se uvidíme s celým týmem → “Excellent! So we’ll see each other with the whole team”
Part C: Czech Text Only
17.16 Ahoj Petře! Mohu si sednout s tebou?
17.17 Samozřejmě! S kým jsi přišel?
17.18 Přišel jsem s Marií a s jejím bratrem
17.19 To je skvělé! Dáš si kávu s cukrem?
17.20 Ne, raději kávu s mlékem bez cukru
17.21 Mluvil jsem se šéfem o novém projektu
17.22 A jak to dopadlo? Souhlasí s tvým návrhem?
17.23 Ano, bude spolupracovat se mnou
17.24 Gratuluju! To je dobrá zpráva
17.25 Musím jet domů se synem na fotbal
17.26 Pozdravuj ode mě manželku s dětmi
17.27 Děkuji! Zatím se měj s celou rodinou
17.28 Počkej! Nechceš jít se mnou na oběd zítra?
17.29 Rád! Sejdeme se s ostatními kolegy
17.30 Výborně! Tak se uvidíme s celým týmem
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
This dialogue demonstrates the instrumental case with personal pronouns: s tebou (with you), se mnou (with me). Note the irregular forms: já → se mnou, ty → s tebou. The dialogue shows the “se” variant used before consonant clusters (se šéfem, se synem, se mnou) and sibilants. The question S kým? (With whom?) is the standard way to ask about accompaniment. The phrase souhlasí s + instrumental (agrees with) shows a common verb that requires this construction. Adjectives in the instrumental case (s celou rodinou, s celým týmem, s ostatními kolegy) show gender and number agreement.
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The Czech Alphabet and Diacritics
Czech uses the Latin alphabet with additional letters marked by diacritics. The háček (ˇ) appears over č, ř, š, ž, ď, ť, ň, and ě. The čárka (´) marks long vowels: á, é, í, ó, ú, ý. The kroužek (°) appears only over ů, indicating a long u in non-initial positions.
The Unique Sound ř
The consonant ř [r̝] is unique to Czech and notoriously difficult for learners. It combines a trilled r with a raised blade of the tongue, creating a sound between “r” and “zh.” Words like přítelem, Petře, and zítra contain this sound. Practice by saying “r” while raising your tongue toward the palate.
Voicing Assimilation
Czech has extensive voicing assimilation. Voiced consonants become voiceless before voiceless consonants, and vice versa. The preposition s [s] may sound like [z] before a voiced consonant in rapid speech.
Stress Pattern
Czech stress is always on the first syllable of a word. This is consistent regardless of word length or vowel quality. Long vowels can appear in any syllable and do not indicate stress.
Audio Resources
For authentic pronunciation, listen to Czech radio (Český rozhlas) or watch Czech films with subtitles. The website Forvo.com provides native speaker pronunciations of individual words.
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This lesson is part of a systematic course teaching Czech through frequency-based vocabulary and the construed reading method developed by the Latinum Institute. Each lesson focuses on one high-frequency word, providing 30 examples that progress from basic usage to complex conversational contexts.
The Latinum Institute has been creating language learning materials since 2006, specializing in the interlinear method that makes inflected languages accessible to English speakers. This approach allows learners to see exactly how each word functions within a sentence.
Course Features
The course follows a 1000-word frequency list, ensuring that learners acquire the most useful vocabulary first. Each lesson includes pronunciation guidance with IPA transcription, grammatical explanation suited to English speakers, cultural context, authentic literary examples, and practical dialogues.
Reviews and Resources
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Czech Language Resources
Recommended reference: James Naughton’s Czech: An Essential Grammar (Routledge) For case meanings: Laura Janda & Steven Clancy’s The Case Book for Czech (Slavica)
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End of Lesson 17
Lesson 17 Complete — Proceeding to Lesson 18...
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